Snip v. City of Lamar

201 S.W.2d 790, 239 Mo. App. 824, 1947 Mo. App. LEXIS 345
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 22, 1947
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 201 S.W.2d 790 (Snip v. City of Lamar) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Snip v. City of Lamar, 201 S.W.2d 790, 239 Mo. App. 824, 1947 Mo. App. LEXIS 345 (Mo. Ct. App. 1947).

Opinion

VANDEVENTER, J.-

This is a suit for specific performance. It was originally filed in four counts. The first count alleged that the plaintiffs were the owners of a 375 acre farm situated in Barton County, Missouri (giving the legal description) and alleged that Muddy Creek flowed through the lands from east to west. That to the north of Muddy Creek was approximately 100 acres and that all the improvements were on the south of said creek. That the City of Lamar is a city of the Fourth Class. Prior to' the year of 1937, it obtained t^.e water supply from Muddy Creek and had built a series of dams' for the purpose of impounding water used in supplying its inhabitants. That for several years, prior to 1937, a drouth had reduced the water supply and, to augment the supply of water, the *827 city built another dam across Muddy Creek approximately one mile downstream, to the west of plaintiffs’ farm, at Orndorff’s Ford. That as a result of the building of the dam and the impounding of the water, it backed up in' the channel of Muddy Creek, covering crossings used by the plaintiffs and their tenants to reach the north portion of their farm, also inundating valuable gravel bars and isolating approximately 8 acres of plaintiffs’ farm. That plaintiffs, after negotiations, entered into an agreement with the City of Lamar, through its proper officers, on April 19,1937, by which the City of Lamar agreed to build and maintain a crossing for plaintiffs.as long as said dam at Orndorff’s Ford was maintained and water impounded behind it. A copy of the contract was attached to the petition. That the City of Lamar, pursuant to said contract, built said crossing and maintained the same until the spring of 1943, when it was washed out. That plaintiffs notified the officers of the City of Lamar of the condition of said crossing and requested that it be repaired and maintained as provided in the contract but that the city wholly refused to do so. That plaintiffs had not claimed any damages by reason of the waters of Muddy Creek backing upon their land although the erection and maintenance of the crossing seriously affects the use of plaintiffs’ land and the operation of their farin'. They further asserted they had no adequate or certain remedy at law if said contract should not be enforced. That by reason of the failure of the city to maintain said crossing they were unable to farm a portion of the land lying north of Muddy Creek in 1945 and had lost crops to their damage in the sum of $300.00. They prayed the court for specific performance of the contract and asked that the city be required to maintain the crossing so long as Orndorff’s dam was used for the purpose of backing water in Muddy Creek on and across plaintiffs’ land and asked for $300.00 damage already suffered because of the breach of the contract.

¥e need not consider Counts 2, 3, and 4 as they were dismissed by the trial court.

Defendant’s answer to Count One admitted the plaintiffs’ ownership of the property and that Muddy Creek, a natural water course, flowed from east to west through said lands. Admitted that it was a city of the Fourth Class, that it had previously’ built a series of dams on Muddy Creek, had suffered from drouths which impaired its water supply and that to insure a greater supply of .water built a ' dam across Muddy Creek, approximately one mile downstream, from plaintiffs’ farm at a point near Orndorff’s Ford but alleged that said dam was built in the early part-.of 1934. It denied the negotiations leading up to the contract; denied that such a contract was in fact entered into; denied that it built said dam and maintained it until spring of 1943, denied any notice to the City of Lamar of the bad condition of said crossing, denied that it was requested to repair and maintain the same. It also denied that any damage had been *828 suffered by the plaintiffs in the operation of their farm, but admitted that at a regular meeting of the city council, on April 19, 1937, a resolution was duly made and seconded and spread upon the official records and minutes of said City of Lamar, referring to an agreement between the City of Lamar and plaintiffs providing for the construction of a crossing to restore a ford which was damaged due to the inundation after the building of the Orndorff Ford dam. It further admitted that the record showed that Akerman Ament moved the agreement be accepted, which motion was' seconded and all members voted- Aye.

Defendant denied that the contract attached to plaintiffs’ petition was the contract referred to in the resolution and asserted that the contract presented was not the contract of the City of Lamar and was not within the scope of defendant’s power, in that it was not expressly authorized by law and was not executed by an officer or agent of the defendant authorized by law and duly appointed and authorized in • writing. It was expressly alleged that the contract was-contrary to and contravened the authorizations of the Board of Aldermen and was ultra vires and void. Defendant denied that the waters of Muddy Creek were backed upon plaintiffs’ land or property and that they had sustained any damage but alleged that if plaintiffs had been damaged, the claim had been barred by the Statute of Limitations, under Section 1014, Revised Statutes 1939. Defendant asserted that it had obtained prescriptive rights thereto by virtue of the provisions of Sections 1002 and 1013', Revised Statutes of Missouri 1939.

It was stipulated that the. plaintiffs owned the land described in their petition. The city was a city of Fourth Class and owned and operated a waterworks. That in 1934, it built a dam across Muddy Creek at Orndorff’s Ford for use of its .waterworks system. That on April 19, 1937, E. A. Rutherford was the mayor of the City o'f Lamar and L. C. Reiley was the clerk thereof. That the signatures of these individuals on the contract were genuine. That the records of the city show that on March 15, 1937, a majority of the Board of Aldermen being present, entered of record, the following:

“Mr. Gordon Massey and John J. Snip appeared before the Board to request that action be taken soon on the matter, of building a.ford so he can get across Muddy Creek at his farm. General discussion followed as to the extent of damage done by the building of the dam at Orndorff’s Dam and promises in the past to build a ford for Mr. Snip. Alderman Steelman moved steps be taken to remedy the damage to the crossing, motion seconded by Alderman Ross. On roll call all members present voted Aye.”

That on April 19, 1937, the whole Board being present, the records show the following:

“Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved . . .

*829 “An agreement by and between City of Lamar as party of tbe first part and John G. and J. J. Snip as parties of the second part, providing for construction of a crossing across Muddy Creek at the Snip farm on the Northwest Quarter of Section 25, Township 32, Range 30, Barton County, Missouri to restore a crossing which was damaged due to the building of a new dam at which place is known as Orndorff’s Ford.

“Alderman Ament moved agreement be accepted, motion seconded by Alderman Ross. Roll called, all members present vote Aye.”

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Bluebook (online)
201 S.W.2d 790, 239 Mo. App. 824, 1947 Mo. App. LEXIS 345, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/snip-v-city-of-lamar-moctapp-1947.