Soderfelt v. City of Drayton

59 N.W.2d 502, 79 N.D. 742, 1953 N.D. LEXIS 74
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJune 20, 1953
DocketFile 7330
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 59 N.W.2d 502 (Soderfelt v. City of Drayton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Soderfelt v. City of Drayton, 59 N.W.2d 502, 79 N.D. 742, 1953 N.D. LEXIS 74 (N.D. 1953).

Opinions

[745]*745Sathre, J.

The plaintiff in this action, Kenneth Soderfelt, is a resident of the City of Drayton, North Dakota and is the owner of the north 25 feet of Lot 24 on the west side of Main street original townsite of Drayton, North Dakota upon which is located a certain frame building erected some time prior to 1903.

The defendants are the city of Drayton, a municipal corporation, Arthur N. Fleckten, as mayor of said city and Donald T. Dryden, Edwin Raney, D. M. Halcrow and Dean Brousseau, as members with said mayor of the city council of said city of Drayton. In 1946 the city council of the city of Drayton, enacted ordinance 114 providing for the demolition, repair or removal of any building or structure which is or threatens to be, a fire hazard or which is or threatens to be dangerous to the safety of the occupants or persons frequenting such premises, or which is in a dilapidated condition, and providing for written notice of hearing to the owner and for appeal from any final order of the city council and providing a penalty for violation thereof.

The ordinance defines as substandard buildings or structures, buildings that are in such state of disrepair as to be a menace' to the health, morals and safety and general welfare of those living within the city. Under the powers granted by the ordi[746]*746nance to the city council it may require the owners and others interested in the property which is found to be substandard to repair such property if the same is reparable, and if not, to destroy the same after due notice given and hearing had before the city council. If after such notice and hearing the owner is dissatisfied with the findings and order of the city council he may appeal to the district court within forty days after such findings and decision.

The provisions of the ordinance pertinent to the issues in the case at bar are as follows:

“Section 1. All buildings or structures which have any or all of the following defects shall be deemed sub-standard buildings or structures:

(a) those whose interior walls or other vertical structural members list, lean or buckle to such an extent that a plumb line passing through the center of gravity falls outside of the middle third of its base.

(b) those buildings which, exclusive of the foundation, sIíoav 33% or more of damage or deterioration of the supporting members or member, or 50% of damage or deterioration of the nonsupporting enclosing or outside walls- or covering.

(d) those which have been damaged by fife, wind or other causes so as to have become dangerous to life, safety, morals, or the general health and welfare of the occupants or the-people- 'of' this city.

(e) those which have become or are so dilapidated, decayed, unsafe, insanitary or which so utterly fail to provide the amenities essential to decent living that -they are- unfit for human habitation, or are likely to cause sickness or disease, so as' to work injury to the health, morals, safety, or general welfafe of' those living therein.

(h) those that have parts thereof which are so attached that they may fail and injure members of the public or property.

(i) those which because of their condition are unsafe, unsanitary, or dangerous to the health, morals,-safety or general welfare of the people of this city.

Section 2. All sub-standard buildings or structures within the terms of Section 1 of this-ordinance are hereby declared to be [747]*747public nuisances, and shall be repaired, removed, or demolished as hereinbefore and hereinafter provided.

The ordinance provides for election by the city council of one of its members as building commissioner and provides also for the appointment of a building inspector, it is the duty of the building inspector among other things to inspect any public building, wall or structure about which complaints are filed by any person that a building, wall or structure is or may be existing in violation of the ordinance; to notify in writing the owner, occupant, lessee, mortgagee or agent, and all other persons having an interest in said building as shown by the records in the' office of the Register of Deeds of Pembina county. The notice 'must require the owner' to remove, repair or demolish said building or structure in accordance with the terms of the notice and the ordinance. He must further report to the building commissioner any non-compliance with such notice and appear at all hearings conducted by the building commissioner of the city council and report the condition of sub-standard buildings or structures which he has inspected or examined.

In March 1903 the city commission of Drayton enacted what is knoyrn as fire ordinance No. 39. This ordinance specifies the class of buildings which may be erected within the fire limits, the material for such buildings, and other requirements.

On June 11th, 1949, the building inspector of the city of Dray-ton served upon the plaintiff, Kenneth Soderfelt the following notice:

“You are hereby notified that the undersigned building inspector of the City of Drayton, North Dakota acting” pursuant to Ordinance 114 ahd upon the direction of the City Council of said city has made an inspection of the following described build.ing in wliich you are, or appear to be, interested in, to-wit:

A frame store building situated upon the South 22 feet of the Northerly 25 feet of Lot 34, on the West side of Main Street in the original Townsite of the City of Drayton.

“You are further notified that- the undersigned building inspector deems the foregoing described building to be substandard within the meaning of Section 1 of ..Ordinance 114 in the following particulars:

[748]*7481. Interior walls and vertical structural members list, lean or buckle to such an extent that a plumb line passing through the center of gravity falls outside of the middle third of. its base.

2. Supporting members show more than 33% deterioration and enclosing walls show in. excess of 50% deterioration.

3. Building in such a dilapidated, decayed, unsafe, insanitary condition that it is unfit for human habitation.

4. That parts of said building are so attached that they may fall and injure members of the public or property.

5. That said building, because of its condition is unsafe, in- . sanitary and dangerous to the health, morals, safety and general welfare of the people of the City of Drayton.

6. That said building is more than 50% damaged, decayed and deteriorated from its original value and structure.

You are therefore ordered to move or-demolish the said building before July 20, 1949.

Dated June 11, 1949.”

This notice was served.upon the plaintiff in the manner and form provided by the ordinance. On July 25, 1949' the building inspector wrote to D. M. Halcrow the city building commissionér that the plaintiff Kenneth Soderfelt had failed to comply with the notice of June 11, 1949, and on September 7, 1949, D. M. Halcrow the building commissioner of the city of Drayton served the following notice upon the plaintiff Kenneth Soderfelt:

“To: Kenneth Soderfelt, Drayton, N. D. and Alvin Thompson, Argyle, Minn.

The undersigned Building Commissioner of the City of Dray-ton, North Dakota is in receipt of a report from John P. R.

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Soderfelt v. City of Drayton
59 N.W.2d 502 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1953)

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Bluebook (online)
59 N.W.2d 502, 79 N.D. 742, 1953 N.D. LEXIS 74, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/soderfelt-v-city-of-drayton-nd-1953.