State Ex Rel. First National Bank v. Village of Botkins

48 N.E.2d 865, 141 Ohio St. 437, 141 Ohio St. (N.S.) 437, 25 Ohio Op. 576, 148 A.L.R. 205, 1943 Ohio LEXIS 435
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedApril 28, 1943
Docket29048
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 48 N.E.2d 865 (State Ex Rel. First National Bank v. Village of Botkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. First National Bank v. Village of Botkins, 48 N.E.2d 865, 141 Ohio St. 437, 141 Ohio St. (N.S.) 437, 25 Ohio Op. 576, 148 A.L.R. 205, 1943 Ohio LEXIS 435 (Ohio 1943).

Opinion

*442 Bell, J.

First. Has the relator a plain and adequate remedy at law¶

The record makes abundantly clear without contradiction that relator is the owner and holder of 14 anticipatory notes of $1,000 each, dated November 15? 1940, due and payable on May 15,1941, bearing interest at the rate of 4% per annum until paid, and that the notes are past due and unpaid.

Relator has filed no action to recover upon the notes but has been content to rely upon this allegation in its petition: “Relator further alleges that it is without legal or other remedy to secure payment of said notes and the interest due and past due thereon, except by writ of mandamus as hereinafter prayed for; that said village has.no property subject to levy and sale on execution * *

This allegation is denied by the answer of the village.

The burden of proof upon this disputed question of fact was upon the relator and it offered no evidence to sustain that claim.

Property held by a municipality in its proprietary capacity, as distinguished from its governmental capacity, is subject to levy and sale after judgment. The record discloses that respondent, the village of Bot-kins, does own property in its proprietary capacity.

The record further discloses that in the Court of Common Pleas of Shelby county there is an action pending to determine the legality of relator’s notes and relator has at no time made any attempt to be made a party to that cause. That court has full and complete jurisdiction to determine the legality of the relator’s notes and, if appropriate pleadings be filed, to grant relator such relief as is justified under the facts and law.

*443 The notes Here in question were executed under and by virtue of Section 2293-25, General Code (which is a part of the Uniform Bond Act of the state of Ohio), in anticipation of the issuance and sale of bonds of the same par value as the notes, but this fact does not add to or detract from the relator’s right to bring an action at law upon the notes after breach. The relator is interested in the issuance of the bonds only to the extent that the village use the proceeds to pay the relator’s notes. If the notes were paid from any other source relator would have no interest in the issuance of the bonds.

Section 12287, General Code, reads in part as follows :

“The writ [mandamus] must not be issued in a case where there is a plain and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of the law. * * *”

In State, ex rel. Cope, v. Cooper, Gov., 121 Ohio St., 519, 169 N. E., 701, it is said (paragraph one of the syllabus):

“A writ of mandamus does not issue in virtue of any prerogative power, and in modern practice a proceeding in mandamus is an action at law in cases where it is the appropriate remedy, and where there is no plain and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law.”

State, ex rel. White, v. City of Cleveland, 132 Ohio St., 111, 5 N. E. (2d), 331, holds:

“A writ of mandamus will not be issued except to command the performance of a specific duty enjoined by law, nor will it be issued where there is a plain and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law.”

Upon this state of the record we can not conclude that the relator is without a plain and adequate remedy at law. See State, ex rel. Timeus, v. Piper, 64 Ohio St., 595, 61 N. E., 1145; State, ex rel. Ballard,, Solicitor, v. Harrison et al., Trustees, 81 Ohio St., 98, 90 N. E., 150; State, ex rel. Tax Comm., v. Mills, Aud., 103 Ohio St., *444 172, 132 N. E., 727; State, ex rel. Phelps, v. Gearhart, Supt. of Ins., 104 Ohio St., 422, 135 N. E., 606; State, ex rel. Domhoff & Joyce Co., v. Harlan et al., Judges, 109 Ohio St., 634, 144 N. E., 610; State, ex rel. Bassichis, v. Zangerle, Aud., 126 Ohio St., 118, 184 N. E., 289.

Second. Where a prior action is pending involving the same subject matter in a court having jurisdiction a writ of mandamus by another court is barred unless it is plain that adequate relief is not obtainable in the prior case.

The record discloses that Herbert Wical, a taxpayer of the village of Botkins, filed three suits in the Common Pleas Court of Shelby county, which three suits are still pending on the docket of that court. The first, No. 12247, was filed on February 11, 1941, against the then mayor, the then clerk, and the then council of the village. The prayer of the petition was for an injunction against the defendants issuing, selling or delivering $14,000 par value general obligation waterworks bonds of the village. In anticipation of the sale of those bonds the relator’s $14,000 par value notes were issued. The present officers have been made parties by an appropriate entry.

On November 21, 1941, the second action was filed, No. 12357, against Arthur F. R. Billings; Ed. F. Salm and Redney Blake, respectively, the auditor, treasurer and prosecuting attorney of Shelby county, constituting the budget commission of that county, to enjoin the budget commission from certifying any tax for the payment of principal and interest of and on the anticipatory notes here in question.

On Febxmary 14, 1942, the third action was filed, No. 12394, against the clerk axxd treasurer of the village to enjoin them axxd each of thexn from doing axxy act with the view to withdrawing any of the fuxxds of the vil *445 lage to pay any or all of the principal and interest upon the notes.

In case No. 12357 the court issued a temporary restraining order against the defendant, the budget commission of Shelby county, restraining it from doing the acts complained of during the pendency of the suit or until the further order of the court.

In case No. 12394 the court issued a temporary restraining order against the clerk and treasurer restraining them and each of them from doing any of the acts complained of during the pendency of the suit.

These three actions were still pending and undecided at the time of the filing of the relator’s petition and the restraining orders were in full force and effect.

It is true that the relator is not a party to any of those actions. There is no reason, however, why relator could not apply to be made a party, and (if such application be granted) could set up every claim in those actions which has been set up in the petition for this writ.

In State, ex rel. Akron Coal Co., v. Board of Directors of Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, 136 Ohio St., 485, 26 N. E.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Castner v. Jefferson Cty.
2025 Ohio 1309 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2025)
E. Liverpool v. Buckeye Water Dist.
2012 Ohio 2821 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2012)
Sharp v. Hynes Industries, Inc., 07ap-714 (9-23-2008)
2008 Ohio 4829 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2008)
State ex rel. Huntington Ins. Agency, Inc. v. Duryee
1995 Ohio 337 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1995)
State ex rel. Huntington Insurance Agency, Inc. v. Duryee
653 N.E.2d 349 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1995)
State ex rel. Ney v. Governor of the State
58 Ohio St. 3d 284 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1991)
State ex rel. GMS Management Co. v. Callahan
543 N.E.2d 483 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1989)
State ex rel. Case v. Industrial Commission
504 N.E.2d 30 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1986)
Puget Sound Gillnetters Ass'n v. Moos
565 P.2d 1151 (Washington Supreme Court, 1977)
State ex rel. Zellner v. Board of Education
297 N.E.2d 528 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1973)
State ex rel. Sibarco Corp. v. City of Berea
218 N.E.2d 428 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1966)
State, Ex Rel. Baldine v. Davis
204 N.E.2d 91 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1964)
State Ex Rel. Martin Land Development Co. v. Clepper
174 N.E.2d 271 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1961)
State ex rel. Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Co. v. Industrial Commission
162 Ohio St. (N.S.) 302 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1954)
State Ex Rel. Horvath v. Rider
91 N.E.2d 885 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1950)
State Ex Rel. Shively v. Nicholas
84 N.E.2d 918 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1949)
State Ex Rel. Kurtz v. Bliss
70 N.E.2d 653 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1946)
State Ex Rel. Stanley v. Cook
66 N.E.2d 207 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1946)
State ex rel. Johnson v. Industrial Commission
144 Ohio St. (N.S.) 159 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1944)
State, Ex Rel. v. Ind. Com.
57 N.E.2d 775 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1944)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
48 N.E.2d 865, 141 Ohio St. 437, 141 Ohio St. (N.S.) 437, 25 Ohio Op. 576, 148 A.L.R. 205, 1943 Ohio LEXIS 435, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-first-national-bank-v-village-of-botkins-ohio-1943.