State ex rel. Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of Kansas City v. Southern

284 S.W.2d 893, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 240
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 5, 1955
DocketNo. 22364
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 284 S.W.2d 893 (State ex rel. Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of Kansas City v. Southern) 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
State ex rel. Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of Kansas City v. Southern, 284 S.W.2d 893, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 240 (Mo. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinion

BOUR, Commissioner.

This is an original proceeding' in prohibition to prevent respondent, judge of the circuit court of Jackson county, Division 5, from enforcing an order entered in :a cause pending in Division 5 of said court, wherein the relator, Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of KanSás City, Missouri, is plaintiff and Allen O. Glore Enterprises, Inc., et al., are defendants.

Relator is a- public body, corporate and politic, existing under the provisions of Sections. 99.300-99.660 RSMo 1951 Supp., V.A.M.S., and having, as its purpose the redevelopment of blighted and insanitary areas in Kansas City, Missouri. It has the power to prepare and recommend redevelopment plans for areas declared by the city council to be blighted or insanitary. When such a plan is approved by the city council, relator may acquire title to property in the area by purchase or eminent domain proceedings, so that the area may be redeveloped according to the plan. The powers and functions of relator are fully described in the opinion of the Supreme Court in State, on Inf. of Dalton v. Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority of Kansas City, Missouri, 364 Mo. 974, 270 S.W.2d 44.

As appears above, the cause pending in Division 5 of said circuit court was instituted by the relator herein. It is a condemnation proceeding involving real estate in [895]*895Kansas City, including certain real estate owned by Leo C. Moyer Corporation, one of the defendants in the case. Commissioners were appointed and returned their report setting forth the amount of damages allowed to each defendant, and relator paid into court the amounts thus assessed. Each defendant filed exceptions to the commissioners’ report and demanded a new ap-praisement by a jury. The matter is now pending in said circuit court, and before respondent, for separate trials on the question of damages.

Respondent’s return admits the allegations in paragraph 4 of relator’s petition, which reads as follows: “4. In its preparation in the trial of the above styled action relator has caused the premises soúght to be condemned to be viewed and appraised by Vincent J. O’Flaherty, Jr., David B. Childs, and Joseph E. Stern, all of whom are persons engaged in the real estate business in Kansas City, Missouri, and familiar with property values in the city. Each of said persons inspected the property at about the time the above styled suit was commenced and prepared records, notes and written data regarding said property. Each of said persons was paid by relator for. his services.”

On or about June 17, 1955, counsel, for Leo C. Moyer Corporation served a notice to take depositions on counsel for relator, and caused “notarial subpoenas duces tecum” to be served on Vincent J. O’Fla-herty, Jr., David B. Childs, and Joseph E. Stern. The subpoenas required the production of “all records and papers” in their possession showing the basis for their conclusions as to the value of the property condemned. O’Flaherty, Childs and Stern appeared at the time and place set for the taking of their depositions. They did not produce the records and papers requested for the reason that they had been advised by counsel for relator that the “notarial subpoenas duces tecum” were not issued under authority of law. O’Flaherty was sworn and testified, and a copy of his deposition is attached to relator’s petition as Exhibit r' IM-

O’Flaherty testified that he was employed by relator to appraise the value of the property involved in the condemnation proceeding; that in making the appraisal he “employed the three methods commonly used by appraisers”; that he inspected the building owned by Leo C. Moyer Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Moyer); that in determining the value of the Moyer property he considered, among other factors, building replacement cost, less depreciation, and the rental value of the property; that he “checked” the rental income from similar buildings in the vicinity, and “had a good idea of what rents were being paid in the neighborhood”. He said that in determining the value of the Moyer property he also considered the price paid for similar property in the vicinity; that he had in his possession a certificate prepared by a title company which showed recent sales of comparable property; that he submitted “an appraisal” to relator; and that in his opinion the value of the Moyer property was $24,000. When he was asked whether he had with him his appraisal report or any of his notes and records pertaining to the value of the property in question, he said that he did not.

After witness O’Flaherty testified on direct examination, the taking of depositions was adjourned. On the same day counsel for Moyer applied to respondent, judge of said Division 5 of the circuit court, for an order authorizing the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum directed to the three appraisers, O’Flaherty, Childs and Stern, commanding them to produce certain described records in their possession on the taking of the depositions in the pending cause. A hearing on the application resulted in an order authorizing the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum “for the records in the possession of David Childs, Vincent J. O’Flaherty, and Joseph Stern which they used in arriving at the value of the property described in this action belonging to this defendant”. No question has been raised as to the sufficiency of the application or the form of the order. Following the entry of the order, relator instituted this proceeding in prohibí[896]*896tion to prevent respondent from enforcing the order. Respondent’s return to our provisional rule admits the facts set out above. It alleges that “the documents, records and written data sought to be obtained were all obtained and prepared by the above-named witnesses following their employment by the relator in the regular course of business in which relator was then engaged.” Relator filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings.

In this proceeding relator is attacking the order which respondent made and the burden is on relator to show that the documents and records in question are not admissible as substantive evidence in the pending condemnation proceeding, or that they are privileged, or that respondent otherwise lacked jurisdiction or exceeded his jurisdiction in making the order. State ex rel. Clemens v. Witthaus, 360 Mo. 274, 228 S.W.2d 4, 8. Prohibition is the appropriate remedy when a court acts or is about to act either without jurisdiction or in excess of its jurisdiction. State ex rel. Burke v. Scott, 364 Mo. 420, 262 S.W.2d 614, 616.

Relator contends that respondent exceeded his jurisdiction in making the above order. In support of this contention relator urges (1) that the documents and records in question are privileged, because they were obtained and made “in anticipation of and preparation for litigation”, citing State ex rel. Terminal R. Ass’n of St. Louis v. Flynn, 363 Mo. 1065, 257 S.W.2d 69, and (2) that the trial court had no authority to make the order complained of, because said documents and records are not admissible as substantive evidence in the pending case. In connection with its argument that the documents and records are privileged, relator points out that respondent’s return admits the allegations in paragraph 4 of relator’s petition, which is quoted above.

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Bluebook (online)
284 S.W.2d 893, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 240, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-land-clearance-for-redevelopment-authority-of-kansas-city-v-moctapp-1955.