State v. Amor & Co.

190 N.W. 59, 153 Minn. 244, 1922 Minn. LEXIS 772
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedOctober 13, 1922
DocketNo. 23,071
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 190 N.W. 59 (State v. Amor & Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Amor & Co., 190 N.W. 59, 153 Minn. 244, 1922 Minn. LEXIS 772 (Mich. 1922).

Opinion

Halla ai, J.

Defendant is engaged in the undertaking business in Minneapolis. Prior to March 1, 1922, it conducted its business at 829 Second Avenue South and had a permit from the city council to do so. It applied to the city council for a permit to conduct its business at 2300 Hennepin avenue. The permit was refused. Defendant nevertheless conducted its business at 2300 Hennepin Avenue and this prosecution was commenced, charging defendant with operating said business without a permit from the city council. Defendant was convicted and takes this appeal.

1. An ordinance of the city of Minneapolis provides that no person shall maintain or use any building or place in said city as an undertaking establishment or carry on the undertaking business in said city without having first obtained permission from the city council authorizing the same. This is the ordinance which defendant is charged with violating. It is contended that this ordinance is unconstitutional and void, in that it vests in the council arbitrary power to say where such business may be conducted or who shall conduct it, that it abridges the privileges of the defendant as a citizen, deprives it of its property without due process of law and denies to it the equal protection o'f the laws. No particular constitutional provision is mentioned, but presumably defendant's contention has reference to the Fourteenth amendment to the Federal Constitution. This contention' was determined adversely to defendant in State v. Dirnberger, 152 Minn. 44, 187 N. W. 972. It was there held, following Fischer v. St. Louis, 194 U. S. 361, 24 Sup. Ct. 673, 48 L. ed. 1018, that an ordinance providing that no person shall operate a laundry within the city without first obtaining a permit from the city council was not contrary to the Federal Constitution and that it was valid. The question of what the rights of the parties might be if the power to issue permits should be abused by arbitrary or discriminatory action was not decided. We follow the Dirnberger case and hold the ordinance valid.

2. It is contended that in the operation of this ordinance the council did arbitrarily discriminate' against the defendant, and defendant offered evidence intended to prove the arbitrary character [246]*246of the action of the council. This evidence was rejected and of this defendant complains. This contention was determined adversely to defendant in State v. Rosenstein, 148 Minn. 127, 181 N. W. 107. The precise question raised here was raised there, and it was held that a person who is arbitrarily refused a permit to carry on an occupation doubtless has a remedy, but he “may not defy the law by doing the prohibited act, and then be heard in defense on the ground off the alleged arbitrary action of the council in refusing him a license.” The evidence was properly rejected.

3. The permit which defendant obtained for carrying on its business at 829 Second Avenue South does not avail him. Location may be quite as important as personality in the granting of a permit of this character.

Judgment and order affirmed.

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

Related

State v. Clarke Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
238 Minn. 192 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1952)
The Alexander Co. v. City of Owatonna
24 N.W.2d 244 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1946)
State v. Northwest Linseed Co.
297 N.W. 635 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1941)
State Ex Rel. Remick v. Clousing
285 N.W. 711 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1939)
Gunderson v. Anderson
251 N.W. 515 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1933)
Tousley v. Leach
230 N.W. 788 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1930)
Crescent Oil Co. v. City of Minneapolis
221 N.W. 6 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1928)
State v. Lindquist
214 N.W. 260 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1927)
State ex rel. Beery v. Houghton
204 N.W. 569 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1925)
State Ex Rel. v. Houghton
204 N.W. 569 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1925)
State v. Bjork
195 N.W. 926 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1923)
Meyers v. City of Minneapolis
189 N.W. 709 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1922)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
190 N.W. 59, 153 Minn. 244, 1922 Minn. LEXIS 772, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-amor-co-minn-1922.