Tracy v. City of Deshler

568 N.W.2d 903, 253 Neb. 170, 1997 Neb. LEXIS 203
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 3, 1997
DocketS-95-1360
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 568 N.W.2d 903 (Tracy v. City of Deshler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tracy v. City of Deshler, 568 N.W.2d 903, 253 Neb. 170, 1997 Neb. LEXIS 203 (Neb. 1997).

Opinion

Gerrard, J.

Lloyd I. Tracy, Jr., brought this action, seeking compensation for the alleged unconstitutional “taking” of his garbage collection business by the City of Deshler (City) as a result of a contract entered into by the City with Tracy’s competitor for the collection of garbage in Deshler. The district court granted the City’s motion for summary judgment and denied Tracy’s motion for partial summary judgment. Because we determine that Tracy was engaged in a business that was subject to a conditional permit and, thus, did not have a reasonable expectation of a continuing “right” to haul garbage in Deshler for the purposes of a “takings” claim, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Tracy was involved in a garbage collection business in Deshler from April 1 until July 1, 1992. In order to collect garbage in Deshler, Tracy was required to first obtain a permit from the City. Therefore, on January 6, 1992, Tracy applied for and was granted a “Permit to Haul Garbage” “for the year ending July 1, 1992,” pursuant to §§ 10-701 through 10-801 of the Deshler Municipal Code. Of particular relevance, § 10-702 provides that if the City enters into a contract for the citywide collection of garbage, all permits previously issued to private *172 garbage collectors, including the permit issued to Tracy, will immediately expire.

On April 28,1992, while Tracy was engaged in the collection of garbage in Deshler, the City adopted ordinance No. 442, which established a municipal solid waste disposal department and granted the City authority to enter into a contract for the citywide collection of garbage. After adoption of the ordinance, the City accepted bids from private garbage collectors for the awarding of the City’s garbage collection contract. Tracy did not submit a bid in the public bidding process. Subsequent to the bidding, the City entered into a contract with one of Tracy’s competitors for the collection of garbage from the customers of the City’s electrical distribution system. As a result of this contract, Tracy lost all of his garbage collection customers in Deshler because any person paying for electrical service was also required to pay the garbage collection fee that would be paid to Tracy’s competitor.

Tracy filed this action against the City, seeking compensation for the loss of his garbage collection business in Deshler. In its answer, the City alleged that it adopted the ordinance pursuant to its police power and state law, alleged that Tracy had no standing to maintain this cause of action, and alleged that Tracy had no property right which was deprived by the actions of the City. Tracy filed a motion for partial summary judgment, seeking an order that the City was liable, and the City filed a motion for summary judgment, seeking a dismissal of Tracy’s petition. The district court overruled Tracy’s motion for partial summary judgment and sustained the City’s motion for summary judgment. In sustaining the City’s motion, the district court found that the City’s actions did not make it liable to Tracy because the City had acted within its police power when entering into the contract for the collection of garbage and because Tracy was engaged in a restricted business at the time he obtained a permit from the City to collect garbage and entered into his garbage collection business. Tracy appeals.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

When reviewing an order granting a motion for summary judgment, an appellate court views the evidence in a light most *173 favorable to the party against whom the judgment is granted and gives such party the benefit of all reasonable inferences deducible from the evidence. Brown v. Wilson, 252 Neb. 782, 567 N.W.2d 124 (1997); Dahlke v. John F. Zimmer Ins. Agency, 252 Neb. 596, 567 N.W.2d 548 (1997). The party moving for summary judgment has the burden to show that no genuine issue of material fact exists and must produce sufficient evidence to demonstrate that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Vilcinskas v. Johnson, 252 Neb. 292, 562 N.W.2d 57 (1997); Brown v. American Tel. & Tel. Co., 252 Neb. 95, 560 N.W.2d 482 (1997).

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

Tracy asserts that the trial court erred in finding that (1) Tracy was not entitled to damages from the City as required by Neb. Const, art. I, § 21; (2) the action of the City did not subject it to liability because it was exercising its health and police powers; and (3) Tracy was not entitled to damages because he was engaged in a restricted business at the time he obtained a permit from the City.

ANALYSIS

Tracy asserts that the City is liable for the loss of his garbage business in Deshler as a result of the contract entered into by the City with one of Tracy’s competitors for the collection of garbage in Deshler. While Tracy does not contest the fact that the City had the power to enter into such a contract, Tracy claims that the City did not properly exercise the power because the City failed to provide him with just compensation for the resulting loss of his garbage business. Tracy argues that the loss of his garbage business is a “taking” of property by the City, entitling him to just compensation under Neb. Const, art. I, § 21.

Conversely, the City contends that Tracy does not have a vested property interest in his garbage business that would entitle him to compensation, because he was engaged in a restricted business at the time he obtained a permit from the City to collect garbage in Deshler. Specifically, the City argues that it retained the right to enter into a contract for the citywide collection of garbage and to revoke all permits previously issued to *174 private garbage collectors. Accordingly, we must determine whether the City is constitutionally obligated to compensate Tracy for the loss of his garbage business when Tracy’s “Permit to Haul Garbage” was restricted by city ordinance at the time he obtained the permit from the City.

Neb. Const, art. I, § 21, provides that “[t]he property of no person shall be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation therefor.” It is necessary to examine the permit issued to Tracy, and the pertinent ordinances, in order to determine whether Tracy had a protectable property interest in his garbage collection business as of the date of the alleged taking.

Tracy’s permit stated that the permit was being granted pursuant to §§ 10-701 through 10-801 of the Deshler Municipal Code. In particular, § 10-702 provides:

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Bluebook (online)
568 N.W.2d 903, 253 Neb. 170, 1997 Neb. LEXIS 203, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tracy-v-city-of-deshler-neb-1997.