Triangle Traders v. City of Bremerton

154 P. 193, 89 Wash. 214
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 11, 1916
DocketNo. 12701
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 154 P. 193 (Triangle Traders v. City of Bremerton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Triangle Traders v. City of Bremerton, 154 P. 193, 89 Wash. 214 (Wash. 1916).

Opinion

Fullerton, J.

On May 20, 1912, the city council of the city of Bremerton, by an order duly recorded in the minutes of its proceedings, directed the city engineer and the city attorney to take the necessary preliminary action relative to the construction of a trunk sewer on certain streets in such city, known as Warren and Ninth streets and Park avenue. Pursuant to such order, the city engineer prepared plans for such trunk sewer, and submitted the same to the council with an estimated cost thereof. The plans were adopted by [216]*216the city council on motion to that effect, and were “signed by the mayor and clerk.” On July 29, 1912, the city council passed a resolution declaring its intention to order the improvement to be made. The resolution, while it contained much extraneous matter not required by the statute, contained all of the required essentials; it set forth the general nature of the improvement, described the routes along which the sewer was to be constructed, notified all persons who desired to object thereto to appear at a meeting of the city council at a time specified therein and present their objections, and directed the city engineer to report to the council, at or before the time fixed for the hearing, the estimated cost and expense of the improvement. The resolution was, however, published in but one issue of the official newspaper of the city, whereas the statute distinctly prescribed that it should be published in two of such issues. Laws of 1911, pp. 444, 449, §§ 10, 16 (3 Rem. & Bal. Code, §§ 7892-10, 7892-16).

On September 9, 1912, the city council, by ordinance, ordered the sewer to.be constructed. The ordinance described with sufficient certainty the routes along which the sewer was to be constructed, contained an estimate of the cost thereof, and provided that the cost should be borne entirely by the property benefited, and that no part thereof should be charged to the general fund of the city. The city council, however, did not therein “establish and fix the boundaries of the district to be assessed for such improvement,” although the statute specifically provides that they shall do so. Laws of 1911, p. 449, § 16 (Id., § 7892-16). Nor did they in this ordinance, .or in any subsequent ordinance, adopt “maps, plans and specifications” for the improvement, notwithstanding this also is a specific requirement of the statute. Laws of 1911, p. 449, § 16 (Id., § 7892-16). In providing for the distribution of the assessment over the property benefited, the city council, in the ordinance, provided that a specific sum should be assessed against the property lying between [217]*217the termini of the sewer and back to the middle of the blocks lying on each side thereof, and that the balance of the cost and expense should be assessed against the remainder of the property in the district; notwithstanding the statute specifically provides that,

“In distributing such assessments, there shall be levied against the property lying between the termini of the improvement and back to the middle of the blocks along the marginal lines of the street or areas improved, such amounts as would represent the reasonable cost of a local sewer and its appurtenances . . . and the remainder of the cost and expense of such improvement shall be distributed over and assessed against all of the property within the bounds of said entire district in accordance with the special benefits conferred thereon and in proportion to area.” Laws of 1911, p. 449, § 16 (Id., § 7892-16).

After the passage of the ordinance, the city council directed the clerk to advertise for proposals for the construction of the sewer. Several bids were submitted in response to the advertisement, and that of one L. Y. Stayton was accepted as the lowest and best bid. His bid was submitted on the unit basis; that is, at certain prices per lineal foot for the sewer pipe in place, based upon dimensions, certain fixed prices for catch basins and manholes complete, and certain fixed prices for the necessary connecting wyes. On October 16, 1912, a contract for the work was entered into between the city and Stayton, by the terms of which Stayton agreed to perform the work according to the plans and specifications reported by the city engineer at the prices stated in his bid; the estimated cost of the sewer completed at the prices named being $21,988.10.

The contractor immediately began the work of construction, and proceeded therewith until some time in April, 1913, when he ceased work thereon for some reason not clearly explained in the record. On May 5, 1913, the city engineer, at the direction of the city council, notified the contractor to resume the work within five days thereafter. The contractor [218]*218failed so to do, and the council, on May 12, 1913, by resolution, declared his contract forfeited, notice of which was given to the contractor, to his bondsmen, and to a banking corporation to whom the contractor had assigned the sums to become due him under the contract. This led to a meeting of the parties interested, and to an agreement between them by which the city, in consideration of certain changes made in the original contract with reference to the mode of payment to the contractor and certain waivers of claims made by the other parties, agreed to rescind the resolution annulling the contract and to permit the contractor to complete the contract according to its terms as modified by the agreement. The resolution referred to was thereupon rescinded and the contractor permitted to prosecute the work to its completion. The agreement thus entered into permitted the city to pay directly to the laborers and materialmen for the labor and material used in the construction of the sewer, and the subsequent liabilities for labor and material incurred by the contractor were so paid.

On January 5, 1914, the engineer submitted a final estimate of the cost of the work. This showed estimates according to the terms of the contract up to May 5, 1913, and from thence on the actual cost of the work as paid by the city, plus ten per cent on the amount thereof to the contractor; the aggregate totaling $40,927.63.

On May 9, 1914, the city council passed a resolution giving notice of its intention to amend the original ordinance authorizing the construction of the sewer, and on April 13, 1914, passed an ordinance to that effect. The material change was the enlargement, of the district by the inclusion therein of property not described in the original resolution of intention to order the work. The amended ordinance, like the original ordinance, provided for the assessment of named sums upon the half blocks abutting upon the sewer between the termini thereof, and for the assessment of the balance of the cost to the remainder of the property in the assessment [219]*219district. Nowhere in the ordinance is it recited that the fixed sums directed to be levied on such abutting property “would represent the reasonable cost of a local sewer and its appurtenances,” nor is it recited that such sum would equal that sum plus the proportional share of the property for the balance of the cost. An assessment was levied pursuant to the ordinance, to which objections were filed by certain of the interested property holders. The objections were disallowed by the council. Appeal therefrom was taken by certain of the objectors to the superior court, which, after a hearing, entered a judgment setting the assessment aside and remanding the cause to the city council with instructions to reassess the property “in the manner and mode provided by law.”

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Related

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
154 P. 193, 89 Wash. 214, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/triangle-traders-v-city-of-bremerton-wash-1916.