Verburg v. City of Grand Rapids

115 N.W.2d 94, 366 Mich. 398, 1962 Mich. LEXIS 513
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedMay 17, 1962
DocketDocket No. 78, Calendar No. 49,130
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 115 N.W.2d 94 (Verburg v. City of Grand Rapids) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Verburg v. City of Grand Rapids, 115 N.W.2d 94, 366 Mich. 398, 1962 Mich. LEXIS 513 (Mich. 1962).

Opinion

Dethmers, J.

During the year 1940 defendant city acquired a parcel of land specifically described as follows:

“A parcel of land at the-southeast corner of Fuller ave. and Michigan st., N. E., Grand Rapids, Mi chi - .gan, commencing at said southeast corner running thence east 231 ft., south 300 ft., west 231 ft., north to beginning, being part of the NW 1/4 of NE 1/4 of Sec. 29-7-11.”

Following its acquisition the land was used as a part of a park and playground. In 1959 the city commission, concluding that the parcel in question should be sold, caused it to be advertised, and invited sealed -bids therefor. Such action was taken against the [400]*400recommendation of the Grand Rapids recreation hoard and the protests of approximately 350 residents of the area who wished to have the property retained for the purposes for which it had been used. A number of bids were submitted, the highest being that of the intervening plaintiff Good Will Company, Inc., in the sum of $130,180, which bid the defendant city accepted.

The plaintiff in the instant case is a resident and taxpayer of Grand Rapids and brought this suit in the trial court seeking an injunction against the city from continuing with its efforts to sell the property and restraining it from placing advertisements in papers, seeking bids therefor. On the filing of the bill an order was entered requiring defendant to show cause why the relief sought by way of temporary injunction should not be granted. The defendant by answer denied plaintiff’s right to such relief. In reply to the order to show cause an affidavit was filed by the city attorney in effect asserting the authority of defendant to take the action contemplated by it, and asserting also that the park and recreation portion of the master plan adopted May 9, 1950, by the planning commission of the city excluded the real estate here in question.

The Good Will Company, Inc., a corporation, which had submitted the highest bid in response to the advertisements for offers for the property, was granted leave to intervene as a plaintiff in the cause. In its bill of complaint it alleged that it had delivered to the city with its offer to purchase a certified check in the sum of $6,509, that the city commission of defendant accepted the offer, and authorized the execution of a conveyance of title, but that the suit instituted by plaintiff Yerburg had created a cloud on the title which prevented the city from complying with the conditions of intervenor’s offer. Inter-venor’s bill further alleged that the charter of the [401]*401city contained no express authority to make the conveyance, and that, under pertinent statutory provisions, the conveyance could not be lawfully made without the approval of 3/5 of the electors voting on the question at a general or special election.

The case-was submitted to the trial court on the pleadings, the arguments of counsel, and a stipulation as to the material facts. Said stipulation contained a number of exhibits, some of which related to the master plan as adopted by the city planning-commission. Under date of July 13,1960, the parties by their respective counsel stipulated that amendments might be made to the answer of any of the parties, and received in the pleadings in the cause. A court order was entered in accordance with the stipulation, and pursuant thereto the defendant city filed a supplemental answer setting forth a resolution adopted by the planning commission for the release of the parcel of land involved in the instant suit from the park and recreation portion of the master plan. The apparent date of the final resolution referring to such release was June 30, 1960.

The trial judge, after giving due consideration to the questions raised by the parties to the case, filed on November 10, 1960, a carefully prepared opinion. Referring therein to the adoption of the so-called master plan of the city he pointed out that the minutes of the planning commission indicated that the parcel here involved was eliminated from the plan, pointing out further, however, that counsel in the case “agree that this is a mere mistake in the minutes and that the planning- commission at all times intended for the- parcel involved in this litigation, to be included in the master park plan.” It must be conceded that some of the exhibits contained in the stipulation of facts indicate that the members'of the planning commission did not intend, in adopting the plan, that this parcel should be in-[402]*402■eluded. However, the record suggests that such parcel was used for park and playground purposes and, inferentially, considered as forming a portion of the park and recreation facilities of the city ■covered by the master plan. The resolution set forth in the supplemental answer filed by the city, above mentioned, may well be regarded as a concession as to the fact.

Primarily involved in the controversy is the interpretation of section 5(e) of the city home-rule act

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Related

Nash v. City of Grand Rapids
428 N.W.2d 756 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1988)

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Bluebook (online)
115 N.W.2d 94, 366 Mich. 398, 1962 Mich. LEXIS 513, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/verburg-v-city-of-grand-rapids-mich-1962.