Village of Lombard v. Stancy

163 N.E.2d 457, 18 Ill. 2d 158, 1959 Ill. LEXIS 406
CourtIllinois Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 18, 1959
DocketNo. 35313
StatusPublished

This text of 163 N.E.2d 457 (Village of Lombard v. Stancy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Illinois Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Village of Lombard v. Stancy, 163 N.E.2d 457, 18 Ill. 2d 158, 1959 Ill. LEXIS 406 (Ill. 1959).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Davis

delivered the opinion of the court:

This case comes before us upon an appeal by certain property owners from an order of the county court of Du Page County approving a certificate of final cost and completion of work in a special assessment proceeding, pursuant to section 84 of the Local Improvement Act. Ill. Rev. Stat. 1957, chap. 24, par. 84—84.

In January, 1957, a petition was filed in the county court by the village of Lombard for the levy of a special assessment for the construction of a sewer improvement. Its estimated cost was $567,798. After proper notice and hearing an order was entered confirming such assessment against the property benefited in the amount of $558,830.96. No appeal was taken from this order. After advertising for bids, the bid of Lombard Sewer and Water Company, Inc., and Virgil Stahelin, was accepted and the contract awarded to them on a unit-price basis. The improvement was completed during 1958.

Pursuant to the requirements of section 84 of the Local Improvement Act, there was filed in the,, county court of Du Page County on December 9, 1958, a certificate of completion of such public improvement and. of the cost thereof, including the cost of engineering services, the cost of making, levying and collecting the assessment and the estimated accruing interest on bonds and vouchers. The total cost as certified was $705,812.81. Therein it was also certified that the improvement had been completed in substantial compliance with the requirements of the original ordinance and application was made for an order approving the certificate. Notice of the hearing thereon was published, as required by law.

Objections to the approval of the certificate of cost and completion were filed questioning the propriety of the amounts included as cost of making and levying the assessment, estimated accruing interest on bonds and vouchers, and the payment tO' the contractor in excess of the amount confirmed by the court. The objections also enumerated certain items included in the amount paid to the contractor, which the objectors claimed were not called for by the contract. On information and belief, the objectors alleged that the work was not performed in compliance with the plans and specifications.

After a hearing on the objections at which testimony and documentary evidence was introduced, the county court overruled the objections and entered an order finding that', the improvement had been completed in substantial conformity with the ordinance providing therefor. The court further found that the amount required for the improvement was $705,812.81 which included $55,883.09 for accruing interest on bonds and vouchers; $33,335 for engineering costs; and $33,083 for the cost of making and collecting the levy. The court approved the certificate of cost and completion and found that a deficiency existed of $146,981.88. From this order, objectors appealed to this court.

The objectors contend that the court could not approve a cost of more than 10 per cent over the original estimate; that the property owners cannot be charged on a unit-price basis for more units than designated in the estimate; and that they cannot be charged for accruing interest or for more than the municipality’s actual cost of making and collecting the levy. The objectors further urge that the certificate of cost contained illegal “extras.”

At the outset we are confronted with the question of the extent of our jurisdiction to review a judgment of the trial court under the Local Improvement Act. The act specifically provides that “the court shall hear and determine the objections in a summary manner and shall enter an order according to the fact. This order of the court shall be conclusive upon all the parties and no appeal therefrom shall be allowed to review or reverse this order.” Ill. Rev. Stat. 1957, chap. 24, par. 84—84.

We have long held this to be a proper statutory limitation on our right to review such orders, (Material Service Co. v. Village of Elmwood, Park, 355 Ill. 558; Village of Elmwood Park v. Black Co. 352 Ill. 150,) and have refused to review the trial court’s determination of those facts required to be presented to it under section 84 of the Local Improvement Act. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1957, chap. 24, par. 84—84; Village of Elmwood Park v. Black Co. 352 Ill. 150; Village of Niles Center v. Schmitz, 261 Ill. 467; City of Peoria v. Tichenor, 251 Ill. 495.) It is only in the unusual case where the trial court proceeds contrary to the statute that we will grant review. For example, in City of Belvidere v. Iles, 330 Ill. 31, we held that the order of the county court was not conclusive as to the allowance of items admittedly without the scope of the contract or the ordinance. (Cf. Village of Elmwood Park v. Black Co. 352 Ill. 150, 154-155.) We have also permitted an appeal from an order entered without giving objectors an opportunity to be heard, (Washington v. Des Plaines, 344 Ill. 613,) and where the appeal presents a question of law. City of Chicago v. Wacker-Wabash Corp. 372 Ill. 521.

We have carefully examined the record in the case at bar to determine if any issues exist within the scope of our appellate jurisdiction. From the whole record it appears that there is ample evidence to justify a finding that the improvement has been completed in substantial compliance with the ordinance and the contract. (See: Village of Niles Center v. Schmitz, 261 Ill. 467; City of Peoria v. Tichenor, 251 Ill. 495.) We also find that the county court was acting fully within its statutory authority in allowing an amount estimated to be required to pay accruing interest on bonds and vouchers, for engineering costs, and for the cost of making and collecting the assessment. (Village of Niles Center v. Schmitz, 261 Ill. 467; City of Kankakee v. Small, 317 Ill. 55; Ill. Rev. Stat. 1957, chap. 24, pars. 84—84, 84—94.) As to these issues we are without authority to review the decision of the county court. Ill. Rev. Stat. 1957, chap. 24, par. 84—84.

Objectors also urge that certain items of cost for units of construction not specifically set forth in the contract, are “extras” and not allowable under the doctrine of City of Belvidere v. Iles, 330 Ill. 31. In the Belvidere case, however, the “extra” work was admittedly outside of the scope of the contract and the ordinance. In the case at bar, the contract was awarded on a unit-price basis and the evidence tends to show that additional work was necessitated in that the scheduled route of the sewer struck an existing unplatted 54-inch sewer. This required a rerouting of the proposed sewer line, and this line as rerouted intersected a 4-foot utility duct which necessitated the installation of a syphon sewer. The record establishes that the work specified in the certificate of cost and completion was required to effectuate the satisfactory completion of the improvement set forth in the ordinance. It was therefore within the power of the county court to so find, and the order is not subject to review. Village of Elmwood Park v. Black Co. 352 Ill. 150.

Objectors have, however, raised one question pertaining to the power of the county court, which we regard as a question of law. They contend that the county court cannot approve a certificate of cost in excess of 10 per cent over the estimate of the cost of construction by reason of section 59 of the act. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1957, chap. 24, par.

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

Related

Material Service Co. v. Village of Elmwood Park
189 N.E. 872 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1934)
City of Kankakee v. Small
147 N.E. 404 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1925)
Washington v. City of Desplaines
176 N.E. 915 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1931)
City of Belvidere v. Iles
161 N.E. 80 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1928)
Village of Elmwood Park v. W. A. Black Co.
185 N.E. 230 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1933)
Hinsdale Sanitary District v. Washburn
188 N.E. 346 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1933)
City of Chicago v. Wacker-Wabash Corp.
25 N.E.2d 23 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1939)
City of Chicago v. Noonan
71 N.E. 32 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1904)
City of Chicago v. Richardson
72 N.E. 791 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1904)
Sheriffs v. City of Chicago
73 N.E. 367 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1905)
City of Peoria v. Tichenor
96 N.E. 247 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1911)
Village of Niles Center v. Schmitz
104 N.E. 143 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1914)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
163 N.E.2d 457, 18 Ill. 2d 158, 1959 Ill. LEXIS 406, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/village-of-lombard-v-stancy-ill-1959.