Wentz v. Board of Com'rs of Lincoln Co.

1930 OK 598, 296 P. 599, 147 Okla. 173, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 382
Supreme Court of Oklahoma·Decided December 23, 1930·No. 21686·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinion

SWINDALL, J.

This case was originally commenced in the district court of Oklahoma county by the board of county commissioners of Lincoln county, Okla., against L. H. Wentz, L. C. Hutson, and S. G. Boswell, as members of the State Highway Commission of Oklahoma, J. E. McDonald, as secretary of said Commission, and John F. Rightmire, as acting state highway engineer. Thereafter certain other parties were by leave of court made parties to the action; however, they are not necessary to a determination of the issues before the court. The parties will hereafter be referred to as they appeared in the court below.

On August 29, 1929, a temporary injunction was granted by Honorable Wyley Jones, district judge. On the 6th day of May, 1930, the temporary injunction theretofore granted was by stipulation of the plaintiffs and defendants modified to the extent that the State Highway Commission may advertise and award a contract for the building and construction of that portion of Federal Highway No. 66, involved in this action and described as follows:

“Beginning on the section line at the intersection of sections 19, 24, 25 and 30, township 14 north, range 1 east, same being designated as shown by map attached hereto as station 1715-16.5, and following the line designated in said plat through sections 19, 20, 21. and 22 of ’Said township and range to a point on the section line to the northeast corner of section 22, township 14 north, range 2 east, same being approximately one-half mile south of the southwest corner of the incorporated limits of the town of Wellston,. Okla.. the entire route being approximately four miles in length.
“And -in said stipulation it is agreed that the Highway Commission may advertise, in addition to the grading and drainage of said road, for contracts to build bridges thereon as shown by the plans and specifications of the State Highway Department covering the four miles described in said plat; that the Commission may expend any money belonging to Lincoln county for the purpose of car- *175 tying out contracts for the grading and draining of said highway, or the building of bridges thereon, and that in order to have a passable road over said route while the same is being prepared for building a permanent hard-surfaced road thereon, the Highway Commission may let contracts for the purpose of topping the same with maintenance gravel, and in said stipulation it was further agreed that the injunction theretofore entered by this court may remain in full force and effect in so far as it covers that portion of the highway beginning at the northeast corner of section 22, said township and range, and thence north through the town of Wellston, Okla., and that portion of the road involved as suggested by the Highway Oommissipn from the northeast corner of section 22, aforesaid, and running-on the section line to the northeast corner of section 23, township 14 north, range 2 east, and that the controversy involved as to these projects and the construction thereof will be held in abeyance until the same are judicially determined by this court, or the Supreme Court, in the event either side appeals from the judgment finally rendered in this court.”

On May 14, 1930, the district court of Oklahoma county entered a permanent injunction against the defendants and their successors, agents, servants, employees, contractors, and associates of every kind and nature perpetually enjoining them from accepting any bid or making any contract or expending any money in grading, drainage, bridges, hard-surfacing, or other construction of that part of the project advertised for letting on August 21, 1929, described as follows:

“That part of Oklahoma federal aid project No. 137-E. L., same being 5.307 miles on H. S. No. 66 in Lincoln county, Okla., from south of Wellston, station 143-94.50 to Oklahoma county line, station 1715-16.50, being that part extending from the northeast corner of section 22, township 14 north, range 2 east of the Indian Meridian, Lincoln county, Okla., west one mile to the northeast corner of section 22; township 14 north, range 2 east of the Indian Meridian, Lincoln county. Okla.; and are further perpetually enjoined from ,the expenditure of any money or funds for the maintenance of such road, and from the use, maintenance, repairing, marking, mapping or platting of such highway in any manner or character whatsoever; and are further perpetually enjoined and forbidden to construct, use, maintain, repair, mark, map or plat, any other road, location or route as a federal or state highway between said points except upon the following location and route: Beginning at the northeast corner of section 23, township 14 north, range 2 east, and following the present pavement approximately eight-tenths (.8) of a mile in a northwesterly direction to the south end of Seventh avenue of the town of Wellston, Lincoln county, Okla., thence six blocks along said avenue to the main street of said town; thence west along the main street of said town five blocks; thence in a southwesterly direction along the south side of the right of way of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad to the section line between the town site of Wellston, and the northeast quarter of section 15, township 14 north, range 2 east of the Indian Meridian, and thence south along said section line about eight-tenths (.8) of a mile to the northeast corner of section 22, township 14, range 2, east, Lincoln county, Okla., and further perpetually enjoined and forever forbidden from taking any action or proceeding to change, alter, or vary the said route of said federal and state highway; and are required and ordered to immediately remove all markers, cut-offs, and detour signs thereon and therefor, and perpetually enjoined and forbidden to replace the same or any others. * *

To the granting of the final injunction, the defendants saved their exceptions and gave notice of their intention to appeal to this court. The issues in this ease are the same as presented in No. 20986, Lew Wentz, C. M. Boswell and L. C. Hutson, as Members of and Constituting the State Highway Commission of the State of Oklahoma, and Paul Prince, O. C. Lippert, D. E. Mosier, as Members of and Constituting the Board of County Commissioners of Lincoln County, Okla., Plaintiffs in Error, v. Oliver Ingenthron et ah, Defendants in Error, decided Nov. 25, 1930, 146 Okla. 165, 294 Pac. 154. In that case we held:

“1. When funds are raised by the issuing of bonds or by taxation for a designated purpose, they cannot be diverted to some other purpose.

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Wentz v. Board of Com'rs of Lincoln Co., 1930 OK 598, 296 P. 599, 147 Okla. 173, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 382 (Okla. 1930).

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