Smith v. Cofran
Smith v. Cofran
070rehearing
To render an assessment for street improvements valid, the various acts prescribed by the statutes must, in all essential particulars, he strictly performed. This principle is so well settled everywhere that it is unnecessary to cite authorities. Section nine of the Act, which provides for making street improvements in San Francisco, as amended in 1862 (Laws 1862, p. 397), prescribes what an assessment shall show; and among other things, it “shall show * * * the name of the owner of each lot or portion of a lot, (if known to the Superintendent,) if unknown, the word £ unknown ’ shall be written opposite the number of the lot,” etc. There is no authority for making an assessment, that does not embrace these essentials. There is no authority to make an assessment strictly in reni without reference to owners, either known or unknown, or an assessment that shall affect the interest of any party, unless designated in the assessment by name, or, if unknown, it be so expressly ■ stated. This is a part of. the mode prescribed. After the assessment is made, a warrant is to be issued upon it, and “ said warrant, assessment and diagram shall be recorded. When so recorded the several amounts assessed shall be a lien,” etc. (Sec. 10.) How, it is “ said * * * assessment ”—that is to say, an assessment that shall show the name of the owner, if known, or, if unknown, shall so state—and no other, that shall, upon being recorded, “be a lien.” “ The contractor, or his assigns, shall call upon the persons so assessed * * * if they can conveniently be found, and demand payment of the amount assessed to each.” (Sec. 12.) How assessed ? “ So assessed ”—that is to say, in the manner before stated. Whenever the persons so assessed, or their agents, cannot conveniently be found, or whenever the name of the owner of the lot is stated as “unknown” in the-assessment, “the said contractor, his agent or assigns, shall publicly demand payment on the premises assessed.” (Sec. 11.) The idea before expressed
It is contended that Davis might have appealed, and he was therefore bound to appeal, and in default of pursuing that remedy, the assessment is good against him. This would he true if he had been assessed, but the difficulty is he was not. An “ owner, * * * whether named in the assessment or not, * * * feeling aggrieved hy any of the acts or determinations of the Superintendent in relation thereto, or having or making any objection to the correctness or legality of the assessment, shall, within thirty-five days after the date of the warrant, appeal,” etc. This provision has full effect when limited to owners made parties in one of the modes prescribed; that is to say, by naming the owner, or designating him as unknown—for, in the latter case, he is not “ named in the assessment.” An assessment against Smith is not an assessment against Jones. An assessment against Smith may be valid as to any interest he may have in the subject matter, and everybody else who is a party to it, while it in no way affects Jones, or others not
The position maintained in tlie petition for rehearing was taken in the brief of counsel on the former argument, but its fallacy seemed so palpable to our minds that we did not think it required any special notice. It is now, however, so earnestly pressed by counsel of more than ordinary ability and candor, that we are bound to believe they are serious, and have some confidence in it, and we feel called upon to somewhat fully present the view impressed upon our minds.
Behearing denied.
Mr. Justice Bhobes and Mr. Justice Shaftek, expressed no opinion on petition for rehearing.
Opinion of the Court
In Smith v. Davis, 30 Cal. 537, we held that the street assessment then and noxy in question created no charge against Davis, the owner of the land, or the land, because made against another party not then living, and not against the owner, or unknown owners, as required by the statute. The facts sufficiently appear in the opinion in that case.
Smith, the plaintiff in the former action, now sues to recover the amount of the assessment from the defendant, Cofran, the Superintendent of Streets for the City of San Francisco, who made the assessment, on the ground that it was his duty, under the statute, to state in the assessment the name of the true owner, if known, and if not known, to designate him as “ unknown,” and that in consequence of his neglect to name the true owner, or designate him as unknown, the assessment was void, and the plaintiff lost that portion of the sum due him apportioned to the lot sought to be charged.
Under the view we take, it will be unnecessary to determine whether the making of the assessment as a whole, or the particular act of stating in the assessment the name of the ■ owner taken by itself, is purely a ministerial act, or wholly or partly judicial in its character. If the Superintendent erred in this particular, the Act itself, under which the proceeding was had, provides a remedy' for correcting the error.
The assessment is made by the Superintendent and delivered to the contractor, with a warrant attached, authorizing him to collect the money. (Laws 1862, p. 397, Secs. 9, 10.) “ The * * * contractor or his assigns,” aggrieved “ by any acts or determination of the Superintendent in relation thereto, or having, or making any objection to the correctness or legality of the assessment, shall within fifteen days after the date of the warrant appeal to the Board of Supervisors,” etc., and “ the said Board may correct, alter, or modify said
All the means open to the Superintendent for determining the correctness and legality of the assessment and warrant are equally open to the contractor, and an opportunity is afforded to examine the proceedings, and apply for correction if found to be incorrect or illegal. Moreover, as we have said, it is provided that the “ contractor * * * having or making any objection to the correctness or legality of the assessment * * * shall * * * appeal to the Board of Supervisors,” etc. Thus if he has objections of the kind in question, he not only has an opportunity, but it is made his duty, to have them obviated in the mode prescribed. If he fails to avail himself of the means of protection afforded by the law, the loss in consequence of defects of the kind under consideration results as much from his own negligence, as from that of the Superintendent. We are of opinion „ that the remedy for such defects is the one prescribed by the statute, and that the contractor cannot neglect to avail himself of the remedy provided, and then hold the officer liable for the result. The cases cited by appellant are of an entirely different complexion.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- JOHN L. SMITH v. GEORGE COFRAN
- Cited By
- 9 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- San Francisco Street Improvements—Assessment for—by Whom Made.—By the legislative Acts of 1862 and 1863, concerning street improvements in San Francisco, it is made the duty of the Superintendent of Streets, in the first instance, to make the assessment for street improvements, and deliver the same, with a warrant attached, to the contractor, authorizing him to collect the money from the owners of the lots liable therefor. Idem—Remedy for Incorrect or Illegal Assessment.—By the provisions of said Acts, the assessment for street improvements and the warrant for the collection of the money from the owners of the lots, chargeable therefor, are required to be put in the hands of the contractor, who then has fifteen days from the date of the warrant within which to examine it, and if found -in any respeet to be incorrect or illegal, it is made his duty to apply to the Board of Supervisors, by appeal, to have it corrected and made legal. Idem. — This power of correction conferred on the Board of Supervisors extends to a ease where an assessment had been made by the Superintendent against a person not then living, and not to the owner of the lot, or unknown ownej Idem.—Said statutes make it the duty of the contractor, if he have an% ob^ptS6ns to the assessment, made by the Superintendent of Streets, for incoitectness or illegality therein, to appeal to the Board of Supervisors for their corr/cjioil if he fails to avail himself of this means of protection afforded him by*faw, in' case the assessment be incorrect or void, it is as much his own negmet as qf_Jhe^ Superintendent of Streets, and he cannot hold the latter responsible^ for the result. On Petition for Rehearing : Legality op Street Assessments.—To render an assessment for street improvements valid, the various acts prescribed by the statutes must, in all essential particulars, bo strictly performed. Among other essential things, the statute requires the assessment to show the name of the owner of each lot or portion of a lot, if known to the Superintendent making such assessment; and if unknown to him, the word e Idem.—With respect to such owner, not made a party to the assessment, it is no assessment; and this, whether as, in case no appeal be taken, the failure to make the proper entry of his name, or of the word “ unknown ” on the assessment was the neglect alone of the Superintendent of Streets ; or in case of such appeal, of the Board of Supervisors. In either case, such owner and his property are absolutely unaffected by the assessment, and he is under no obligation to take any steps, by appeal or otherwise, to avoid incurring personal liability or the incumbrance of his property by way of lien for such assessment.