Goodell v. City Council of Kalamazoo
Goodell v. City Council of Kalamazoo
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff brought certiorari to set aside proceedings to open a street in which a parcel of her property 16 feet wide was included. The affidavit was not made by herself, but by her attorney, who, upon some points, swore only on information and belief. It relies on some alleged irregularities in the preliminary action of the common council, including an alleged failure to hold any preliminary treaty with plaintiff, who appeared before the recorder when the jury was ordered, and made this latter objection. The jury awarded her $800, which is not complained of as insufficient. After the jury’s award was returned to the council, it was confirmed. That body authorized a release to be made to Mrs. Goodell of the strip of land belonging to her, if she would relinquish the award of damages, which she refused to do. Enough land would remain in the street without the 16 feet to make it of respectable width.
Under the charter of Kalamazoo, the city has unlimited power to open streets, if the land to do so is acquired or obtainable. It cannot obtain land, against the will of the owners, without special proceedings (chapter 17, § 16, Charter; Local Laws 1883, p. 697), but otherwise it may do so, and it does not concern private persons what streets the council open, where they have the right of way (Long v. Battle Creek, 39 Mich. 323).
Plaintiff cannot, at the same time, insist upon the street, and insist it is not a street. Slie can object to the unlawful use of her land, but the only legal redress which she can get in this proceeding is. the prevention of the unauthorized use of her land. She cannot, in this private action, attempt to set up grievances for her neighbors, or oppose a street that does not take her land. If the proceedings are regular, she is not damnified. If her land is not taken, she is not damnified.
Under the charter, we are strongly inclined to think it was intended that the determination whether an effort to make an agreement had been attempted, was to be ascertained by the city council before proceeding to ásk a jury from the recorder. The section which makes him the proper person to award a jury is quite particular, and does not appear to give'him any judicial duty to perform in the matter, but merely to call a jury, when requested by a proper petition, showing the prerequisites. Chapter 23, § 1. The application appears to be full enough. The records of the council show an averment of inability to obtain the land requisite, and do not, as suggested by counsel for petitioner, show ño attempt to deal with her. They show a failure to approve such offers as had been made, but no more, unless by a strained inference,, inconsistent with the view of the council. No attempt seems to have been made by petitioner to have any disposition or trial of the facts on this point before the recorder, and no offer was made to negotiate, or averment of willingness to negotiate, then or earlier. If we were compelled to decide this question, we should hesitate to say it was now open.
The writ must be dismissed as improvidently granted, with costs.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Mary L. Goodell v. The City Council of Kalamazoo
- Status
- Published