Delta Construction Co. v. City of Pascagoula
Delta Construction Co. v. City of Pascagoula
Opinion of the Court
OPINION OF THE COURT
Plaintiffs, three Mississippi corporations, filed this action against the City of Pascagoula, Mississippi, its Mayor and five city councilmen, Phillip R. Kelley, the city manager, and W. J. Ditsworth, the city’s building inspector, seeking a permanent injunction to enjoin the defendants from revoking a building permit issued to plaintiffs, and damages, including attorney fees and costs, resulting from the revocation of said permit. All of the above defendants are residents of Pascagoula. Plaintiffs joined the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development as a party defendant on the grounds that he declined to join plaintiffs as a co-plaintiff. Jurisdiction is invoked under 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, plaintiffs claiming that their cause of action arises by virtue of Article I, Section 10 and the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, and under the National Housing Act, 12 U.S.C. § 1701 et seq.
Plaintiff, Mississippi Industrial and Special Service, Inc. (MISS), a nonprofit corporation is engaged in sponsoring and constructing residential housing under various programs of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Development of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). MISS became the sponsor of a 144-unit low-rise apartment project in Pascagoula to be located on two separate sites, about two miles apart, and to be financed under Section 236 of the National Housing Act as amended. Plaintiff, Wildwood Village Apartments, Inc. (Wildwood), a nonprofit corporation, purchased the two sites, one on Pine Street, consisting of a 4 acre tract, and the other on Brazil Street, a 5 y2 acre tract, and was to erect and own the apartments. Plaintiff, Delta Construction Company of Jackson (Delta) was the general contractor engaged by Wildwood to construct 64 housing units at the Pine Street site, and 80 housing units at the Brazil Street site. Upon completion and occupancy MISS was to manage the apartments. The deal was packaged by Mrs. Bobbie Toups of Housing Consultants, Inc., engaged in developing real estate projects, particularly those which are federally financed, including three in Pascagoula, prior to the Wildwood project.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
The pertinent facts leading up to the trial of the case follow.
On July 9, 1971, the plaintiff corporations filed this suit, their claims being elaborated upon hereinafter under “Pleadings”.
On July 12, 1971, the Board of Zoning Adjustment and Appeals met and unanimously recommended the revocation of the building permit for the Pine Street project. The City Council met on July 20, 1971, to consider the recommendations of both the Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Adjustment and Appeals. The Council, through an order on its minutes, revoked the permit, finding that the proposed construction required variances from provisions of the city’s zoning ordinance and that the building inspector had no authority to issue the permit without such variances having been granted after a hearing before the proper administrative agencies and the approval of the City Council. The Council concurred in the findings of the Board of Zoning Adjustment and Appeals that the Pine Street project would be detrimental to the life, health and safety of the residents of that area in that the project would impose an acreage density of 16 family dwelling units to the acre, whereas the single family dwelling units in this neighborhood have a density of three to the acre, and further that the project would front on Pine Street, a secondary road, with egress and ingress by way of 18 foot private alleys, this causing serious congestion and hazard. The Council also concurred in the recommendations of the Planning Council that, if the construction of the development were approved, the City should widen Pine Street and construct an additional 8" water main to serve the area, water pressure being marginal. However, the City Council found that funds for these purposes were not included in the City budget and were not available. Plaintiffs did not attend either the hearing before the Board of Zoning Adjustment and Appeals or the July 20, 1971 meeting of the City Council.
By a bill of exceptions, plaintiffs appealed the decision of the City Council
On September 6, 1973, construction on the Pine Street project having been halted, Wildwood’s note and deed of trust in favor of Deposit Guaranty Bank were amended to reduce the amount of the note to the sum of $1,350,700.00. The Brazil Street project was not involved in a protest and continued to completion.
THE PLEADINGS
Plaintiffs on the basis of the facts set out above occurring up to the time of the filing of their complaint on July 9, 1971, charged that the defendants have denied to plaintiffs equal protection and due process under the 14th Amendment, their actions being arbitrary and capricious, have denied plaintiffs equal privileges under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 while acting under color of law, and that defendants’ acts are in violation of the National Housing Act and in conflict with federal supremacy. For relief plaintiffs requested a permanent injunction restraining defendants from revoking the building permit for the Pine Street project, and, as damages, the sum of $285,766.25 expended on initial costs prior to the revocation of the permit, attorney fees, and other damages not then ascertainable. The plaintiffs sought no temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction. The defendants, City of Pascagoula and its named officials offered seventeen defenses, which the Court will not now enumerate in view of the positions of the parties at the time of the trial. The defendant, Secretary of HUD, in his answer, charged that the
All parties engaged in extensive discovery and following the decision of the Mississippi Supreme Court in Delta Construction Company of Jackson v. City of Pascagoula, noted above, the city moved to dismiss the cross-claim of the Secretary, moved for a judgment on the pleadings or, in the alternative, for a summary judgment, and, as a second alternative, moved for a preliminary injunction on the City’s counter-claim against the Secretary, claiming that the state court suit rendered moot all issues sought to be litigated by the government.
Plaintiffs countered with a motion for summary judgment claiming that the defendants denied plaintiffs equal protection of laws under the 14th Amendment in that the undisputed facts show the Pine Street project was discriminated against, it being the first and only housing project for which approval by the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustment and Appeals, and the City Council was required, whereas other similar projects were approved on the issuance of a building permit only.
The government, on behalf of the Secretary, also filed a motion for summary judgment on its cross-claim against the City, supported by the affidavit of the Director of the Jackson Area Office of HUD who said that the closing attorneys do not make independent examination of zoning laws, but rely on the representations of compliance made by city officials.
The Court overruled all the motions and the case went to trial.
Before the production of evidence began, the parties announced in open court that plaintiff, Wildwood, had defaulted on its indebtedness, evidenced by the note and deed of trust in favor of Deposit Guaranty; that Deposit Guaranty had foreclosed on the Wildwood project, including both sites, had bought in at the foreclosure sale, and, upon having its indebtedness paid off by FHA, had conveyed the property to HUD. Plaintiffs conceded that they had effectively been ousted by the occurrence of these events and that their requested injunctive relief had been made moot. However, on defeftdants’ renewed motion to dismiss on the grounds that the City and its officials are immune from damages, plaintiffs insisted that they are due damages for the arbitrary and wilful actions of the city defendants by virtue of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Specifically Delta claims that portion of its overhead
Although this is not a diversity case, the Court is bound by the decision of the Mississippi Supreme Court upholding the revocation of the Pine Street building permit insofar as state law is applicable, noting that the state court found that the action of the City Council in suspending and revoking the Pine Street site building permit was not unreasonable, arbitrary, discriminatory, an abuse of its discretion, nor in excess of its powers. The Court, however, is aware that plaintiffs in the state court suit, who are plaintiffs here, specifically reserved from that suit constitutional issues raised here, citing England v. Louisiana Medical Examiners, 375 U.S. 411, 84 S.Ct. 461, 11 L.Ed.2d 440 as their authority. As the Court sees it, plaintiffs in their federal claims are asserting that defendants denied them equal treatment and due process of law, and in so doing, their actions were arbitrary and capricious. They also claim that defendants’ actions are in violation of the National Housing Act and are in conflict with federal supremacy. In the latter, the Secretary joins, simply saying that at the time of the initial loan closing he was entitled to rely on the assurances of the city officials, Bennett, Kelley and Ditsworth, that the project site met with local zoning ordinances and building codes, and that he does not have to comply with local zoning ordinance procedures, particularly where they may be in conflict with his own regulations.
The Court has examined in detail the pleadings, the affidavits and exhibits in support of and against the various motions, the voluminous documentary evidence offered as exhibits in the trial and the testimony of witnesses and deals with only that part of all the evidence pertaining to the federal issues raised by the corporate plaintiffs and the Secretary. At the outset the Court has considered the zoning ordinances as they existed at the time the building permits were issued, April 26, 1971, and not the amendments thereafter enacted. It is obvious that the corporate plaintiffs, Mrs. Toups on their behalf and the city officials, Kelley, Bennett and Ditsworth, considered the proposed construction as a low-rise, apartment house project, even though eight separate buildings were intended for the Pine Street site, two of which would contain eight three-bedroom units each, four buildings would contain eight two-bedroom units each, and two buildings would contain eight one-bedroom units each, for a total of 64 units in eight separate buildings, with an accessory administration building to house a reception room, an office, a meeting room, work area, storeroom and laundry for use of the tenants of both sites, and even though the Brazil Street site called for a total of 10 separate buildings, similar in design to those of the Pine Street site, containing 80 dwelling units. On the other hand the City Council has consistently taken the position that the two sites composed a group development housing project, subjecting it to certain sections of the zoning ordinance requiring a variance, particularly Section 904 requiring a variance to be approved by the Board of Adjustment and Appeals, the Planning Commission and the City Council. The state supreme court upheld the City’s position and this Court concurs. This finding removes in great part plaintiffs’
As to the corporate plaintiffs’ claim against the City for damages founded on 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Monroe v. Pape, 365 U.S. 167, 81 S.Ct. 473, 5 L.Ed.2d 492, Pierson v. Ray, 386 U.S. 547, 87 S.Ct. 1213, 18 L.Ed.2d 288, and City of Kenosha v. Bruno, 412 U.S. 507, 93 S.Ct. 2222, 37 L.Ed.2d 109, make it clear that the City is not a “person” where equitable relief is sought, and is immune from damages, as well as are the City officials who act in good faith. In considering the actions of defendant Kelley, the city manager, he had no administrative relation to the enforcement of zoning ordinances, nor is his title anywhere mentioned in the zoning ordinances as a city official with any official connection or authority. It may be assumed that Bennett, as chairman of the Planning Commission, who is not a named defendant, was knowledgeable of the ordinances, but even as chairman, he had no authority in the ordinance itself to bind the Commission, much less the City Council. Ditsworth, in his affidavits and throughout his testimony, clung to his belief that he had made the proper calculations with regard to area and parking space requirements, and that he had validly issued the permit. Although the Council and the state supreme court found him in error in his assurances that the Pine Street project met zoning and other codal requirements and in his issuance of the permit, there is no evidence that he acted other than in good faith. The same is true of Kelley and Bennett. Although their actions were unauthorized, they acted in good faith. Which leaves for consideration the individual members of the City Council under the Section 1983 claim. Plaintiff has not charged them with wanton or wilful acts outside the scope of their delegated duties, but with arbitrariness in their official acts, evidenced by the order of the City Council dated July 21, 1971, as reflected by the minutes of this body, a copy being an exhibit herein. The Court has carefully reviewed the petition of some 256 citizens residing in the vicinity of the Pine Street project, the minutes of the Planning Commission recommending the re-issuance of a building permit conditioned on the City’s furnishing an additional 8 inch water main and widening Pine Street, the only street on which the project fronted, the transcript of the public hearing before the Board of Adjustment and Appeals reflecting its recommendation for the continued revocation of the permit, and the order of the City Council in which it reviewed its consideration of the petition and the conflicting recommendations of the two inferior agencies, culminating in its findings and order revoking the permit, all of these documents being exhibits herein. The evidence before the Board of Adjustment and Appeals was overwhelming in supporting the conclusion of that board that the city manager, chairman of the Planning Commission and the building inspector had no authority to give assurances to plaintiffs and cross-defendant here that the Pine Street project met
There remains the issue of the effect of the Supremacy Clause as pled by plaintiffs and cross-defendant, and the latter’s theory that the City should be estopped from enforcing the revocation. The Secretary avers that FHA procedures require that the evidence of compliance with local ordinances shall be in the form of letters or certificates from local agencies or- officials charged with administration and enforcement of local ordinances indicating that, if constructed pursuant to plans and specifications, the proposed project will comply with such ordinances. A building permit is also required. By affidavit on file herein, James S. Roland, Director of the Jackson Area of HUD, stated that pursuant to requirements contained in HUD’s firm commitment for insurance of advances, FHA Form 2432, the sponsor of a project to be insured and assisted under Section 236 of the National Housing Act, must obtain, by the time of initial closing of the contract for mortgage insurance, evidence in the form of a letter or certificate from the building department or other agency of the city that the building, if constructed according to plans and specifications, will comply with all local zoning and land use requirements, and that copies of building permits must be submitted prior to initial closing. The legal documents required before the initial closing are listed on FHA Form 3618. At the initial closing the HUD closing attorney inspects these documents, and as long as they appear to be properly issued on their faces, the closing attorney does not make an independent determination of their accuracy, nor is he required to under HUD regulations and procedures. In his affidavit Roland further stated that after the closing attorney had reviewed the letter assurances of the city officials, in this case, Kelley, Bennett and Ditsworth, the closing attorney certified that these and all other legal requirements had been met and he recommended that the contracts for mortgage insurance be executed. Further, Roland stated that the Insuring Office Director, relying on these certifications, executed the documents incontestably binding the Secretary of HUD to insure and assist the Wildwood Village project. HUD’s closing attorney also testified. He stated at the time of the trial that he had handled approximately 100 closings for HUD and was familiar with the Secretary’s regulations. In relating to this case, he stated that the Secretary’s regulations pertaining to property appear in CFR, Vol. 24, Section 221.545(c); that they require that an apartment project must comply with material zoning and deed restrictions, but that the regulations do not spell out with any detail how this requirement is to be evidenced. HUD has implemented this requirement with its own Form No. 3618, “FHA Legal Requirements for Closing”, which is a check list of requirements, Item 9 being designated “Evidence for Zoning Compliance.” He also identified FHA Form No. 7, titled “207 Closing Procedures”, applicable to multiple dwelling loans under Section 236 of the National Housing Act, which under Paragraph “Title Evidence”, 5(b) provides as follows:
“(b) The evidence of zoning compliance will vary depending on circumstances. It should establish that the building if constructed according to plans and specifications will comply with all zoning requirements. This evidence may be in the form of a letter or certificate from the building department or other agency of the city or county.”
The witness stated that his common practice was to secure a letter from a
By way of argument, the government on behalf of the Secretary contends that defendants’ reliance on Davis v. Romney, 3 Cir., 490 F.2d 1360 is misplaced in that the Congressional instructions concerning the applicability of local codes to projects assisted pursuant to the Section 236 program, multi-family dwellings, are much less stringent than the requirements pertaining to the Section 235 program for single family dwellings which were treated in Davis v. Romney. The government contends that federal policies relating to protecting the Treasury, eliminating uncertainty from the administration of HUD’s insurance programs, and facilitating production of more and better housing require the application of the doctrine of estoppel. The government concedes that HUD regulations, 24 CFR 221.545(c) require that in order to be insured under § 221(d)(3) or § 236 of the National Housing Act, an apartment project must comply with material zoning and deed restrictions, but says that HUD has limited that evidence to the form of unconditional letters from, local zoning or building agencies, to be submitted prior to initial closing, stating that, if constructed pursuant to plans and specifications, the project complies with all local ordinances. Further, that until HUD goes to initial closing, the local community is free to withdraw or modify assurances made to HUD; that, under any circumstances, HUD should not be put to the administrative burden of interpreting local ordinances as they vary from state to state; and that under such circumstances the protection of the Treasury and the promotion of the security of federal investment are policies which should supersede contravening local policies and rules, citing United States v. Stadium Apartments, Inc., 425 F.2d 358, cert. denied, 400 U.S. 926, 91 S.Ct. 187, 27 L.Ed.2d 185; United States v. Sylacauga Properties, Inc., 5 Cir., 323 F.2d 487; and United States v. View Crest Garden Apts., 9 Cir., 268 F.2d 380. Finally, the government says that the Secretary, having relied on the unconditional assurances of city officials, to his detriment, is entitled to recover his losses from the City, and that the City should be estopped from claiming otherwise. The doctrine of estoppel should not be lightly invoked. 28 Am. Jur.2d, “Estoppel and Waiver,” Section 123, p. 783.
As Justice Fortas noted in United States v. Yazell, 382 U.S. 341, 86 S.Ct.
The Secretary, by reason of his self-imposed regulation requiring compliance with material zoning laws, recognized the necessity of such compliance in other documents relating to this project, all on FHA forms. FHA Form No. 2432 “Commitment For Insurance for Advances”, under paragraph 3(g) provides : “Evidence will be required to show that the premises are not zoned or restricted so as to prevent the construction of the improvements, and that building and other permits have been issued by legally constituted authorities having jurisdiction.” In the “Deed of Trust”, FHA Form No. 4135b, paragraph 14 provides, in part: “That the improvements about to be made upon the premises above described and all plans and specifications comply with all municipal ordinances and regulations made or promulgated by lawful authority, . . .”. In the Building Loan Agreement”, FHA Form No. 2441, paragraph (8) provides: “The Borrower agrees that said project shall be constructed strictly in accordance with all applicable ordinances and statutes . and will not violate applicable use or other restrictions contained in prior conveyances, zoning ordinances or regulations.”
The Court finds the Secretary inconsistent in his contention that he is not bound by local ordinances when the multitude of FHA forms, presumably drawn in compliance with his regulations, insist upon such compliances. If the degree of evidence to show compliance is the underlying issue in this case, then the Secretary has not complied, with his own requirements that the assurances of compliance be made by “legally constituted authorities.” Although the Secretary relied on the statements of city officials with apparent authority, surely the Secretary, plaintiffs and every one else are charged with knowledge that the issuance of a building permit is subject to appeal. In view of the kind of evidence relied on, the proposed project of multiple dwelling units on two widely separated sites, the amount involved being over $2,000,000.00, and the rush to initial closing within two days of the issuance of the permit, all express a careless regard of the acknowledged right of the city to expect compliance with its zoning laws. This Court does not hesitate to say that, upon the revocation of the permit, had either the plaintiffs or the Secretary applied to this Court for a stay, a resolution of the problem could possibly have been worked out, without the resulting damages now claimed. At least the plaintiffs and the Secretary could have been saved a major portion of their losses occasioned by the foreclosure. Although the Secretary attributes his loss to the City’s refusal to revoke the suspension of the permit for the Pine Street project, there is evidence before the Court that the Brazil Street project failed for lack of sufficient ten
An order dismissing the suit with prejudice and with taxable costs assessed to plaintiffs may be submitted within the time provided for by the local rule of this Court.
. Plaintiffs’ explanation of non-attendance at these two meetings was that, having filed suit in the federal district court, they did not wish to give the appearance of having waived their federal claims,
. Again the Court notes that Bennett is not a named defendant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- DELTA CONSTRUCTION COMPANY OF JACKSON v. CITY OF PASCAGOULA
- Status
- Published