Brouillard v. Atwood
Brouillard v. Atwood
Opinion of the Court
Petition for writ of mandamus, injunction and other extraordinary relief, seeking to disqualify two of the county commissioners from acting in condemnation proceedings initiated under RSA 26:1 for the taking by Belknap County of the plaintiffs premises in Laconia, New Hampshire.
In 1973 the Belknap County commissioners appointed a build
On December 4, 1974, the commissioners, acting pursuant to RSA 26:1, after notice, conducted a hearing on the proposed taking. The hearing was confined to the matter of “whether there is occasion or necessity for taking Mrs. Brouillard’s land in these proceedings.” Plaintiff, claiming bias, challenged the qualifications of the commissioners to sit at the hearing, citing their prior involvement and pronouncements in the matter. The commissioners disavowed any interest in the outcome and refused to disqualify themselves. Plaintiff immediately announced the filing in the superior court of pleadings, including a petition for an injunction, and suggested a temporary recess. The proceeding was recessed. On December 16, 1974, the Superior Court (Keller, C.J.) denied relief, and the plaintiff seasonably perfected her appeal from that ruling.
The term of office of one of the commissioners expired on December 31, before the hearing could be resumed. In January of 1975 the original proceeding was discontinued and a new hearing held before the two original commissioners (defendants herein)
The plaintiff appealed to the superior court pursuant to RSA 26:2. The parties have agreed that our decision of the issues transferred by the plaintiff from the original proceedings shall apply to and govern the new condemnation proceedings which raise identical issues. The case was reserved and transferred by Batchelder, J.
Plaintiffs first argument for disqualification is statutory in nature. RSA 26:1 establishes the procedure for condemnation of land for county uses. She contends that this section incorporating “all provisions for the hearing of highway petitions before selectmen ... so far as the same are applicable,” should be held to incorporate the provision regarding selectmen disqualifications contained in RSA 43:6: “No selectman or other officer shall act, in the decision of any such case [affecting the rights or claims of individuals], who would be disqualified to sit as a juror for any cause ... in the trial of a civil action in which any of the parties interested in such case was a party.”
RSA 26:1 mandates a hearing before the commissioners and recognizes their role in the steps preparatory to the condemnation decision. See Cheshire County Convention v. Cheshire County Comm’rs, 115 N.H. 585, 347 A.2d 153 (1975). The trial court properly found and ruled that the legislature did not intend the application of the juror qualification standard of RSA 43:6 as there could never be any hearings “before the commissioners” contemplated by the statute because the county is always an interested party, and the commissioners would be disqualified as jurors, and therefore generally disqualified from serving on the board hearings under RSA 26:1. To hold otherwise, where no other disqualification exists, would render the statute meaningless — an unlikely legislative intent. See Family v. Timberlane Regional School Dist., 114 N.H. 560, 324 A.2d 723 (1974).
We cannot agree with the plaintiffs contention that the absence of a juror disqualification standard is equivalent to a lack of fairness and thus could not have been intended by the legislature. We find no inherent unfairness in the New Hampshire procedure where RSA 26:2 provides a statutory provision for appeal in the event a party feels “aggrieved.”
Plaintiffs second contention is that the condemnation statute, if
Additionally plaintiff’s due process interests are protected by the provision for judicial review of whether the decision constituted fraud, bad faith, or an abuse of discretion. See Cooperative School Dist. v. Gregg, 111 N.H. 60, 274 A.2d 787 (1971). We hold that no principle of due process was violated in the failure of the commissioners to disqualify themselves.
Exceptions overruled.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Carmen H. Brouillard v. Marion Atwood and Henry Spear, Commissioners of Belknap County
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published