Altoona City v. Laughlin
Altoona City v. Laughlin
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The action was a scire facias sur municipal lien. The learned court below made absolute a rule for a judgment for want of a sufficient affidavit of defense and the defendant appeals.
The affidavit contains no averments that raise any issue of fact. Taken as a whole, it amounts to what would have been a demurrer under the old practice. It raises three questions of law for disposition by the court. It asserts in the first place, that the action of 27th June, 1913, P. L. 582, is an unconstitutional and invalid attempt at legislation. It was under the authority of this statute the ordinance providing for the work done by the city was enacted. It next affirms that under the rules of the court of common pleas of Blair County regulating the practice in that court, the record was not sufficient (to support a judgment because there was not attached to the lien a copy of the ordinance under which the work | was done. Third, it alleges there was no legal authority in the city to assess the defendant’s property with any proportion of the cost of paving the street on which it abuts at crossings and intersecting streets. The opinion filed by his honor, Judge Baldrige, when the rule was made absolute, we think sufficiently answers each and every one of these contentions and it would be profitless for us to restate the reasons advanced by him for his conclusion or to attempt to further elaborate them. We are all of the opinion they clearly pointed out the insuf
The assignments of error are overruled. Judgment affirmed.
Reference
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- Municipalities — Street pawing — Special assessments — Front-foot rule — Act of June 27, 1913, P. L. 582. ' The Act of June 27, 1913, article V, section 3, clause 10, P. L. 582, which provides for the grading and paving of public streets, etc., and stipulates that payment therefor shall be, in whole or part, by the city or by the owners of real estate bounding and abutting thereon according to the front-foot rule, is constitutional. An ordinance enacted under the authority of such act gives the city power to pave the streets and to charge the lot owners therefor. The power to pave the streets includes also the street crossings and intersections. Affidavit of defense — Insufficiency—Questions of fact and law. An affidavit of defense is insufficient which denies none of the allegations of the plaintiff's statement and merely raises questions of law which are answered adversely to the defendant.