Corrada v. Municipal Assembly of Morovis
Corrada v. Municipal Assembly of Morovis
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
Section 21 of the Municipal Law provides that “If a member of the assembly fails to attend the meetings thereof three consecutive days without just cause, the assembly may declare his office vacant.” 21 L.P.R.A. § 96. In view of the fact that three assemblymen had failed to attend the meeting during three consecutive days without just cause, the Municipal Assembly of Morovis declared their offices vacant. This resolution was adopted on October 10, 1953, in the absence of the three assemblymen who were removed, without giving them advanced notice of the action which the Municipal Assembly proposed to take and an opportunity to be heard on whether there was just cause as required by law. Moreover, notice of the resolution was never duly given (i. e., in writing and officially) to the.:assemblymen whose offices were declared vacant. To review or annul such acts of the Municipal Assembly of Morovis, the three assemblymen filed a petition for
Appellants first maintain that the petition for review made on December 28, 1953 was belated. They argue that the resolution of the Municipal Assembly declaring vacant the offices in question constitutes an “executive or administrative act,” and that under § 83 of the Municipal Law the 30-day period to appeal to the Superior Court began to run from the date such act was performed, namely, October 10, 1953. Obviously, they are wrong. Before declaring vacant the office of one of its members under the authority of § 21 supra, the Municipal Assembly must logically determine: first, that the assemblymen failed to attend the session during three consecutive days; and second, that there was no just cause for their absence. This is therefore a quasi-judicial function and notice of the resolution adopted
Appellants next maintain that the trial court erred in holding that the office of a municipal assemblyman may not be declared vacant under § 21 of the law, unless the person affected by the quasi-judicial act is notified of the action sought to be taken and is given an opportunity to be heard and to offer pertinént evidence. This assignment does not merit serious consideration. The power to declare vacant the office of an assemblyman is equivalent to the power to order the removal or expulsion of one of its members. In the exercise of that power, the Assembly can not act without previous notice or hearing. Cf. Peña v. Mun. Assem. of Santa Isabel, 36 P.R.R. 801 (1927); Municipal Assembly v. Rodríguez, 38 P.R.R. 851, 857-58 (1928); Village of Hendrick v. Nelson, 89 Pac. 755 (Idaho, 1907); 62 C.J.S., supra, and cases therein cited. Even after it is
The lower court'erroneously held that in the case of an “act, resolution, or order” of a quasi-judicial nature, § 83 of the Municipal Law only grants the remedy of injunction and not of certiorari. The term “administrative” employed in paragraph (a) of § 83 includes purely executive acts and also acts of a quasi-judicial nature. However, in the last paragraph of that section the word “administrative” was used as synonymous with “executive”: in providing that the period of 30 days will commence to run from the date “on which the executive or administrative act shall have been performed.” Therefore, the party aggrieved by the quasi-judicial action of a municipal assembly may, pursuant to law, appeal to the Superior Court by certiorari to annul or review such act, or by injunction to suspend its execution.
However, the lower court granted to petitioners the remedy to which they were entitled, as if it were a ease of injunction, in accordance with the pleadings and the
The judgment will be affirmed.
This section in its pertinent part provides:
“On motion of the aggrieved party, the Superior Court shall have jurisdiction' — •
“(a) To annul or review by writ of certiorari any legislative or administrative act of the municipal assembly, board of administration, mayor or other municipal official, which infringes the constitutional rights of the complainants or which is contrary to the Organic Act or to the laws of Puerto Rico;
“(6) To stay by injunction the execution of any ordinance, act, resolution or order which infringes rights guaranteed by the Constitution or by Commonwealth laws;
“(c) ..
“(d) . .......
“In the first two cases, the aggrieved party may file his suit only within the term of thirty days from and after the date on which the executive or administrative [act] shall have been performed or the ordinance, action, resolution or order shall have been promulgated or communicated to the complainant; Provided, That when the ordinance or resolution should be published in accordance with this subtitle, the said term of thirty days shall begin from the date of publication of said ordinance or resolution.”
The remedy of certiorari granted by § 83 of the Municipal Law of 1928, the same as under former § 65 of the Municipal Law of 1919, comprehends the legislative or administrative acts of municipal bodies or offices, and is not restricted to a review of quasi-judicial acts as under the general rule laid down by the American decisions. Casanovas et al. v. Municipality of Mayagüez, 31 P.R.R. 267 (1922). As-to how and when the 30-day period begins to run, within which a party aggrieved by a municipal ordinance may file petition for certiorari or injunction, see Piñero v. Sancho Bonet, Treas., 53 P.R.R. 438 (1938); Quiñones v. Municipal Assembly, 49 P.R.R. 391 (1936); and Porras et al. v. Council of Adm. et al., 37 P.R.R. 689, 694-95 (1928).
The judicial review by special certiorari provided by § 83 of the Municipal Law must be restricted to a review of the record of the proceedings had before the Municipal Assembly, for the sole purpose of deciding whether the determinations required by § 21 are supported by the substantial evidence, or whether the Municipal Assembly committed errors of law. Even though a person who would be affected by the action of the Municipal. Assembly ought to receive previous notice of the proposed action and be given an opportunity to be heard at a hearing, it is not necessary that all the formalities of a trial be observed. See Davis, supra, pp. 273-329. The Municipal Assembly must make a complete record of all proceedings had before it, including the transcript of -the oral and documentary evidence. See Ledesma, Administrator v. District Court, 73 P.R.R. 379 (1952).
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.