Title: Bolser v. Zoning Board for Aubry Township

State: kansas

Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court

Document:

228 Kan. 6 (1980)
612 P.2d 563
FRANK E. BOLSER and MABLE M. BOLSER, husband and wife, Appellants,
v.
ZONING BOARD FOR AUBRY TOWNSHIP, KANSAS; and THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF JOHNSON COUNTY, KANSAS, Appellees.
No. 50,269

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed June 14, 1980.
Eugene F. Gastl and D. William Provance, of Shawnee, were on the brief for the appellants.
Lyndus A. Henry, of Olathe, was on the brief for appellee Board of County Commissioners of Johnson County.
Ernest C. Ballweg, of Prairie Village, was on the brief for appellee Zoning Board for Aubry Township.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
McFARLAND, J.:
On April 11, 1974, the defendant Board of County Commissioners, upon recommendation of defendant Zoning Board for Aubry Township, rezoned a portion of the plaintiffs' property from retail business/light industry to residential. Plaintiffs objected to the zoning change and on October 8, *7 1974, commenced this action challenging the reasonableness of the zoning change.
On June 16, 1975, the district court dismissed the action on the ground that it was an attempted appeal pursuant to K.S.A. 60-2101(a) [Corrick] (now K.S.A. 1979 Supp. 60-2101[d]) and had not been filed within the statutory 30-day period. On June 23, 1975, plaintiffs filed a motion to reconsider and to reinstate the action. Said motion was overruled on April 20, 1976. On May 4, 1976, plaintiffs filed their notice of appeal seeking appellate review.
Two years and fifteen extensions of time for reproduction of the record later, plaintiffs requested and received permission to proceed without a printed record. The sole issue presented to the Court of Appeals was whether or not judicial review had been timely sought. The plaintiffs contend the action was an independent action pursuant to K.S.A. 19-2913, and not subject to the 30-day limitation for the filing of appeals pursuant to K.S.A. 19-223 and K.S.A. 60-2101. The Court of Appeals held that actions pursuant to K.S.A. 19-2913 are independent actions subject to the five-year statute of limitations set forth in K.S.A. 60-511(5). Bolser v. Zoning Board for Aubry Township, 4 Kan. App.2d 288, 605 P.2d 156 (1980). The matter is before this court on petition for review filed by defendants.
In addition to the issue relative to the timeliness of seeking judicial review in the district court, a second issue is raised before this court, relative to whether the appeal to the Court of Appeals was timely commenced. Although not previously raised, we will consider this issue since it is a challenge to appellate jurisdiction.
Defendants contend the plaintiffs' motion to reconsider and reinstate is not one of the motions enumerated in K.S.A. 60-2103 [Corrick] (since amended), and hence it did not toll the running of the time for appeal. K.S.A. 60-2103 [Corrick], in effect at the time involved herein, provided in relevant part:
The motion requested reconsideration of the dismissal of the action. Looking through form to substance we conclude it was the equivalent of a motion for a new trial. The notice of appeal was filed within thirty days after the motion was denied. We conclude the appeal from the judgment of the district court was timely commenced. See Loose v. Brubacher, 219 Kan. 727, 729, 549 P.2d 991 (1976); Heim v. Werth, 214 Kan. 855, 857, 522 P.2d 389 (1974); Ten Eyck v. Harp, 197 Kan. 529, 533, 419 P.2d 922 (1966).
We turn now to the principal issue involved herein. Did the district court err in dismissing plaintiffs' action on the ground that it was not filed within thirty days after defendant Board of County Commissioners approved the zoning change?
The statutes involved are:
....
....
In summary, the district court held that K.S.A. 19-2913 did not authorize aggrieved persons in zoning disputes to bring an independent action with an unlimited time for so doing. The district court reasoned that, in construing K.S.A. 19-2913, 19-223, and K.S.A. 60-2101(a) [now K.S.A. 1979 Supp. 60-2101(d)] together, the legislature intended that there be a 30-day period for seeking judicial review of such matters. The Court of Appeals held that K.S.A. 19-2913 authorized the bringing of an independent action with a 5-year statute of limitations pursuant to K.S.A. 60-511(5).
K.S.A. 19-2913, K.S.A. 19-2926, and K.S.A. 12-712, applicable to zoning acts of townships, counties, and cities, respectively, are virtually identical and, over the years, have been the vehicles for many appeals to this court. None of the prior cases deal with the time for maintaining such actions. This court has previously attempted to determine the nature of actions under such statutes for evidentiary purposes.
In West v. City of Wichita, 118 Kan. 265, 268, 234 Pac. 978 (1925), this court stated:
The above statement lends support to plaintiffs' position. Over the years, however, a different interpretation has evolved. In Keeney v. City of Overland Park, 203 Kan. 389, 392-93, 454 P.2d 456 (1969), this court stated:
In Gaslight Villa, Inc. v. City of Lansing, 213 Kan. 862, 865, 518 P.2d 410 (1974), this court stated:
Golden v. City of Overland Park, 224 Kan. 591, 597, 584 P.2d 130 (1978), held:
This evolutionary process has resulted in zoning disputes arising from the zoning of particular tracts being considered quasi-judicial decisions which are subject to judicial review under the same rules applicable to appeals from decisions of administrative agencies while operating in a quasi-judicial capacity.
Increasingly, judicial review of zoning disputes relative to particular tracts has been treated the same as, and referred to as, zoning appeals. For an example thereof, see International Villages, Inc., of Amer. v. Board of Comm'rs of Jefferson County, 224 Kan. 654, 585 P.2d 999 (1978).
The Court of appeals handed down its decision in this case on January 18, 1980. In direct response thereto, the 1980 Kansas legislature enacted Senate Bill 699 which provides:
"SENATE BILL No. 699
"Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
"Section 1. K.S.A. 12-712 is hereby amended to read as follows: 12-712. Any ordinance or regulation or amendment thereto provided for or authorized by this act shall be reasonable, and any taxpayer or any other person having an interest in property affected, may have the reasonableness of any ordinance, regulation or amendment thereto determined by bringing an action against the governing body of the city within thirty days after the making of a decision on a zoning ordinance or regulation, or amendment thereto, by such governing body. Such action shall be brought in the district court of the county in which such city is situated.
"Sec. 2. K.S.A. 19-2913 is hereby amended to read as follows: *13 19-2913. Any and all acts and regulations or amendments thereto provided for or authorized by this act shall be reasonable and any person having an interest in property affected may have the reasonableness of any such act, regulation or amendment thereto determined by bringing an action against the board of county commissioners within thirty days after the making of a decision on a zoning regulation, or amendment thereto. Such action shall be brought in the district court in the county in which any such township is situated.
"Sec. 3. K.S.A. 19-2926 is hereby amended to read as follows: 19-2926. Any and all acts and regulations or amendments thereto provided for or authorized by this act shall be reasonable and any person having an interest in property affected may have the reasonableness of any such act, regulation or amendment thereto determined by bringing an action against the board of county commissioners within thirty days after the making of a decision on a zoning regulation, or amendment thereto. Such action shall be brought in the district court of the county." [Emphasis indicates change in existing statutes.]
While not legally an expression of legislative intent, the following excerpt from the Legislative Research Department's note on Senate Bill 699 reflects legislative awareness of the Court of Appeals decision herein:
K.S.A. 19-223, the general appeals statute from decisions of boards of county commissioners, was enacted in 1868. K.S.A. 19-2913 was enacted in 1939. In so doing, did the 1939 legislature *14 intend to create a new independent cause of action with an attendant lengthy statute of limitations for persons aggrieved by zoning acts and regulations? We think not.
In our present-day society, zoning limitations on the use of real property are established and accepted facts of life. It is easy to forget that zoning represents a major inroad on the right to own and use property. To zone is to limit usage  to take something away from the individual owner's rights to his property in the name of the common good. The votes of two members of a board of county commissioners can substantially affect a landowner's use of his property. The concept and operation of zoning could justifiably warrant concern in the Kansas citizenry.
K.S.A. 19-2913 speaks of "acts and regulations"; whereas, K.S.A. 19-223 speaks of "decision." The two statutes must be considered in para materia. We conclude that the purpose of K.S.A. 19-2913 (and comparable provisions of other previously referred-to zoning acts) was to assure the availability of judicial review for reasonableness of all zoning actions taken by a board of county commissioners, whether decisions, acts, or regulations. The inclusion of such provisions was intended to assuage citizen concerns by the assurance that unreasonable zoning could be judicially reviewed and corrected. K.S.A. 19-2913 is a reaffirmation of the pre-existing right to judicial review by appeal, contained in K.S.A. 19-223 and expanded to include all zoning acts and regulations, with reasonableness being specifically set forth as the test to be applied. K.S.A. 19-2913, accordingly, does not create an independent cause of action. The time limitation for seeking judicial review pursuant to K.S.A. 19-2913 is the 30-day limitation fixed by K.S.A. 19-223. Such result is consistent with the procedures generally afforded in Kansas for judicial review of administrative decisions.
This result is further buttressed by recognition of the practical need for a short period of time in which to seek judicial review from adverse zoning decisions and acts. If challenges to zoning could be made anytime within a five-year period, the development and sale of property would be stymied. Frequently, contracts for sale of real estate are conditioned on the present owner obtaining a zoning change. If such zoning changes were secured, but subject to challenge for five years, chaos would result. Construction of apartments, shopping centers, warehouses, etc., *15 could not be expected to await the running of the five-year period. A lengthy statute of limitations is particularly a problem in zoning matters where one's "adversary" could be any one of several landowners whose opposition may or may not have surfaced prior to the commencement of the action.
Further, a judicial determination as to the reasonableness of the act or decision of a governing body or administrative agency presupposes that such determination will be reasonably contemporaneous with the complained-of act or decision. This is particularly true of zoning matters where the facts to be considered are not fixed in time, but involve ever-changing factors such as surrounding land usage, community resources, streets, traffic patterns, sewers, police and fire protection, schools, population, etc.
The district court correctly concluded that the action herein was not timely commenced and dismissed the action. In so doing the court incorrectly relied on K.S.A. 60-2101(a) (Corrick) (now K.S.A. 1979 Supp. 60-2101[d]); whereas, the time for seeking judicial review herein is fixed by K.S.A. 19-223. Each statute has a 30-day time limitation. Having reached the right result, the district court must be affirmed.
Plaintiffs herein are not without remedy. If they desire to pursue the matter further they may make application for a zoning change. If granted, they have their relief. If denied, the reasonableness of the denial may be judicially reviewed based on more current facts and circumstances.
The judgment of the Court of Appeals is reversed and judgment of the district court is affirmed.
FROMME, J., concurs in the result.