Opinion ID: 1672652
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: estoppel as to suggs

Text: The chancellor found that because Caledonia had allowed the sale of beer from the Suggs' location for some twelve years, it was estopped from enforcing the ordinance against Suggs. The town has cross-appealed this finding and asserts that its lack of knowledge that the Suggs' store was within fifteen hundred (1500) feet of the church prevents the doctrine of estoppel from being applied. The town is correct that as an essential prerequisite to application of the doctrine of estoppel the party to be estopped must have had knowledge of the situation. In Resolute Ins. Co. v. State, 290 So.2d 599 (Miss. 1974); we said: The rule that one may be estopped by his silence, however, presupposes that one not only had the duty to speak out, but that he had an opportunity to do so and in addition, that his failure to speak when the opportunity was presented, was either intentional or in negligent disregard of plain dictates of conscience and justice. Canal-Commercial Trust & Savings Bank v. Brewer, 143 Miss. 146, 143 Miss. 184, 108 So. 424, 109 So. 8, 47 A.L.R. 45 (1926). 290 So.2d at 602. Because the evidence is uncontradicted that neither the mayor nor the board of aldermen of the Town of Caledonia were aware that Suggs' convenience mart was within fifteen hundred (1500) feet of a church until the July 20, 1982 survey, we are compelled to hold that the chancellor erred in applying the doctrine of estoppel to prevent Caledonia from enforcing its ordinance against Suggs. Because we conclude that the town may validly enforce its ordinance against both Killebrew and Suggs, we find no merit to Suggs' antitrust argument. Therefore, based on all of the foregoing, we hereby hold that the doctrine of estoppel is not applicable to bar the Town of Caledonia's enforcement of its municipal ordinance. The decision of the chancellor is affirmed in part and reversed in part. AFFIRMED IN PART, REVERSED IN PART AND RENDERED. PATTERSON, C.J., WALKER and ROY NOBLE LEE, P.JJ., and HAWKINS, ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN and ANDERSON, JJ., concur. PRATHER, J., not participating.