Opinion ID: 1877277
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: [1, 2] ¶ 10. This case is before the court on statutory certiorari pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 236.13(5), which incorporates the review procedures of Wis. Stat. §§ 62.23(7)(e)10., 14., and 15. [12] Generally, the review standards of common-law certiorari apply in a statutory certiorari case if a circuit court is empowered under the statute providing for certiorari to take evidence on the merits of an administrative decision but takes no such evidence. . . . State ex rel. Brookside Poultry Farms, Inc. v. Jefferson County Bd. of Adjustment, 131 Wis. 2d 101, 122, 388 N.W.2d 593 (1986). Under common-law certiorari, the findings of the [approving authority] may not be disturbed if any reasonable view of the evidence sustains them. . . . Brookside, 131 Wis. 2d at 120 (quoting Snyder v. Waukesha County Zoning Bd. of Adjustment, 74 Wis. 2d 468, 476, 247 N.W.2d 98 (1976)). ¶ 11. Under Sections 236.13(5) and 62.23(7)(e)10., a circuit court may take additional evidence. In the present case, the circuit court did not do so. Therefore, the City argues that we must uphold its decision if we find any evidence in the record that it acted reasonably. [3] ¶ 12. We agree that we must give deference to the City's factual reasons for conditionally approving the plat. See Busse v. City of Madison, 177 Wis. 2d 808, 811-12, 503 N.W.2d 340 (Ct. App. 1993). However, we disagree that we must give deference to the City's decision as to issues of law. In particular, whether an approving authority exceeded its statutory or constitutional authority is a question of law, which we review de novo. See Lake City Corp. v. City of Mequon, 207 Wis. 2d 156, 162-63, 558 N.W.2d 100 (1997); Rice v. City of Oshkosh, 148 Wis. 2d 78, 84, 435 N.W.2d 252 (1989); Pederson v. Town Bd., 191 Wis. 2d 663, 669 n.2, 530 N.W.2d 427 (Ct. App. 1995); Gordie Boucher Lincoln-Mercury v. City of Madison Plan Comm'n, 178 Wis. 2d 74, 84, 503 N.W.2d (Ct. App. 1993) (hereinafter Gordie Boucher). [13]