Opinion ID: 1936177
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Invalidity of ordinance of July 6, 1970.

Text: Appellants argue, in support of their claim for injunctive relief, that pertinent provisions of sec. 66.058, Stats. 1967, failed to provide them with an adequate remedy at law. This failure, it is asserted, arises from the town's failure to give them notice of the town board hearing pursuant to sec. 66.058 (3) (d). 1, and its failure to notify appellants of the revocation of their license pursuant to sec. 66.058 (2) (d). Appellants argue that because of these failures appellants were unable to appeal from the town board action within the statutory period of twenty days as specified by sec. 66.058 (2) (d). We find no merit in these arguments. First, because the appeal procedure under sec. 66.058 (3) (d), Stats. 1967, does not on its face refer to the adoption by a town board of mobile home park regulatory legislation as was done here. The appeal procedure referred to by the appellants applies only to the action of the town board in determining the amount of the per mobile home parking permit fee to be levied against a mobile home park. Although the July 6, 1970, ordinance did increase such parking fee, this action is not complained of by appellants. The second reason for rejecting appellants' arguments is that both subdivisions 1 and 2 of sec. 66.058 (3) (d), Stats. 1967, were repealed by ch. 495 of the Wisconsin Session Laws of 1969. This session law became effective on April 30, 1970, two months before the town board adopted the ordinance of July 6th. As to appellants' argument that the town board failed to comply with sec. 66.058 (2) (d), Stats. 1967, when it failed to notify appellants of the revocation of their license, the trial court was entirely correct in concluding that appellants could not avail themselves of the appeal procedure because they had failed to obtain, at any time, a valid mobile home park permit. The statute unequivocally mandates state and local approval of mobile home park plans prior to the issuance of a license. It is undisputed here that such approval of park plans was not received prior to the issuance of the license. The town clerk's issuance of a license was an ultra vires act and did not result in the issuance of a valid mobile home park permit which was thereafter revoked or suspended. [1] While appellants are not entitled to pursue the specific statutory appeals procedure outlined in sec. 66.058 (2) (d), Stats. 1967, they are permitted to challenge, with equitable actions, proceedings under statutes which provide only a limited appeal procedure. [2] In this respect it is necessary to examine the general provisions relating to ordinance adoption by town boards. [3] The zoning power of towns is regulated by sec. 60.74 and provides: (2) If such town has a town park commission organized as provided by law, such commission shall recommend boundaries of such districts and appropriate regulations and restrictions to be imposed therein. If the town has no town park commission, the town board may appoint a town zoning committee of 5 members to perform the duties of the town park commission under this section. The town park commission or zoning committee shall first formulate a tentative report and shall hold public hearings thereon before submitting a final report to the town board. After such final report is submitted, and the ordinance pursuant thereto adopted, the town board may alter, supplement or change the boundaries or regulations contained in such ordinance as herein set forth, but a class 2 notice, under ch. 985, of any such proposed changes shall first be published in the town prior to the hearing. A hearing shall be granted to any person interested, at a time and place to be specified in the notice. It is clear from the record here that sec. 60.74 (2), Stats., was not complied with by the town of Theresa prior to the adoption of the July 6, 1970, ordinance. In testimony upon adverse examination, the town clerk, Ralph Bodden, acknowledged that no notice of the pendency of the ordinance was published or posted prior to the meeting in which it was adopted. He further testified that the July ordinance was not prepared by the town attorney until one week prior to the town meeting. What is the effect of the town's failure to comply with the provisions of sec. 60.74 (2), Stats.? In Herman v. Oconto, [4] we held the failure to publish a pending city ordinance pursuant to an 1893 statute was a jurisdictional defect rendering the ordinance void: ... It is contended that the common council complied with all of such requirements, except the last clause, printed in italics, and that that clause is directory and not mandatory. But the whole section is mandatory, and the common council had no more power to dispense with the last clause than any other portion of the section. Such notice was required so that the public might appear and make their objections to the change. [5] McQuillin's Law of Municipal Corporations is to the same effect: Provisions respecting publication and sufficient notice of ordinances and resolutions are mandatory, and failure to publish or give notice, or to do so substantially in the manner prescribed, renders them void even where, it has been declared, newspapers reported the pendency of the measure as an ordinary news story. [6] We conclude that the failure to comply with the notice-of-hearing provisions of sec. 60.74 (2), Stats., invalidates the enactment of the July 6, 1970, ordinance. The public has the right to appear and voice objections to pending legislation. This is certainly a right that should be honored in connection with zoning changes, as here. [7]