Court Opinion

ID: 9719747
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 08:02:16.346939+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:09.634366
License: Public Domain

Fairchild, J.
(dissenting). I respectfully dissent from the determination that the city of Milwaukee has not shown the type of interest affected by the incorporation of the city of Oak Creek which would give it standing to challenge the validity of the latter. In my opinion this court should proceed to consider the merits of the case.
The city of Milwaukee argues that it has the necessary standing because of its ownership of property within the town and its proceeding to annex that property, and because of its proceeding to annex other property, commenced shortly before the incorporation proceeding. The majority tests this matter of the city’s standing as of May 19, 1957, when an amended complaint was served. Under the circumstances of this case, it is my opinion that the lapse of time between the original and the amended complaint should not be counted against the city of Milwaukee.
This action was commenced against the town of Oak Creek and others on September 30, 1955, before completion of the incorporation proceeding and, in fact, for the purpose of *109preventing its completion. In June, 1956, the circuit court gave judgment adverse to the city of Milwaukee and the city appealed.
Counsel, one of whom now appears of counsel for the city of Oak Creek, appeared here as amici curiae and moved that the appeal of the city of Milwaukee be dismissed on the grounds (1) that the city of Oak Creek has not been made a party defendant, (2) that there is no existent party respondent, and (3) that the city of Milwaukee has not the requisite interest to maintain the action or to prosecute the appeal. On April 2, 1957, we denied the motion and remanded the cause to the circuit court “in the interests of justice.” We said “Permission is granted to the plaintiff, city of Milwaukee, in the court below to interplead the city of Oak Creek as a necessary party in interest without prejudice to the plaintiff to challenge the validity of the organization of the city of Oak Creek in appropriate pleadings after such interpleader.”
The original complaint alleged the same facts as to the interest of the city of Milwaukee as did the amended complaint, and the latter differed only in that the city of Oak Creek was joined pursuant to our order.
Probably our denial of the motion to dismiss was not binding upon the city of Oak Creek, which was not then a party. In my opinion, however, the city of Milwaukee having shown a sufficient standing to challenge the incorporation before it occurred, and having commenced the action to do so, it should not be deemed to have lost that standing because of the lapse of time or change of circumstances before joinder of the city of Oak Creek as a defendant.