Court Opinion

ID: 9734108
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 17:25:34.938454+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:45.727039
License: Public Domain

Butzel, J.
(dissenting). The reasoning of the opinion for reversal indicates that there is no necessity for presentation in addition to notice. It would result in invalidating the ordinance providing for presentation to the corporation counsel. The opinion seems not to recognize the distinction be*571tween the 2 concepts of notice and presentation for audit and allowance.
The purpose of notice is to afford opportunity for investigation and to confine a future plaintiff to substantially the character of the defect alleged with a view to settlement or proper investigation and defense of the claim. Harrington v. City of Battle Creek, 288 Mich 152. The purpose of presentation, on the other hand, is final action upon the. results of the investigation prompted by the notice. At the last term of Court we held that presentation ns well as notice is a mandatory prerequisite to suit. Grand Trunk Western R. Co. v. City of Detroit, 342 Mich 537. See, also, Moulthrop v. City of Detroit, 218 Mich 464. When my Brother states that the Grand Trunk Case involved “notice to the corporation counsel” he is obviously in error. I quote from the case, 342 Mich at 541:
“It is clear that plaintiff never presented its claim to, nor was it ever brought before, the common council. and therefore action upon it is barred.”
Sufficient notice was given in the Grand Trunk Case but our reaffirmation of the requirement for presentation, as well as notice, emphasizes the distinction between the two.
The statute, CL 1948, § 242.8 (Stat Ann § 9.598), after providing for uniform notice, provides in part:
“If required by the common council or committee thereof, said claimant shall produce his witnesses before said common council or committee, and they may be sworn and examined as to the nature of the claim, the amount thereof, and the extent of the injury. The common council or committee shall have power to subpoena witnesses for such hearing.”
The statute itself contemplates a hearing in addition to the notice. Read with the cases involving-city ordinances the statute means that in connection *572with the mandatory presentation of the claim to the council for audit and allowance (or rejection) that body may also hear witnesses and take sworn testimony if it desires to do so in the particular instance. The requirement of an initial proper and uniform notice is not thereby affected or obviated.
It becomes obvious, therefore, that reliance upon Knapp v. City of Detroit, 295 Mich 311, is ill-founded. In that case the charter of the city of Hamtramek provided for notice “in writing and under oath.” We held the charter provision invalid insofar as it called for notice under oath, because the statute, CL 1948, § 242.8 (Stat Ann § 9.598), merely required unsworn notice and provided that “No other or further notice shall be required.” However, the case is irrelevant here because the question before us is not one of notice but one of presentation subsequent to such notice. Notice is one thing, presentation yet another.. As we are not here concerned with the type or extent of notice, as was the Court in the Knapp Case, reliance thereon in the instant case is erroneous:
The admitted facts are that plaintiff gave the proper notice and that she stood ready to present her claim to the common council but refused to do so before the assistant corporation counsel pursuant to said ordinance. The real issue, then, is: Before whom is the presentation proper? Is the ordinance delegating the duty to the corporation counsel valid? The result of my Brother’s opinion, confusing presentation for final action with notice, has been to invalidate this ordinance. I must disagree with his conclusion.
It is plaintiff’s argument that the quoted statute permits the council, and the council only, to pass upon the claims and hear witnesses and therefore the charter provision and pursuant ordinance delegating this duty to the corporation counsel is void. *573However, we do not think that a statute which merely contemplates the hearing of the claim by a certain body necessarily prevents the delegation of that duty if otherwise legally permitted. As a home-rule city Detroit is empowered by statute, CL 1948, § 117.4j, subd (3) (Stat Ann § 5.2083, subd [3]), to enact charter provisions which may provide:
“For the exercise of all municipal powers in the management and control of municipal property and in the administration of the municipal government, whether such powers be expressly enumerated or not; for any act to advance the interests of the city, the good government and prosperity of the municipality and its inhabitants and through its regularly constituted authority to pass all laws and ordinances relating to its municipal concerns subject to the Constitution and general laws of this State.”
In People v. Sell, 310 Mich 305, we reaffirmed previous decisions to the effect that the home-rule act was to be liberally construed and left many things to be implied from the power conferred. Title 3, ch 1, § 13(e)- of the charter of the city of Detroit originally provided for allowance and audit of claims by the common council. See, also, title 6, ch 7, § 11. Recently title 3, ch 1, § 13(c), was amended to empower the council:
“To audit and allow or reject claims and accounts against the city,- except as herein otherwise provided: Provided, that the common council may by ordinance provide for the delegation of this power, subject to the approval of said common council.”
Pursuant thereto, ordinance 506-E, Municipal Code, City of Detroit, 1954, ch 6, § 1, was enacted, providing in part:
“Power is hereby delegated to the corporation counsel to audit and allow or reject, subject to the approval of the common council, all damage claims, *574including personal injury and property damage * * * and such other claims as are the immediate subject of litigation.”
In People v. Sell, supra, at 321, we stated:
“It should be borne in mind that prohibitions against the delegation of municipal legislative authority are substantially the same as those against the delegation of State legislative authority.”
We have upheld a delegation of power by the legislature to determine facts or the state of things upon which the applicability of the law depends, as well as the exercise of some discretion. Tribbett v. Village of Marcellus, 294 Mich 607; Toole v. Michigan State Board of Dentistry, 306 Mich 527; Milk Marketing Board v. Johnson, 295 Mich 644. It is generally held that a delegation by a municipality is proper where it concerns ministerial or administrative duties as opposed to purely legislative or discretionary acts. See City of Flint v. Stockdale’s Estate, 149 Mich 214; 2 McQuillin, Municipal Corporations (3d ed), § 10.41.
The Detroit city charter divides the powers and duties of the common council into legislative and administrative categories and the duty to audit and pass upon claims is under the latter. This duty is essentially a fact-finding function, administrative in nature. The statute and the charter prior to its amendment contemplated a review of the claim by the common council with the right to swear witnesses. This essentially amounted to a recapitulation of the fact-finding and investigative function performed by the corporation counsel and his staff pursuant to notice given by the claimant. The council then took final action. Under the charter and ordinance provisions delegating the function the only discretion reposed in the corporation counsel in effect is to recommend the action which the com*575mon council should take. That recommendation is expressly “subject to the approval of the common council.” In Attorney General v. Guy, 334 Mich 694, 705, we held a charter provision regarding action hy a common council on “recommendation of the municipal judge” not to he an invalid delegation of power. We stated that the council “has the power to act upon the recommendation as it sees fit.”
The same is true in the instant case. Any so-called discretion lodged in the corporation counsel hy this delegation of duty amounts to a little more than what he is empowered to do generally as the legal adviser to the city. The essence and extent of his duty under the delegation is a determination of the facts, a conclusion as to liability and a recommendation to the council. No exercise of any legislative function is at all involved. Viewed in all of its aspects we think this duty can be legally delegated by the common council to the corporation counsel.
In arguing the invalidity of the delegation appellant contends that the function is a quasi-judicial one expressly involving the power to subpoena and swear witnesses and for that reason is not delegable. Insofar as the power to subpoena and swear witnesses is concerned it is not at issue in this case and does not present a bar to delegation even if not itself specifically delegated.
The accompanying opinion for reversal further states:
“Defendant did not base its motion upon charter provisions, hence, they are not before us for consideration.”
I quote from defendant’s motion to dismiss:
“The charter and ordinances of the city of Detroit makes special provision for referral of these matters to the corporation counsel for the conducting of these investigations, subject to approval of *576the common council, and the plaintiff is subject to such provision.” (Emphasis added.)
The opinion granting the motion in the court below was specifically based upon the charter provision and the ordinance. I quote from the opinion:
“Based on city of Detroit charter, title 6, ch 7, § 11, and title 3, ch 1, § 13(e), and ordinance 5Ó6-E, the defendant city moves to dismiss because of failure to comply, especially with section 1 of ordinance 506-E. * * *
“The charter provisions and the supplemental ordinance would seem to be a reasonable and proper exercise of the police power.
“The defendant’s motion is therefore granted and an order may be prepared dismissing the cause.”
Plaintiff argues that the court below erroneously took judicial notice of the charter and ordinance provisions. The charter and ordinance provisions were not introduced as evidence in the usual manner, nor were they introduced in the manner provided for by the statute specifically and explicitly ■dealing with this matter. CLS 1954, § 617.26 (Stat ■Ann 1953 Cum Supp § 27.875).
As a rule the circuit court does not take judicial notice of the city ordinance, Hinderer v. Ann Arbor R. Co., 237 Mich 232 (26 NCCA 871); Zawicky v. Flint Trolley Coach Co., Inc., 288 Mich 655, though it could take judicial notice of the charter provision. People, ex rel. Bolt, v. Riordan, 73 Mich 508, 517. As noted, the motion to dismiss referred only generally to the charter and ordinances of the city of Detroit but did not cite or quote the provisions specifically relied upon or involved. Plaintiff’s affidavit in opposition to the motion to dismiss stated that any provision of the Detroit city charter requiring delegation was void as in conflict with the statute. It contained no allusion to the specific charter or ordi*577nance provision. The motion to dismiss did refer to the ordinances and plaintiff did-not make any claim that the court could not take judicial notice of them. The court in its opinion on the motion said:
“The plaintiff, as before said, admits failing to comply but insists that he need only comply with the provisions of the statute, CL 1948; § 242.8 (Stat Ann § 9.598), which he claims he offered to do by coming before the common council itself or committee thereof. This the defendant insists is insufficient.
“This is, to our knowledge, the first test of the validity of this ordinance. It has been the established practice for years for the claimants to present themselves to a specially delegated assistant corporation counsel, who makes the examination, conducts an inquiry and reports his findings to the common council, who then pass thereon.
“It is obvious that the common council itself could not handle, the multitude of claims which are constantly coming before them. The charter provisions and the supplemental ordinance would seem to be a reasonable and proper exercise of the police power.”
However, it is apparent that the court below was not aware of or given an opportunity to pass upon the judicial notice question, which seems to have been initially raised in the statement of reasons and grounds for appeal. It is too late to raise it now and we decline to pass upon the issue. See Retzloff v. Chase, 226 Mich 194.
The order dismissing the plaintiff’s suit should be affirmed. No costs, a public question being involved.
Smith and Kelly, JJ., concurred with Butzel, J.