{
  "id": 8499668,
  "name": "Laura Schwartz, Appellant, v. City of Chicago, Appellee",
  "name_abbreviation": "Schwartz v. City of Chicago",
  "decision_date": "1921-06-18",
  "docket_number": "Gen. No. 25,763",
  "first_page": "328",
  "last_page": "332",
  "citations": [
    {
      "type": "official",
      "cite": "221 Ill. App. 328"
    }
  ],
  "court": {
    "name_abbreviation": "Ill. App. Ct.",
    "id": 8837,
    "name": "Illinois Appellate Court"
  },
  "jurisdiction": {
    "id": 29,
    "name_long": "Illinois",
    "name": "Ill."
  },
  "cites_to": [],
  "analysis": {
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    "simhash": "1:29f1fdb21656c2c8",
    "word_count": 1333
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  "last_updated": "2023-07-14T16:13:09.801721+00:00",
  "provenance": {
    "date_added": "2019-08-29",
    "source": "Harvard",
    "batch": "2018"
  },
  "casebody": {
    "judges": [
      "Taylob, P. J., and O\u2019Cokuob, J., concur."
    ],
    "parties": [
      "Laura Schwartz, Appellant, v. City of Chicago, Appellee."
    ],
    "opinions": [
      {
        "text": "Mr. Justice Thomson-\ndelivered the opinion of the court.\nBy this action the plaintiff, Laura Schwartz, sought to recover damages alleged to have been suffered by her by reason of the demolishing of a building owned by her, under the circumstances set forth in her amended declaration. She alleged in her amended declaration that she was .the owner of certain premises located on West 12th street in the City of Chicago, improved with a three-story building; that the defendant, City of Chicago,,in connection with an improvement involving the widening of 12th street, instituted certain condemnation proceedings involving the plaintiff\u2019s property, as a result of which, a part of her property was duly condemned; that in these condemnation proceedings the plaintiff was awarded the sum of $3,675 for the north 42 feet of her lot and the further sum of $4,700, as the owner of the improvements on said north 42 feet, \u201cincluding all damage to the remainder of the improvements not taken.\u201d She further alleged that said latter sum was awarded for the purpose of removing the building back to the new front line of the lot. It was alleged that the court, in the condemnation proceedings, duly entered an order giving the City of Chicago the right at any time \u201cto take possession of, damage and use,\u201d for the purpose above referred to, the portion of . the plaintiff\u2019s premises so condemned. The plaintiff also alleged that she remained in possession of her premises beyond the date on which the City of Chicago obtained the order of possession and that subsequent to the date said order of possession was entered, and while the plaintiff remained in possession of her premises, she, for a valuable consideration, * \u2018 entered into an agreement with the President of the' Board of Local Improvements of the City of Chicago, the duly authorized agent of the defendant herein,\u201d whereby she was permitted to retain possession of .the premises until a later date for the purpose of removing the building from the condemned portion of her lot and that the President of the Board at that time verbally agreed with the plaintiff that she might have until the later date designated to remove her building without interference from the city, and that relying upon said agreement she proceeded to arrange to have the building removed, but that before the building had been removed and before the expiration of the time agreed upon, \u201cthe defendant, by the President of the Board of Local Improvements,\u201d entered into a contract with a wrecking company, pursuant to which the plaintiff\u2019s building was torn down and removed and its materials appropriated by parties other than the plaintiff.\nA demurrer to the original declaration was ordered to stand as to the amended declaration and was then sustained as to said amended declaration and judgment was entered in favor of tibe defendant and against the plaintiff for costs. The plaintiff elected to stand by the amended declaration and perfected this appeal, to reverse the judgment referred to.\nIn onr opinion the judgment of the superior court must be affirmed, if, for no other reason, because under the decree entered by the court in the condemnation proceedings, the defendant, City of Chicago, acquired not only the right to possession of the portion of the plaintiff\u2019s premises which ,was condemned, but it became the owner of the part condemned, including the improvements, and the defendant also was decreed to pay the plaintiff a certain amount in payment of any damages that might be caused to the portion of improvements not taken, by reason of the removel of that portion of the improvements which was taken. It is obvious that the President of the Board of Local Improvements could not interfere with the rights thus obtained by the City of Chicago in the condemnation proceedings, by personally making any agreement or promise,- either with or without a consideration, under which the plaintiff was to have certain rights with regard to the property, contrary to the provisions of the decree which had been entered in favor of the city in the condemnation proceedings. The plaintiff specifically avers in her declaration that it is provided by statute that the President of the Board of Local Improvements shall have power, among other things, \u201cto execute contracts, vouchers, bonds, pay rolls and all other papers, documents and instruments necessary to carry this act and all proceedings hereunder into full force and effect.\u201d [Hurd\u2019s Bev. St. ch. 24, sec. 512, J. & A. \u00b6 1393.] After setting up that specific authority vested in the President of the Board of Local Improvements by the statute, the plaintiff refers to him as \u201cthe duly authorized agent of the defendant herein.\u201d This declaration does not sufficiently set forth a contract between the plaintiff and the defendant, tlirongh or by tbe President of tbe Board, but merely an oral understanding or agreement bad between tbe plaintiff and tbe President of tbe Board of Local Improvements. '\nIt is, of course, apparent that under tbe provisions of tbe statute referred to, tbe President of tbe Board of Local Improvements is not empowered to make sucb contract personally as be may cboose to, but be is simply empowered to execute sucb contract as may be made lawfully by tbe board. Tbe plaintiff might have made out her case if she bad alleged an agreement duly acted upon and entered into by tbe Board of Local Improvements and, pursuant to such action, duly executed by tbe President of tbe Board.\nPor tbe reasons stated, tbe judgment of tbe superior court is affirmed.\nAffirmed.\nTaylob, P. J., and O\u2019Cokuob, J., concur.",
        "type": "majority",
        "author": "Mr. Justice Thomson-"
      }
    ],
    "attorneys": [
      "Bell & Asselln, for appellant.",
      "Samuel-A. EttelsoN, 'for appellee; FraNK S. Rig-heimer, JohN A. Bugee and Adolph Radhitzer, of counsel. \" -"
    ],
    "corrections": "",
    "head_matter": "Laura Schwartz, Appellant, v. City of Chicago, Appellee.\nGen. No. 25,763.\n1. Municipal coepoeations \u2014 when breach of agreement as to moving building in conflict with condemnation decree not actionable. Where, by the decree in condemnation proceedings for the purpose of widening a street, the city acquired not only the right to possession of the portion of plaintiff\u2019s premises which was condemned, but it also became the owner of the part condemned, including improvements, and was decreed to pay to plaintiff a certain amount in payment of any damages that might be caused to the portion of the improvements not taken by reason of the removal of the portion taken, a demurrer was properly sustained to an action by plaintiff for damages based upon an alleged oral agreement with th.e President of the Board of Local Improvements, whereby plaintiff was to be allowed time to move her building back to the new street line, and the demolishing of the condemned portion of the building regardless of such agreement.\n2. Municipal coepoeations \u2014 power of officers to enter into agreement in conflict with rights given by condemnation decree. The President of the Board of Local Improvements of the City of Chicago could not interfere with the rights obtained by the City of Chicago in condemnation proceedings by personally making any agreement or promise, either with or without a consideration, under-which the owner was to have certain rights with regard to the condemned property, contrary to the provisions of the condemnation decree.\n3. Municipal corporations \u2014 powers of President of Board of Local Improvements to enter into contracts. A statute providing that the President of the Board of Local Improvements shall have power \u201cto execute contracts, vouchers, bonds, pay rolls, and all other papers, documents and instruments, necessary to carry this act and all proceedings hereunder into * * * effect\u201d [Hurd\u2019s Rev. St. ch. 24, \u00a7 512, J. & A. \u00b6 1393], does not empower such president to mate such contracts personally as he may choose to hut simply to execute such contracts as may lawfully he made by the board.\nAppeal from the Superior Court of Cook county; the Hon. Joseph B. David, Judge, presiding. Heard in the Branch Appellate Court at the October term, 1919.\nAffirmed.\nOpinion filed June 18, 1921.\nBell & Asselln, for appellant.\nSamuel-A. EttelsoN, 'for appellee; FraNK S. Rig-heimer, JohN A. Bugee and Adolph Radhitzer, of counsel. \" -"
  },
  "file_name": "0328-01",
  "first_page_order": 384,
  "last_page_order": 388
}