Grayot v. Summers

• Decision Date: 24 March 1954
• Docket Number: No. 8060,8060
• Citation: 75 Idaho 125,269 P.2d 765
• Parties: GRAYOT v. SUMMERS.
• Court: Idaho Supreme Court

Page 765

269 P.2d 765

75 Idaho 125

GRAYOT v. SUMMERS.

No. 8060.

Supreme Court of Idaho.

March 24, 1954.

Rehearing Denied April 26, 1954.

Herman E. Bedke, Burley, for appellant.

Robert E. Smylie, Atty. Gen., J. Ray Durtschi, Asst. Atty. Gen., William H. Bakes, Asst. Atty. Gen., Twin Falls, for respondent.

PORTER, Chief Justice.

This is an action for a declaratory judgment under the provisions of Chapter 12, Title 10, I.C. Appellant is a duly licensed electrical contractor in the State of Idaho. He alleges in his complaint that respondent, on or about October 30, 1952, made a purported regulation, allegedly under the authority of Chapter 10 of Title 54, I.C., as amended, governing the activities of electrical contractors and journeymen within the State of Idaho. That such regulation is unlawful and not authorized by law. That appellant has failed at times to comply with the requirements of said regulation and respondent has enforced the same by threats of criminal prosecution under the act; and that if appellant continues to refuse to comply with such regulation, respondent will attempt to enforce same by invoking criminal sanctions or by suspending appellant's license.

Appellant prays that the court enter judgment declaring such regulation null and void and as in excess of the powers of respondent to make; and that respondent be permanently enjoined from enforcing such regulation against appellant.

A copy of the regulation in question is attached to the complaint and reads as follows:

'State of Idaho

Department of Law Enforcement State Electrical Board Regulation

'A. From and after the first day of December, 1952, all installations of electrical conductors and equipment, as hereinafter described, save and except as provided by Section 54-1016, Idaho Code, and further, except in any city or village in which the Inspectors of the Department of Law Enforcement are unauthorized to make inspections, shall be required to be inspected by an inspector of the State of Idaho and approved by said inspector; said electrical installations, and all changes of electrical conductors and electrical equipment as hereinafter described shall be made in substantial accord with the National Electrical Code as approved by the American Standards Association, and unless said installations shall be so made, shall not be approved by said inspectors. It is further provided that for all new electrical conductors and installations, the contractor, or person making such installations or doing said wiring, at the beginning of the work, shall make application to the Department of Law Enforcement of the State of Idaho for an inspection of said electrical installations upon forms provided by the said Department.

'B. The State Electrical Board of the Department of Law Enforcement of the State of Idaho shall furnish forms of application for inspection service to anyone upon request without charge, which said forms shall be divided into three parts:

'I Part I must be filled out and attached inside the entrance switch or panel installation.

'II Part II of said form must be filled out by the person actually doing the wiring or electrical installation work, or if done by more than one person, then by one of said persons actually doing the wiring or electrical installation work, and mailed to the State Electrical Board at Boise, Idaho, prior to completion of said electrical installation, together with the necessary fee for inspections as provided by regulation; and

'III Part III of saidform must be filed out and mailed to the Power Supplier.

'C. For the purpose of this regulation the following electrical installations shall require inspection by the State of Idaho:

'1. New Constructions and/or additional feeders or circuits in existing structures for jobs costing in excess of $25.00.

'2. Any change of service entrances.

'3. Temporary services run for supplying power for any and all purposes.

'4. Electrical fences.

'D. The following fees shall be required to be paid (by the owner or contractor) for inspections by Inspectors of the State Electrical Board of the Department of Law Enforcement of the State of Idaho: [Schedule of fees for inspection of various types and kinds of installations.]

'This Regulation is promulgated pursuant to the authority granted in Chapter 10 of Title 54, Idaho Code, as amended.

'Done at the Capitol in Boise, Ldaho, this ___ day of Oct 30 1952, 1952.

's/ Wayne Summers

Wayne Summers, Commissioner of Law Enforcement of the State of Idaho.'

Respondent filed a general demurrer to appellant's complaint. The general demurrer was by the trial court sustained and judgment of dismissal entered. From such judgment appeal has been taken to this court.

The first contention of appellant is that the trial court erred in sustaining the general demurrer. In passing upon the general demurrer the trial court specifically recognized there was a justiciable issue presented and recognized the right of plaintiff to bring the action and to have a decision squarely on the facts presented. However, the court apparently sustained the general demurrer on the theory the regulation in question was a valid, existing regulation and one which the respondent had authority to promulgate and enforce.

The authorities generally hold that in an action for declaratory judgment where the complaint shows a justiciable controversy which should be settled, a general demurrer thereto should be overruled although it may appear that the plaintiff's contention is wrong as to his ultimate rights. 1 Anderson's Actions For Declaratory Judgments, 744, sec. 318, states the rule as follows:

'The test of the sufficiency of a complaint in a declaratory judgment proceeding is not whether the complaint shows that the plaintiff is entitled to the declaration of rights in accordance with his theory, but whether he is entitled to a declaration of rights at all, so that even if the plaintiff is on the wrong side of the controversy, if he states the existence of a controversy which should be settled, he states a cause of suit for a declaratory judgment. And where a complaint in a proceeding for a declaratory judgment stated a justiciable controversy, a demurrer should have been overruled, and after the filing of an answer, a decree containing a declaration of right should have been entered.'

The following authorities support the rule: City of Cherryvale v. Wilson, 153 Kan. 505, 112 P.2d 111; Doman Hunting & Fishing Ass'n v. Doman, 159 Kan. 439, 155 P.2d 438; Dallman Supply Co. v. Sweet, 86 Cal.App.2d, 780, 195 P.2d 864; La Hue v. Dougherty, 34 Cal.2d 1, 206 P.2d 640; Reid v. Anderson, 116 Utah 455, 211 P.2d 206; Alabama State Milk Control Board v. Graham, 250 Ala. 49, 33 So.2d 11; City of Bessemer v. Bessemer Theatres, 252 Ala. 117, 39 So.2d 658; Great Northern Ry. Co. v. Mustad, 76 N.D. 84, 33 N.W.2d 436.

It thus appears that the trial court erred in sustaining the general demurrer. However, it is apparent that the decisive question to be determined in this action is not one of fact but is purely one of law, that is, as to the validity of the regulation in question. Appellant has requested this court to pass upon such question despite the error of the trial court in sustaining the general demurrer. Respondent has argued the merits and contends that the trial court in effect passed upon the merits. In Cabell v. City of Cottage Grove, 170 Or. 256, 130 P.2d 1013, at page 1016, 144 A.L.R. 286, at page 291, the court, under a very similar situation, stated:

'Consequently, it will be necessary to reverse the decree; but, to obviate another appeal, we deem it proper to state our views upon the merits.'

See, also, Moss v. Moss, 20 Cal.2d 640, 128 P.2d 526, 141 A.L.R. 1422. Under the circumstances we deem it appropriate to express our views as to the validity of the regulation in question.

Appellant contends that the legislature, by Chapter 10 of Title 54, I.C., did not authorize respondent or grant him the power to make such regulation; that the authority to make the same cannot be implied from any express power granted to respondent; and that the alleged fees set out in the regulation for making inspections amount to a tax. It appears to us that a determination of the first two...