Mills v. County of Trinity

Decision Date16 November 1979
Citation159 Cal.Rptr. 679,98 Cal.App.3d 859
PartiesAlbert MILLS, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. COUNTY OF TRINITY et al., Defendants and Appellants. Civ. 18866.
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeals Court of Appeals

Ronald Barbatoe, Dist. Atty., Trinity, for defendants and appellants.

David R. Hammer, Weaverville, for plaintiff and respondent.

PUGLIA, Presiding Justice.

Appellants, the County of Trinity and its Board of Supervisors, seek a writ of supersedeas. They are defendants in a proceeding in Trinity County Superior Court in which the respondent herein, Albert Mills, is plaintiff. In the proceeding in the trial court, Mills challenged the constitutionality of supervisors' Resolution No. 73-78 providing for increased fees for the Trinity County Planning Department and Surveyor. Mills contended that by reason of Proposition 13, which was approved as an initiative measure in June of 1978 adding article XIIIA to the California Constitution, the increased fees called for by Resolution No. 73-78 constitute a special tax within the meaning of that article and cannot be imposed without a two-thirds affirmative vote of the electors of Trinity County. The trial court upheld Mills' claim, ordered summary judgment in his favor and issued a peremptory writ of mandate. The writ ordered appellants to "desist and refrain from enforcing the provisions of Resolution Number 73-78, enacted on August 28, 1978," and further directed appellants to refund any and all monies received pursuant to said resolution which exceeded the amounts required under the fee schedule it superceded. Judgment was entered July 30, 1979, and appellants filed notice of appeal therefrom August 2, 1979.

In this verified petition for supersedeas filed August 29, 1979, appellants seek to restrain the enforcement of the peremptory writ of mandate pending disposition of the appeal. On September 6, we issued an order to show cause and temporary stay. Respondent Mills has filed his return by verified answer to the petition.

We have fully considered the respective rights of the litigants in this appeal and conclude that stay of the judgment is necessary to protect the appellants from the irreparable injury they will necessarily sustain in the event their appeal is deemed meritorious. A stay will not result in disproportionate injury to respondent in the event of an affirmance, since excessive fees may easily be refunded. (California Table Grape Com. v. Dispoto (1971) 14 Cal.App.3d 314, 316-317, 92 Cal.Rptr. 268; Sacramento Newspaper Guild v. Sacramento County Bd. of Supervisors (1967) 255 Cal.App.2d 51, 53, 62 Cal.Rptr. 819.)

The writ of supersedeas is a purely auxiliary...

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4 cases
  • In re KARLA C.
    • United States
    • California Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
    • July 21, 2010
    ...156, 163, 264 Cal.Rptr. 623; In re Manuel P. (1989) 215 Cal.App.3d 48, 72–73, 263 Cal.Rptr. 447; Mills v. County of Trinity (1979) 98 Cal.App.3d 859, 861, 159 Cal.Rptr. 679; People ex rel. S.F. Bay etc. Com. v. Town of Emeryville (1968) 69 Cal.2d 533, 536–537, 72 Cal.Rptr. 790, 446 P.2d 790......
  • Mills v. County of Trinity
    • United States
    • California Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
    • July 28, 1980
    ...supersedeas. We issued the writ, restraining enforcement of the judgment pending disposition of this appeal. (Mills v. County of Trinity (1979) 98 Cal.App.3d 859, 159 Cal.Rptr. 679.) Although in its generality, article XIII A is not fatally vague, "in a number of particulars (it) is impreci......
  • McFarland v. City of Sausalito
    • United States
    • California Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
    • March 13, 1990
    ...pending appeal by asking this court for a writ of supersedeas to preserve the status quo. (See generally, Mills v. County of Trinity (1979) 98 Cal.App.3d 859, 861, 159 Cal.Rptr. 679.) Alternatively, he could have taken the unusual step of requesting the trial court to permit him to file an ......
  • In re Marriage of Mimi L., G038402 (Cal. App. 7/3/2008)
    • United States
    • California Court of Appeals Court of Appeals
    • July 3, 2008
    ...re Marriage of Barker, supra, G036916. That petition was an auxillary proceeding to her appeal from the judgment. (Mills v. County of Trinity (1979) 98 Cal.App.3d 859, 861 ["[t]he writ of supersedeas is a purely auxillary writ, serving the sole function of preserving our appellate jurisdict......

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