HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinances Book 11, Page 558, No Ordinance Number558
AN ORDINA_iCE PROVIDING FOR 1E M PLOYMENT OF COPELAND &
ATTORNEYS, TO P?03ECUTE TO _COIICLU3T-ON EIGHTY-TIMSE (83 ) SUITS FILED
AND TO BE FILED BY THE CITY OF PADUCAH FOR THE ENFORCEI,ENT OF LIENS
�SECURING THE PAYMENT OF AD VALORE1,1 TAXES AND PUBLIC IMPROVEMIENT
ASSEMMENTS; AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRO TEM TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT
FOR THE EYPLOYI.IENT OF SAID ATTORNEYS UPON THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
SPECIFIED HEREIN; APPROPRIATING TiE SUM OF $4,980.00 FOR THE PAYrdEN
OF THE FEES OF SAID ATTORNEYS; AND AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF THE
SUM OF ;;2550.00 FROM THE CONTINGENT FUND, ACCOUNT NO. 1500, TO THE
ACCOUNT FOR ATTORNEYSf FEES FOR COLLECTION OF DELINQUENT TAXES,
ACCOUNT NO. 2467, IAT ORDER TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT FUNDS FOR THE
PAYMENT OF SAID FEES
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF CO131ISSIONERS OF THE CITY OP
PADUCAH, KENTUCKY:
SECTION 1.
That the City of Paducah enter into a contract for the am-
ployment of Copeland and Keel, Attorneys, to prosecute to con-
clusion the remaining eighty-three (83) suits now pending and
which are to be instituted by said city for the enforcement of
liens securing the payment of ad valorem taxes and public improve-
ment assessments, and Stuart Johnston, the Mayor Pro Tem (the
Mayor be-n'absent and unable to attend to the duties of his
office on account of illness) is hereby authorized and empowered,
for and on behalf of the City of Paducah, to enter into a contract
with the said Copeland and Keel, Attorneys, said contract to
contain the following terms, conditions and agreements:
"That the City (meaning the City of Paducah, hereby
agrees to employ the Attorneys (meanin^ A. Roy Copeland and
Rudy 0. Keel) to represent said city as attorneys in the
prosecution of the remaining eighty-three (83) suits now
pend inti and which are to be filed for the enforcement of
liens against property securin` the payment of ad valorem
taxes and public im_rrovement assessments, and to perform
all of the legal services necessary to prosecute to
conclusion those actions now pending under Amended
Petitions Nos. 682, 516, 24, 894, 926, 842, 614, 905, 921,
568, 23, 12, 2, 310, 949, 592, 292, 306, 80, 275, 1.95, 936,
911, 407, 45, 954, 901, 525, 570, 204, 256, 257, 710, 127,
322, 318, 950, 280, 396, 53, 720, 857, 535, 445, 902, 768,
293, 898, 759, 747, 749, 750, 370, 301, 931, 103, 258, 286,
955, 941, 599, and 289 filed in the consolidated actions
styled City of Paducah v. J. Fort Aboll, et al; also those
pending actions st;rled City of Paducah v. Fred _eyer, suit
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No. E-3725, City of Paducah V. D. J. Hurley, suit No. E. 4192,
City of Paducah v. Fain Sing suit No. E.4216 and City of
Paducah v. Mrs. Sudie Snook suit No. E-4199; and to institute
and prosecute to conclusion by filing amended petitions or
new suits against D. H. Anderson, Ben i$. Allen, Ray Bamberger,
8th Street Baptist Church, 'Nilliam Crutchfield, Jenice Ellis,
Arispie Elliott Estate, C. A. Goodwin, Mrs. Minnie Greif, Mrs.
Alice Gregory, rLrs. J. H. Hirsch, A. J. Jacobs, Paul Mathews,
Mrs. W. C. Shearer, Arllier B. Stubblefield, Gracie Tyler and
A. L. Scott, and for the recovery of ad valorem taxes and
public improvement assessments owing by them.
IN CONSIDERATION WHEREOF, the City hereby agrees to pay to
the Attorneys for their services and they agree to accept,
subject to the -conditions hereinafter provided, the sum of
,45.00 for the closing of each of the above suits, but said
Attorneys shall not be entitled to any compensation for services
rendered by them in any suit which shall not be closed, or shall
not be concluded within a period of three (3) years from the
date of this contract. When all of the aforesaid suits have
been closed, provided all are concluded within a period of
three (3) years from this date, said Attorneys shall be paid
the additional sum of ;.;15.00 for each of said suits, except
that in the event a settlement is made by a taxpayer as
provided in Faragraph 4, the amount of the additional fee
in such cases shall be ;x12.50. In event any one of the above
suits shall not be closed within a period of three (3) years
from this date either by a sale of the property involved
therein or by its dismissal authorized by the City, said
Attorneys shall not be paid any part of the aforesaid
additional fees of <15.CO or "12.50 per case; provided, how-,
ever, the Board of Commissioners may extend the aforesaid period
upon the request of the Attorneys.
IT IS FURTHER 10Tf;ALLY COVENANTED AND AGREED betireen
the parties hereto as follows:
(1) That the Attorneys shall have the entire responsi-
bility for the examination of the titles to the properties
involved in each of the aforesaid suits and, at the time
of the closing of any suit by the distribution of the proceeds
of sale, said attorneys shall submit to the City Treasurer a
certificate stating that the o::Fners of the legal title and all persgns
having any interest in the property subject to the taxes and improvement
assessments levied by the City of Paducah, as well as all persons
having liens against the property, were joined as defendants and
Mere properly proceeded against, that all defendants were properly
560
before the Court when the judgment was rendered, and that the
description used in the pleadings, in the judgment and in the
Commissioner's deed is an accurate description of said property.
(2) That the payment of the aforesaid sum of Forty-five
0;45.00) Dollars shall be made for services rendered in each
ease when the proceeds of sale have been distributed by order
of the Court and the Attorneys have furnished the City with
the aforesaid certificate of title to the property from which
said proceeds of sale were derived.
(3) That in the event any prospective purchaser of propert
shall refuse to accept a deed from the City after said City has
become the purchaser at a commissioner's sale by reason of any
material defect in the foreclosure action, includinr7 but not
Ilimi`.ed to the failure of said Attorneys to join any person,
firm or corporation .-.-he may have been a necessar;r party to
lthe action, or thr it failure to properly Proceed against the
parties to said action, or the use of an incorrect or improper
description in the pleadings or judCraent or Commissioner's deed,
the Attorneys shall render such further services as may be
necessary for the purpose of parfectin� said foreclosure action
or shall cure said defects by obtaininc- affidavits, quitclaim
deeds, deeds of correction or zxhatever instruments are necessary
to vest in the city a good and valid title, provided the con-
sidorations for obtainin such instruments shall be paid by the
City.
II(4) That in the event the taxes and improvement assessment
sued on and the court costs incurred in any suit shall be paid
in full before a judgment is rendered, or if the City of Padudah
shall, by and through the a-pproval of 'its board of Commissioners,
accept the offer of any defendant to pay in installments the
amount of the taxes and.or improvement assessments and court costs
owing by him, such case shall be considered closed notwithstanding
the fact that the action shall be permitted to pend on the docket,
,in which event the Attorneys shall be paid1 he sum of Thirty-
seven and 50/100 (k37.50) Dollars for services rendered in such
,suit, the payment thereof to be made when the City has approved
the payment of said indebtedness in installments.
(5) The Attorneys shall furnish all paper, printing and oter
stenographic supplies and all of the legal work shall be done with
'out expense to the City. Provided, however, the City shall pay j
1I i
;all court costs chargable to it, the expense of obtaining sureties
ion bonds executed pursuant to Section 410 of the Civil Code, expenses
.I
;for appraisals when such work is necessary before a deposition
'lean be taken, and any other similar expense which must be incurred
is
561
in order to bring the suits to a conclusion. It is also under-
stood that the attorneys shall have the right to use the remainder
of the printed petition forms and judgment forms which the City
now has on hand.
(6) That in the event it shall appear to the Attorneys that
i
the prosecution of a suit further will not result in the recovery
of any part of the taxes and/or improvement assessments owing
the City, they shall report in writing to the Corooratioh Counsel
their reasons for believing that it would be useless to contineu
the prosecution of such suit and if he concurs, such suit shall
iiith the consent of the ?oard of Commissioners, be dismissed and
closed.
(7) Any case shall be considered closed when there has been
ente,ed in it a final arpealable order in the LicCracken Circuit
Court. if a case sl^all be carried to the Court of Appeals by
any taxpayer feelin himseld aggrieved by the judgment of the
lower court, or if t City small appeal anycase, such case
shall be considered closed, but the Attorneys agree to assist the
Corporation Counsel without additional compensation if any suit
should be appealed by a defendant, a cross -petitioner or the City.
(8) The Attorneys shall exercise due care and diligence in
the preparation and prosecution of each of said suits, shall
inspect each niece of property before it is sold at the Com-
missionerfs sale, and shall at';end each sale and submit bids
for the City in the manner most advantageous and to the best
nterests of the City. Provided, however, the City '.'anager or
the Board ofCommissioners reserve the right to fix in advance
of any sale the maximum amount which the Attorneys may bid for
any lot or parcel of land which is ordered to be sold.
(9) The Attorneys shall furnish the City 75anager with a
written report concerninrr the status of each suit if they are
at any time called upon to do so."
SECTION 2.
There is hereby appropriated the sum of ,;;4980.00 for the payment
of the fees of said Attorneys for the prosecution of said suits
pursuant to the provisions of the aforesaid Contract. As there now
remains in Account No. 2467 provided for Attorney's fees For Collac
of Delinquent Taxes the sum of only "3330.00 of which the scar. of
approximately ;900.00 has thus far been and will be obliZated durin
the year 1948 for the prosecution of said suits, leaving available
in said account- a balance of only 2430.00 .for payment of the fees
of the.said Copeland and Keel, there is hereby transferred from the
Contingent Fund under Account iVo. 1500 to the Account for Attorneys
562
Fees for Collection of Delinquent Taxes undor Account ;;o. 2467,
the sum of "2550.00 in order to provide sufficient funds for pay-
jImen't of the fees of said Attorneys.
SECTION 3.
The City Clerk is herebu authorized to cause to be publis
lin the Sun -Democrat a notice of the introduction of this ordinance
Hand the proposal to make the aforesaid transfer of appropriations
for the year 1948 to provide the sum necessary for payment of the
fees of said Attorneys, said notice to be published at least one
week before this ordinance shall be put upon its final passage.
SECTIO'! 4.
This ordinance shall be introduced and remain on filo for
public inspection until the notice of the tranz•fer of funds as
provided herein shall have been published as required by law and
shall be put upon its final passage after such.publication.
(Inasmuch as it is necessary to immediately employ Counsel to begin
the work of prosecuting, said suits in order to have ready for sub-
mission at the September Term of the ;,:cCrocken Circuit Court as
many actions as possible, the public health, safety and welfare of
the City of Paducah reeuire that an emergency be declared, and this
ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its
adoption. ,
_ r� �2_�
iaa,; or Pro Tempi
C�
Commiss_oner k ,eo. E. AJ-Te—n,'—
introduced
Tien,
introduced by the i:oard of Commissioners June 15, 1948
Passed by the roard of Commissioners June 30, 1948
Recorded by Sarah Thurman, City Clerk, June 30, 1948.