midpage

James R. Walker v. State of North Carolina and City of CharlotteJames R. Walker v. State of North Carolina and City of Charlotte

Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Jan 16, 1967
10962_1
Reporters:
,
Before:
Haynsworth
PER CURIAM.

In this habeas corpus proceeding, Walker attacks a conditionally suspended sentence imposed upon him for ‍‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‍a deliberate violation of a building code. He asserts uneonstitutionality of the relevant statutes of North Carolina and the applicable sections of Charlotte’s Housing Code as arbitrary and unreasonable. This is ‍‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‍premised upon a construction of their requirement of a building permit as a prerequisite to any and all repairs, however trivial, by a householder to his residence.

If the code was applied administratively ‍‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‍to require formal permits for trivial repairs, a serious question of its constitutionality, as applied, would arise, but this record does not present the question. The repair and remodeling work undertaken ‍‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‍by Walker was both major and extensive, and well within the reasonable reach of the code.

For the reasons stated in the opinion of the District Court, * we find no unconstitutional infirmity in ‍‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‍the building code as applied in this case.

Affirmed.

Notes

*

Walker v. State of North Carolina, W.D.N.C., 262 F.Supp. 102.

Case Details

Case Name: James R. Walker v. State of North Carolina and City of Charlotte
Court Name: Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Date Published: Jan 16, 1967
Citations: 372 F.2d 129; 1967 U.S. App. LEXIS 7764; 10962_1
Docket Number: 10962_1
Court Abbreviation: 4th Cir.
Log In