The petitioner owns certain lots on South Drive and Middle Drive in the village of Piándome, Nassau county, shown upon a map attached to the return, which have been assessed for their proportionate part of the expense of paving said streets pursuant to resolution of the board of trustees of the village. The petitioner complains that the assessment is illegal because, she argues, notice
On the argument the petitioner confined her attack upon the assessment to the argument, first, that the village trustees had no power to pave the two streets, South Drive and Middle Drive, in1 the absence of a petition signed by the owners of at least two-thirds of the frontage on the street or portion thereof proposed to be improved; second, that they had no power to assess more than one-half of the cost of the improvement upon the adjoining owners, the other one-half part to be paid by the village; third, that the property owners affected by the assessment, including the petitioner, were entitled to notice of the meeting of the inhabitants of the 12th day of September, 1921, at which it was resolved to pave the South Drive and Middle Drive, partly at the expense of the village and partly at the expense of the adjoining owners. These are the three questions submitted to the court for determination. The trustees concede that- no petition was presented to them for paving the two streets in question and that there is no proof of service of any notice of the meeting of September twelfth upon the petitioner.
“ § 166. Pavements and sidewalks. The board of trustees may cause a street in the village, or part thereof, to be graded or the sidewalk to be constructed of stone, cement, brick or similar substance or flagged or curbed or the street paved, or any one or more of such acts performed wholly at the expense of the village, or of the owners of the adjoining land, or partly at the expense of each; * * * but a street shall not be so graded, flagged or constructed as above provided or curbed or paved wholly at the expense of the owners of the adjoining land, unless a petition therefor be presented to the board, of trustees signed by the owners of at least two-thirds of the frontage on the street, or portion thereof, proposed to be so improved, if the improvement is to consist of grading or curbing or paving, and by the owners of more than one-half of the frontage on the street or on the side thereof proposed to be improved if the improvement consists of flagging or otherwise constructing a sidewalk as above provided, and a hearing given thereon to all persons interested, on a notice of at least ten days. If such improvement is so required to be constructed or repaired wholly at the expense of the owners of the adjoining lands, a notice specifying the place and manner, and the time, not less than thirty days, within which the said improvement is required to be constructed or repaired, shall be served upon the owners. If an owner shall not construct or repair the street as required by the notice, the board of trustees may cause the same to be so constructed or repaired, and assess the expense thereof upon the adjoining land. If a street is to be so improved, constructed or repaired at the joint expense of the village and the owner of the adjoining land, the board of trustees may cause the same to be constructed or repaired, and assess upon the adjoining land the proportion of the expense chargeable against the same; or it may direct the owner to contribute labor or materials therefor. The total amount expended for street paving in any fiscal year from the moneys raised during such year, for street purposes, otherwise than in pursuance of a village election, shall not be
It is true, as claimed by the petitioner, that the trustees’ power to assess her property must be found in the statute. Section 166 of the Village Law quoted above seems to provide for three separate propositions, the first, where the board of trustees desire to pave a street wholly at the expense of the village; the second, where the paving is to be wholly at the expense of the owners of the adjoining land; in that case they cannot proceed with the improvement unless a petition is presented to them signed by the owners of at least two-thirds of the frontage on the street or portion thereof proposed to be paved, and then after a hearing given thereon to all persons interested on a notice of at least ten days. The statute provides: “ If such improvement is so required to be constructed or repaired wholly at the expense of the owners of the adjoining lands, a notice specifying the place and manner, and the time, not less than thirty days, within which the said improvement is required to be constructed or repaired, shall be served upon the owners. If an owner shall not construct or repair the street as required by the notice, the board of trustees may cause the same to be so constructed or repaired, and assess the expense
The third proposition provides for the improvement of a street at the joint expense of the village and the owners of the adjoining land, and “ the board of trustees may cause the same to be constructed or repaired, and assess upon the adjoining land the proportion of the expense chargeable against the same; or it may direct the owner to contribute labor or materials therefor. * * *
E such expense or any part thereof is to be assessed upon adjoining land, the board of trustees may apportion it upon the lands and assess the same as a whole or by installments. Notice of an assessment based upon such apportionment shall be given to the land owners, who may pay the amounts assessed within ten days after such notice.”
It would seem that the Legislature in its wisdom has thus provided for three separate contingencies, and that the preliminary petition from the property owners is only required where they initiate the improvement to be made at their sole expense without cost to the village. In the first and third cases, where the improvement in the judgment of the trustees is for the benefit of the village without expense to the property owners, or where it is for the joint benefit of the village and the property owners, and the village is to bear part of the expense, no preliminary petition is required by the act, and no preliminary hearing or notice of preliminary hearing is required. It appears from the record here that the proposed improvements consisted of properly resurfacing certain streets which had been paved in 1917 wholly at the expense of the property owners. As to this resurfacing, the expense was borne wholly by the village. It was proposed to pave South Drive and Middle Drive with a concrete pavement, but instead of placing the entire cost on the property owners the trustees decided that the village should bear part of the expense. In such case the preliminary petition and notice is not required by the statute.
The petitioner complains that the resolution of the village trustees provided that South Drive and Middle Drive should be paved partly at the expense of the village and partly at the expense of the adjoining owners, and argues that the word “ partly ” means that one-half of the expense was to be borne by the village and one-half by the owners. I cannot agree to any such interpretation of the word “ partly ” as used in the statute quoted or in the resolution of the trustees. The petitioner alleges that the proportion of the entire expense charged against the property owners was seventy-eight and forty-six one-hundredths per cent thereof. The
I see no reason for interfering with the proceedings of the village trustees in making the assessments upon the relator’s lots complained of. The statute says that “ If a street is to be so improved, constructed or repaired at the joint expense [italics mine] of the village and the owner of the adjoining land, the board of trustees may cause the same to be constructed or repaired, and assess Upon the adjoining land the proportion of the expense chargeable against the same; or it may. direct the owner to contribute labor or materials therefor.” The petitioner does not refer to this particular provision in her points, but'I do not regard the words “ joint expense,” as used here, as compelling equal division of the cost. The words “ joint expense ” must be read in connection with the previous words of the statute providing for work done “ partly at the expense of each,” and with the subsequent language in the section, “ If such expense or any part thereof is
The determination of the board of trustees of the village of Piándome in assessing petitioner’s property should be confirmed, with twenty-five dollars costs and disbursements.
Jaycox, Manning, Young and Kapper, JJ., concur.
Determination of the board of trustees of the village of Piándome in assessing petitioner’s property confirmed, with twenty-five dollars costs and disbursements.
