Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FEB 12 2002
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
CITY OF TAHLEQUAH,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
LAKE REGIONAL ELECTRIC
COOPERATIVE, INC.,
No. 00-7038
(D.C. No. 98-CV-293-S)
(E.D. Okla.)
Defendant-Appellant,
and
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
ex rel. Rural Electrification
Administration,
Defendant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT
LUCERO ,
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination
of this appeal.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has set out [t]he pertinent statutory
language as follows:
(...continued)
utilities to condemn the facilities of rural electric cooperatives
contained in Section 437.2 of Title 18 of the Oklahoma Statutes is
hereby repealed. If retail consumer choice is not implemented in this
state on or before July 1, 2002, this moratorium shall become null
and void. The moratorium provided for herein shall have
prospective and retroactive application .
, No. 95563,
The City also argues that its interest in continuing this condemnation
proceeding is an accrued right protected by article V, 54 of the Oklahoma
Constitution, which prohibits the legislature from affecting any accrued
right . . . or proceedings begun by virtue of [a] repealed statute. An accrued
right within the meaning of 54 is a matured cause of action or legal
authority to demand redress.
Bellah v. Bellah , 986 P.2d 528, 529 (Okla. Ct.
App. 1999) (quoting Barry v. Bd. of Commrs of Tulsa County
, 49 P.2d 548, 550
(Okla. 1935)). A condemnation proceeding is not a cause of action and is not
instituted to remedy a wrong.
City of Tahlequah , 2002 WL 49965, at *3.
Since the [Oklahoma] Legislature is empowered to authorized municipal
condemnations under prescribed guidelines, it can also impose a stay or
moratorium on an earlier legislativelygranted condemnation right.
Id. at *2.
The moratorium does not violate 54.
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Wade Brorby
Senior Circuit Judge
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