City of Grand Rapids v. Harper

This suit in the nature of a mandamus action by the City of Grand Rapids against its comptroller, defendant Richard Harper, resulted from the refusal of the defendant to pay a $2,450 bill for appraisal services of one Thomas Blandford, which services were first authorized and payment later approved and ordered paid unanimously by the City Commission of Grand Rapids.

Defendant answered the suit to compel payment of the Blandford bill by claiming that he had no duty to issue payment for an invoice “not certified by the claimant and for an item which he cannot verify the existence of, and where…