Beckwith v. Town of Farmington
Supreme Court of Connecticut
Action to recover for services rendered in superintending the erection of a townhall, brought to the Superior Court in Hartford County where the plaintiff was nonsuited upon motion of the defendant in a trial to the jury before Case, J., and from the refusal of the court to set aside such judgment the plaintiff appealed.
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Action to recover for services rendered in superintending the erection of a townhall, brought to the Superior Court in Hartford County where the plaintiff was nonsuited upon motion of the defendant in a trial to the jury before Case, J., and from the refusal of the court to set aside such judgment the plaintiff appealed. The defendant town, by votes of town meeting, authorized the construction of a townhall building; appointed a building committee consisting of the three selectmen and six other inhabitants, of whom the plaintiff was one; authorized the committee to have plans for the building…
1Opinion of the CourtHamersley, J.
It is well settled that when an inhabitant of a municipal corporation accepts a position of honor and trust for the benefit of all the inhabitants, whether the position be created by statute or by municipal action, and no provision by law or contract is made for compensation, no duty is imposed upon the municipality to pay such inhabitant for services rendered in performing the uncompensated public duty he has thus voluntarily assumed. Turney v. Bridgeport, 55 Conn. 412, 414; Pinney v. Brown, 60 id. 164, 169; O’Connor v. Waterbury, 69 id. 206, 211; White v. Levant, 78 Me. 568; Farnsworth v.…
2Cases cited3 opinions
- Turney v. Town of BridgeportSupreme Court of Connecticut · 1887
- White v. Inhabitants of LevantSupreme Judicial Court of Maine · 1887
- Farnsworth v. Inhabitants of MelroseMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · 1877
3Cited by3 opinions
- Crotty v. City of DanburySupreme Court of Connecticut · 1906
- Keegan v. Town of ThompsonSupreme Court of Connecticut · 1925
- W. S. Quinby Co. v. SheffieldSupreme Court of Connecticut · 1911