This cause is here on writ of error to an order, dated December 28, 1937, quashing an alternative writ of mandamus, as made and entered by the Circuit Court of Dade County, Florida. The only assignment of error presented and argued here is the aforesaid order. The alternative writ previously issued was directed to A.E. Fuller, as City Manager of the City of Miami, Florida, as well as A.E. Fuller, as Director of Finance of said city, directing and commanding the recall and cancellation of a *Page 556 certain liquor license N. 111 issued by said City to Walgreen Drug Stores Co. to operate a retail liquor store for a period of one year after October 1, 1937; also license No. 43 dated September 28, 1937, issued to Turf Exchange Bar, Inc., and license No. 142 dated October 1, 1937, issued to the Hippodrome Cigar Store, Inc. These licenses authorized the retail sale of liquors in the City of Miami for one year next after date of issuance. The locations of Walgreen Drug Stores Co. at 200 East Flagler Street, Turf Exchange Bar, Inc., at 279 East Flagler Street, and Hippodrome Cigar Store, Inc., at 201 East Flagler Street, where liquor is being retailed or sold under the aforesaid licenses, are within three hundred feet of a Church maintained as the First Presbyterian Church of said City, which is the relator in this proceeding.
The laws of Florida authorize municipalities by ordinance to prescribe the location in municipalities where intoxicating liquors may be sold, and, pursuant to said power or authority, the City of Miami, on June 25, 1935, adopted or enacted Ordinance. No. 1288, of which the material portion for the disposition of this case is Section 17 thereof, viz.:
"Section 17. That no liquor shall be sold within 300 feet of any church or school; however, this provision shall not apply to a Package Store or to those now engaged in the business of selling liquor, wines and beers, and licensed under the Ordinances of the City of Miami."
On October 25, 1937, respondents filed a motion to quash the alternative writ of mandamus on the grounds: (a) adequate remedy at law; (b) equity had jurisdiction; (c) two of the licensees were licensed prior to the passage of the ordinance; (d) two of the licensees have sold liquor prior and subsequent to January 28, 1935; (e) one of the respondents is excepted from the ordinance; (f) no clear right *Page 557 to the writ; (g) respondents have no right or authority to revoke the licenses; (h) and other grounds.
The court below entered an order sustaining the aforesaid motion to quash the alternative writ of mandamus and from said order an appeal was perfected here.
One of the first questions for consideration is: Is mandamus available as a remedy to require or compel the city officials, respondents, to revoke and cancel the liquor licenses allegedly unlawfully issued by them?
The case of State, ex rel. Goethe, v. Parks,
"In view of Section 4 of the Declaration of Rights and other pertinent provisions of the Florida Constitution, the court was without authority, summarily and of its own motion, to suppress the testimony referred to, or to dismiss the bill of complaint in the chancery cause, even without prejudice, on the showing made in this record; and as such action could have been prohibited for lack of power, such unauthorized action, which was not vacated on motion to reinstate, may be remedied by mandamus; the remedy by appeal in such a case as this being not entirely adequate. See State, ex rel. Melbourne State Bank, v. Wright,
The case of City of Fort Meade v. State, ex rel. Rose,
"Now, under these sections of the statutes, it is clearly the duty of the governing authorities of the City of Fort Meade to enforce the payment of the special assessment certificates by foreclosure suit in equity. The moneys derived from the collection of the special assessment certificates constitute a trust fund in the hands of the City for the payment of the bonds issued against such certificates and in pursuance to the statutes referred to. Therefore, it necessarily follows that the relator has the legal right to require the City Officials to perform the duty prescribed by statute for the purpose of producing the trust fund with which to pay off and discharge his delinquent bond and delinquent bond interest coupons.
"The statutes governing the issuance of bonds constitute a part of the obligation of the bond the same as if if were written therein. That mandamus is a proper remedy to coerce the performance of the duty devolving upon the municipal authorities by statute can hardly be questioned. State v. Lehman,
"See also: State v. Helseth,
The charter power of the City of Miami to adopt or enact Ordinance No. 1288 is Chapter 16664, Laws of Florida, Acts of 1935. Section 17 of Ordinance No. 1288 provides that no liquor shall be sold within 300 feet of any Church or school. The motion to quash the alternative writ admits as true the allegation that Walgreen Drug Stores Co., Hippodrome Cigar Store, Inc., and Turf Exchange Bar, Inc., are each retailing liquor within 300 feet of the First Presbyterian Church of Miami and are each doing so under the licenses above mentioned. The officials of said city in issuing licenses to sell liquor were bound by the spirit and letter of Ordinance No. 1288 and when the licenses, supra, were issued, it was in derogation of and in a total disregard of their official duties, the licensees not having been shown to fall in the exception of Section 17, supra. It is clear that the licenses, supra, to sell liquor within 300 feet of the First Presbyterian Church were not authorized by law.
It is contended that each of the licensees here are interested parties and are not parties to the suit. The case of State, exrel. Long, v. Carey,
It is contended that the revocation of a license is a judicial or quasi-judicial power and the licensees here have a right to be heard before the same are revoked, and State, ex rel. Arpen, v. Brown,
The case of Whittemore v. Town Clerk of Falmouth, Mass.,
"* * * The word `recommendation' in its context in this statute connotes advice based upon information and enlightenment elicited at a public hearing and upon study and reflection, to ascertain the wisest course for the town to pursue. It means that a permanent board of public officers whose duties relate to the study of means of improvement of general living conditions shall make a preliminary investigation and report with recommendations before the town may take action. The conclusion is that the amendment to the zoning by-law was invalid because the planning board did not make a report `with recommendations' as required by the governing statute."
The case of Pettegell v. Alcoholic Beverages Control Com'n, Mass.,
Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University v. State Board of Equalization,
"Rule 3 (b) of the respondent board of equalization reads: `No license of any character will be issued for premises located within any area in which such establishments are prohibited by law because of proximity to State prisons and Federal institutions and schools and construction camps engaged in public works.' As the licensed place of business in this case is located in territory in which the sale of intoxicating liquor is prohibited by law, the respondent Board of Equalization granted an illegal and void license to the California Avenue Pharmacy, permitting it to sell intoxicating liquor. Great Western Power Co. v. Supervisors,
"Petitioner cannot attain the end sought in this proceeding through the issuance of a writ of certiorari, which will issue only to review the action of an inferior tribunal, board, or officer exercising judicial functions, which has exceeded its jurisdiction. Code Civ. Proc., Sec. 1068. Acts simply ministerial in their nature, and in no sense judicial such as the granting of the license by the respondents in this case, cannot be reached by a writ of review. Traffic Truck Sales Co. v. Justice's Court,
The alternative writ of mandamus shows that the Walgreen Drug Stores Co., under a liquor dealer's license No. 111 for the period from October 1, 1937, to September 30, 1938, operated at 200 East Flagler Street; the Turf Exchange Bar, Inc., under a liquor dealer's license No. 43 for the period from October 1, 1937, to September 30, 1938, operated at 279 East Flagler Street; the Hippodrome Cigar Store, Inc., under a license No. 142 for the period from October 1, 1937, to September 30, 1938, operated at 201 East Flagler Street. Each of these licenses was issued by the officials of the City of Miami to sell liquor within 300 feet of the First Presbyterian Church of the City of Miami. These licenses were issued in derogation or violation of Ordinance No. 1288 of the City of Miami and unauthorized. The alternative writ presents here a clear case for cancellation or annulment of each of the said licenses so unlawfully issued. The order of the lower court sustaining the motion to quash the alternative writ of mandamus appealed from is hereby reversed.
WHITFIELD, BROWN and BUFORD, J.J., concur.
ELLIS, C.J., not participating. *Page 565