One. A claim for an ultra-vires action can arise in almost any type of case where someone questions the validity of municipal measures. For example, in Lakeside Lodge, Inc.c. New London, 158 N.H. 104 (2008), the zoning restrictions imposed by the city on the Docks of Sunapee Lake were ultra vires because the communities had no jurisdiction over the wharves in public waters. Board of Water Com`rs v. Mooney, 139 N.H. 621 (1995), noted that an impact charge levied through a water connection charge was ultra vires. The efforts of a city arborist to take a private tree in the name of the city were ultra vires. Laconia v. Morin, 92 N.H.
314 (1943). Even zoning can be the subject of Ultra Vires contracts. In pMC Realty Trust v. Derry, 125 N.H. 126 (1984), the City`s agreement in a consent order to resolve disputes by renouncing certain future zoning powers over the property in question was considered ultra vires and unenforceable. In Portsmouth v Schlesinger, 57 F.3d 12 (Cir. 1, 1995), the developer`s agreement to pay the city $2.5 million as a condition of rezoning was held by the city ultra vires and unenforceable when it filed a lawsuit to recover the money. Ultra vires is a Latin term meaning “beyond powers”. The term is generally used to refer to actions taken by a corporation or the officers of a corporation that are carried out outside the powers or powers conferred on them by law or under the Corporate Charter. Some States have enacted laws to prevent the use of ultra-vires defence measures to unfairly avoid obligations under otherwise valid treaties. The roots of the term come from a Latin expression that means beyond power.
It is the opposite of under the appropriate authority – intra vires. You can also find the term in the legal profession. A. Ultra vires is a fairly common defense against tort in other states. 18 E. McQuillin, Municipal Corporations, section 53.60 (3rd ed. 2003). In New Hampshire, the term is only used in a Supreme Court case related to municipal liability for damages.
In Wakefield v. Newport, 60 N.H. 374 (1880), elected officials took the initiative to work on a private flagpole. They negligently caused a fall and injured the plaintiff, who passes in a car. The city itself was not responsible because the actions of the elected officials were ultra vires. (Presumably, elected officials could have been held accountable as individuals.) Q. In what cases are the claims of ultra-vires actions? Ultra vires means “beyond the forces”. It is used to describe an action that requires legal authority or power, but is then performed externally or without the requested authority. With regard to companies, “ultra vires” means an act or transaction of a company which, although not illegal or contrary to public policy, when performed by an individual, nevertheless goes beyond the legitimate powers of the company as defined in the law under which it was incorporated or in the laws applicable to it, or by its constitution, although the scope of the ultra-vires doctrine, as it applies to businesses and corporations, is now limited by law.
The doctrine of ultra vires has played an important role in the development of corporate power. Although the doctrine of modern corporate private law is largely outdated, it is still in full swing for government agencies. An ultra-vires act is an act that goes beyond the objectives or powers of a company. The oldest legal opinion was that such acts were void. Under this approach, a corporation was incorporated for limited purposes only and could only do what it was entitled to do in its corporate charter. This early view proved to be unworkable and unfair. It allowed a company to accept the benefits of a contract and then refuse to fulfil its obligations on the grounds that the contract was ultra vires. The doctrine also compromised the security of ownership of goods in fully executed transactions involving a company. Consequently, the courts have held that such acts are not null and void but open to challenge and that the facts must determine whether a social act should produce its effects.
Municipal officials involved in litigation or threats of litigation are sometimes accused that the municipality or its officials have engaged in “ultra vires” conduct. “Ultra vires” has nothing to do with sunburn or the flu, but it is an important legal concept that officials need to understand. In some circumstances, the municipal action may be cancelled because it is ultra vires. In other cases, the fact that an act is ultra vires may constitute a defence against municipal liability. Although the development of modern corporate law has made the doctrine of ultra vires more or less obsolete, it is still relevant in the case of government agencies. Here are some of the attributes of ultra vires. Of course, even with careful preparation, there will be situations where the legality of the proposed measures is not clear, . B such as the extent of the zoning power on wharves in public waters, which was raised in Lakeside Lodge. Local authorities should try to be aware of these situations and consult a lawyer on the appropriate measures to be taken.
In the case of a private undertaking, the act of a worker who is not authorised to act on behalf of the undertaking may nevertheless be contractually binding on the undertaking if that power is normally expected to be such a worker to be deemed to have that power. However, in order to prevent a contract from being cancelled as ultra vires, a government agency usually requires proof that the employee was actually authorized to act. If a government employee exceeds its powers, the government agency may attempt to cancel the contract on the basis of an ultra-vires claim. Government agencies established by a state are public bodies governed by municipal charters and other statutory power-sharing bodies. This allocation of powers corresponds to the articles of association of a private company. Historically, the ultra-vires concept has been used to narrowly interpret the powers of a government entity. Failure to comply with legal limits has been described as ultra vires. The position was changed by the Companies Act 1985, which largely abolished the doctrine relating to commercial companies.
The position is now governed by the Companies Act 2006, sections 31 and 39, which also significantly reduces the applicability of ultra vires in company law, although it can still apply to charities and a shareholder can apply for an injunction, only in advance to prevent an act called ultra vires. In British constitutional law, ultra vires describes patents, regulations and other regulations issued under the prerogatives of the Crown that contradict laws passed by the Crown in Parliament. Almost scandalous in modern times, the ultra-vires actions of the Crown or its servants were previously a major threat to the rule of law. Ultra-vires actions can also be defined as any excessive use of corporate power that has been granted. These acts cannot be legally defended in court. They will make the company vulnerable to lawsuits brought by employees or other parties. Historically, all companies in the UK have been subject to the doctrine of ultra vires, and any act that is outside the objectives set out in a company`s articles of association would be ultra vires and void. [3] This result was commercially unpleasant and led to the creation of companies with extremely broad and generic subject matter clauses that allowed a company to carry out all kinds of commercial activities. [7] Thus, in a number of cases where it has been found that bodies other than the Oireachtas have used their powers under primary law to shape public policy, the primary law at issue has been interpreted in such a way that it would not have the effect of allowing a subordinate body to pursue public policy […].