Nebraska § 17-714 - Claims and accounts payable; filing; requirements; disallowance; notice; costs.

§ 17-714. Claims and accounts payable; filing; requirements; disallowance; notice; costs.

(1) All liquidated and unliquidated claims and accounts payable against a city of the second class or village shall (a) be presented in writing, (b) state the name and address of the claimant and the amount of the claim, and (c) fully and accurately identify the items or services for which payment is claimed or the time, place, nature, and circumstances giving rise to the claim.

(2) As a condition precedent to maintaining an action for a claim, other than a tort claim as defined in section 13-903, the claimant shall file such claim within ninety days of the accrual of the claim in the office of the city clerk or village clerk.

(3) The city clerk or village clerk shall notify the claimant or his or her agent or attorney by letter mailed to the claimant's address within five days if the claim is disallowed by the city council or village board of trustees.

(4) No costs shall be recovered against such city or village in any action brought against it for any claim or for any claim allowed in part which has not been presented to the city council or village board of trustees to be audited, unless the recovery is for a greater sum than the amount allowed with the interest due.

Presentation of claim to municipal utility board, where that board had no power to consider claims nor any duty to forward claims to the city council, does not constitute compliance with this section. Hammond v. City of Broken Bow, 239 Neb. 437, 476 N.W.2d 822 (1991).

The word "claim" as used in this section applies alone to those arising upon contract and not in tort. Bayard v. City of Franklin, 87 Neb. 57, 127 N.W. 113 (1910); Butterfield v. City of Beaver City, 84 Neb. 417, 121 N.W. 592 (1909); Village of Ponca v. Crawford, 18 Neb. 551, 26 N.W. 365 (1886); Nance v. Falls City, 16 Neb. 85, 20 N.W. 109 (1884).

The requirement that no costs can be recovered unless the claim has been first presented to the mayor and council to be audited does not make their action judicial, and their decision does not have the force and effect of a judgment. State ex rel. Minden Edison E. L. & P. Co. v. City of Minden, 84 Neb. 193, 120 N.W. 913 (1909), 21 L.R.A.N.S. 289 (1909).

Fact that claim was filed with council need not be proved in personal injury cases. City of Lexington v. Fleharty, 74 Neb. 626, 104 N.W. 1056 (1905); City of Lexington v. Kreitz, 73 Neb. 770, 103 N.W. 444 (1905).

The failure to present a claim to council where the action is for personal injuries does not affect the right of recovery. City of Chadron v. Glover, 43 Neb. 732, 62 N.W. 62 (1895).

Failure to present claim to council prevents the recovery of costs but does not affect recovery otherwise. City of Crete v. Childs, 11 Neb. 252, 9 N.W. 55 (1881).