This section is from the book "The Law Of Contracts", by William Herbert Page. Also available from Amazon: Commercial Contracts: A Practical Guide to Deals, Contracts, Agreements and Promises.
Other statutes avoid contracts unless the proper officer, such as the auditor, certifies that there is a sufficient fund on hand unappropriated to discharge the liability.1 Thus a contract employing an attorney is void unless such certificate is filed.2 Such a statute applies only to so much of the cost of an improvement as is to be paid from general taxation and not to the part to be raised by assessment ;3 and does not apply where the fund is to be raised by taxation thereafter,4 or out of the income of the property for the purchase of which the debt is incurred,5 or to bonds issued to refund prior valid debts.6
7 Montague v. English, 119 Cal. 225; 51 Pac. 327.
8 Meyer v. Widber, 126 Cal. 252; 58 Pac. 532.
9 Lebanon, etc., Co. v. Lebanon, 163 Mo. 246; 63 S. W. 809.
10 Garfield Township v. Dodsworth Book Co., 9 Kan. App. 752; 58 Pac. 565.
11 First National Bank v. Keith, 183 111. 475; 56 X. E. 179.
1 Jutte, etc., Co. v. Altoona, 94 Fed. 61; 36 C. C. A. 84; Higgins v. Ran Diego, 118 Cal. 524; 45 Pac. 824; modified on rehearing. 50 Pac. 670; City of Findlay v. Pendleton, 62 O. S. 80: 56 N. E. 649: Comstoek v. Nelsonville, 61 O. S. 288; 56 N. E. 15.
2 Findlay v. Pendleton, 62 O. S. 80; 56 N. E. 649.
3 Comstock v. Nelsonville, 61 O. S. 288; 56 N. E. 15.
4 Defiance Water Co. v. Defiance, 90 Fed. 753 (a contract for water supply).
5 Kerr v. Bellefontaine. 59 O. S. 446; 52 N. E. 1024 (a contract for gas works). A voucher not drawn on particular fund, where there are not enough funds to the credit of the account on which it should have been drawn, is properly refused. State v. Boyden. 18 Ohio C. C. 282: 10 Ohio C. D. 137.
6 Clapp v. Marice City, 111 Fed. 103; 49 C. C. A. 251
 
Continue to: