Board of Social Welfare v. County of Los Angeles

Petitioner, the Board of Social Welfare of this state, by this mandamus proceeding seeks to compel respondents to comply with its orders to issue to three recipients of aid for the aged duplicate warrants to replace certain county warrants which had been originally issued in payment of such aid but which because they were not presented for payment were cancelled by the county, pursuant to the provisions of section 222 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, after the expiration of six months from the respective issue dates. One of the original warrants was not presented for payment because the recipient thereof was an inmate of the county hospital and physically unable to cash his warrant; the other two warrants had been lost in the mails. Each of the three aged persons—Karl Sehamesberger (acting through a guardian), William C. Weitzel, and Eugene Dosse—informally applied to the County Auditor of the County of Los Angeles for, but was denied, the issuance of a new warrant; each then appealed to the petitioner welfare board, which, as stated above, ordered respondents to reissue the warrants. Respondents refused, and this proceeding followed.

Respondents, in defense of their refusal…