Sec. 20.
The council shall audit and allow all accounts chargeable against the city but no account or claim or contract shall be received for audit or allowance, unless it shall be accompanied with a certificate of an officer of the corporation, or an affidavit of the person rendering it, to the effect that he verily believes that the services therein charged have been actually performed or the property delivered for the city, that the sums charged therefor are reasonable and just, and that to the best of his knowledge and belief, no set-off exists, nor payment has been made on account thereof, except such as are endorsed or referred to in such account or claim, and every such account shall exhibit in detail all the items making up the amount claimed, and the true date of each. It shall be a sufficient defense in any court, to any action or proceeding for the collection of any demand or claim against the city for personal injuries or otherwise, that it has never been presented, certified to or verified as aforesaid, to the council for allowance; or if such claim is founded on contract that the same was presented without the affidavit or certificate as aforesaid, and rejected for that reason; or that the action or proceeding was brought before the council had a reasonable time to investigate and pass upon it.
History: 1895, Act 215, Eff. Aug. 30, 1895 ;-- CL 1897, 3081 ;-- CL 1915, 2997 ;-- CL 1929, 1921 ;-- CL 1948, 88.20