City of Bloomington v. Chicago & A.R. Co.

• Citation: 134 Ill. 451,26 N.E. 366
• Court: Supreme Court of Illinois
• Decision Date: 01 November 1890
• Parties: CITY OF BLOOMINGTON v. CHICAGO & A. R. CO.

134 Ill. 451

26 N.E. 366

CITY OF BLOOMINGTON

v.CHICAGO & A. R. CO.¹

Supreme Court of Illinois.

Nov. 1, 1890.

Appeal from county court, McLean county; C. D. MEYERS, Judge.

Petition of the city of Bloomington for a special tax. The Chicago & Alton Railroad Company objected to the confirmation of the tax. Its objections were sustained, and the petitioner appeals. Rev. St. Ill. c. 24, art. 9, § 1, empowers the corporate authorities of cities and villages ‘to make local improvements by special assessment, or by special taxation, or both, of contiguous property, or general taxation.’

A. E. De Mange, (Sain Welty, of counsel,) for appellant.

Williams & Capen, for appellee.

WILKIN, J.

On the 10th day of January, 1890, the city council of the city of Bloomington, in pursuance of the provisions of article 9, c. 24, Rev. St., passed an ordinance entitled ‘An ordinance for the opening and widening of Olive street,’ as follows: ‘Section 1. That the crossing for Olive street under the Chicago and Alton Railroad be widened and extended and further opened across and embracing the following described real estate, to-wit: Commencing at the intersection of the east line of the right of way of said Chicago and Alton Railroad with the south line of Olive street; thence north-easterly, along the east line of said right of way of said railroad, to the north line of Olive street; thence west, parallel with the north line of Olive street west of said railroad, to the west line of said right of way of said railroad; thence south-easterly, along the west line of said right of way of said railroad, to the south line of said Olive street; thence east to the place of beginning,-and for that purpose all necessary excavating, grading, and all other necessary work to open said possage for said street shall be done. Sec. 2. After said street has been so opened and widened and extended as provided in section 1 of this ordinance, there shall be erected over said passage-way, and under the rails of the Chicago and Alton Railroad Company, an iron bridge. Said bridge shall have iron girders of sufficient capacity and dimensions to support all railroad tracks now laid and operated by said Chicago and Alton Railroad Company, and all such cars, locomotives, and other rolling stock as may in course of time be run over the same. Said bridge shall have a clear span of forty feet. Said girders shall be supported at each end by stone abutments constructed of a good quality of Joliet limestone. There shall be a clear head way under said bridge of not less than twelve feet from the bottom of said girders when laid to the surface of said passage-way below. A twelve-inch sewer inlet shall be placed in said passage-way of said street under the center of said bridge, and shall be connected by twelve-inch sewer pipe with the Orchard-I ane sewer now under said street,-all according to plans and specifications on file in the office of the city clerk of said city. Sec. 3. That the entire cost of opening, widening, and extending said street, and of constructing said bridge, as provided in sections 1 and 2 of this ordinance, and the cost of assessing and collecting a special tax to pay therefor, shall be paid for by special taxation of the property or real estate abutting or fronting on said improvement; and for that purpose a special tax is hereby ordered, to be levied on the property and real estate fronting or abutting upon said improvement, equal to the entire cost of the same, together with the cost of assessing and collecting such special tax. Sec. 4. That, when said improvement is completed, then the approaches thereto from Olive street as it is now, both east and west of said proposed improvement, shall be excavated, graded, and filled so as to properly connect with said improvement; and the entire cost of such excavating, grading, and filling such approaches shall be paid for by general taxation, and shall be included in the annual appropriation ordinance for the ensuing year, and levied and collected as a part of the general taxes of said city. Sec. 5. That Cheney Moulton, George Mackintosh, and William Stautz are hereby appointed to make an estimate of the cost of said entire improvement, so provided to be paid for by special taxation, including the cost of assessing and collecting the special taxes to pay therefor, and also a separate estimate of the cost of grading and filling said approaches, and report the same to the city council of said city.’ The committee appointed to estimate the cost of the improvement made the following report:

+---------------------------------------------------+
                ¦Cost of excavating and grading for all  ¦          ¦
                +----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦that part of said improvement to be     ¦          ¦
                +----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦paid for by special taxation            ¦$ 911 00  ¦
                +----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦Cost of stone masonry for said          ¦          ¦
                +----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦improvement                             ¦7,364 00  ¦
                +----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦Cost of all other materials and labor   ¦7,224 00  ¦
                +----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦Court costs, including the cost of      ¦          ¦
                +----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦assessing and collecting the special    ¦          ¦
                +----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦taxes provided for in said ordinance    ¦300 00    ¦
                +----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦Total to be paid for by special taxation¦$15,799 00¦
                +---------------------------------------------------+
                

In due course, commissioners were appointed to assess the special tax provided for in the ordinance, who made the following assessment, viz.:

+----------------------------------------------------+
                ¦CHICAGO AND ALTON RAILROAD               ¦          ¦
                +-----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦COMPANY.                                 ¦          ¦
                +-----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦The right of way, franchise, and right   ¦          ¦
                +-----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦of occupancy of the Chicago & Alton      ¦          ¦
                +-----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦Railroad Company, one hundred feet       ¦          ¦
                +-----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦in width, extending from the north       ¦          ¦
                +-----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦line of Olive street, in a north-easterly¦          ¦
                +-----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦direction, to the south line of          ¦          ¦
                +-----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦Washington street, in the city of        ¦          ¦
                +-----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦Bloomington, McLean county, Ill.,        ¦          ¦
                +-----------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦including the railroad located thereon   ¦$ 7,899 50¦
                +----------------------------------------------------+
                

+--------------------------------------------------+
                ¦CHICAGO AND ALTON RAILROAD             ¦          ¦
                +---------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦COMPANY.                               ¦          ¦
                +---------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦The right of way, franchise, and right ¦          ¦
                +---------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦of occupancy of the Chicago and        ¦          ¦
                +---------------------------------------+----------¦
                ¦Alton Railroad Company, on hundred     ¦

...