Crawford v. Iowa State Highway Commission, 48904
Decision Date | 04 April 1956 |
Docket Number | No. 48904,48904 |
Citation | 247 Iowa 736,76 N.W.2d 187 |
Parties | Glen D. CRAWFORD and Hazel Crawford, Appellees, v. IOWA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION, Appellant. |
Court | Iowa Supreme Court |
Dayton Countryman, Atty. Gen., Norman A. Erbe, Special Asst. Atty. Gen., Daniel T. Flores, Asst. Counsel, Ames, and Minnich & Minnich, Carroll, for appellant.
Dale P. Carpenter, Coon Rapids, and Leighton A. Wederath, Carroll, for appellees.
This case involves only one question: interpretation of Sections 472.18 and 472.19 of the Code of Iowa 1954, I.C.A.
On October 7, 1954, the Iowa State Highway Commission condemned, for highway purposes, a tract containing 3.03 acres from the farm of Glen D. and Hazel Crawford near Coon Rapids in Carroll County.
On November 3, 1954, notice of appeal from the verdict of the condemnation jury was served on the Chief Engineer of the Highway Commission. The case was filed on November 3, 1954, in the District Court of Carroll County. The Highway Commission filed a motion to dismiss the case for the reason that no notice of appeal had been served upon the sheriff of Carroll County. The motion was overruled by Judge Bruce M. Snell. The case was tried, and after trial the Highway Commission filed motion to vacate the judgment for the same reason. On July 29, 1955, Judge William C. Hanson overruled the motion. The Highway Commission has appealed.
I. The procedure of eminent domain involves the taking of private property for public use. Under our fundamental theory of strict justice as to the rights of the individual, such procedure must fully protect the land owner. Because of the importance of eminent domain, it is a part of our constitution. Article I, Section 18, I.C.A.
The procedure for power of eminent domain is now contained in what is known as Chapter 472, Code of 1954, I.C.A.
Section 472.18 provides for notice of appeal in condemnation cases, and is as follows:
'Any party interested may, within thirty days after the assessment is made, appeal therefrom to the district court, by giving the adverse party, his agent or attorney, and the sheriff, written notice that such appeal has been taken.'
This section of the Code has been included in all Code Revisions for almost a hundred years, appearing first in the Code of 1860. It applies to all types of condemnation proceedings.
In 1937 the 47th General Assembly adopted the Act known as Chapter 203, which is now Section 472.19 as follows:
II. Section 472.18 is general in its nature. It applies to every type of condemnation proceeding.
Section 472.19 is special in its nature. Outside of the first sentence it applies only to appeals having reference to the Highway Commission.
The distinction between these two classes of statutes is analyzed briefly in 82 C.J.S., Statutes, § 163, on page 277 as follows:
'A statute which relates to persons or things as a class is a general law, while a statute which relates to particular persons or things of a class is special.'
Section 472.18 relates to condemnation proceedings as a class. Section 472.19 relates to a particular condemner, the Highway Commission.
When we have as a part of our legislative law, a general statute such as Section 472.18, amended by a special statute, such as 472.19, the provisions of the special statute prevail. State ex rel. Weede v. Iowa Southern Utilities Co., 231 Iowa 784, 2 N.W.2d 372, 4 N.W.2d 869. Ervin v. Triplett, 236 Iowa 272, 276, 18 N.W.2d 599, 601, and citations; 50 Am.Jur., Statutes, section 564; C.J., Statutes, section 623. Ziegler v. Witherspoon, 331 Mich. 337, 49 N.W.2d 318, 331; In re Miller's Estate, 261 Wis. 534, 53 N.W.2d 172, 173; Yarn v. City of Des Moines, 243 Iowa 991, 54 N.W.2d 439; Iowa Mutual Tornado Ins. Ass'n v. Fischer, 245 Iowa 951, 65 N.W.2d 162, 165; Liberty Consol. School Dist. v. Schindler, Iowa, 70 N.W.2d 544.
A general analysis of this legislative situation appears in 82 C.J.S., Statutes, § 369:
* * *'
The subject is also analyzed in 50 Am.Jur., Statutes, Section 367, as follows:
* * *'
This court has considered this question in the recent case, decided in 1955, of Liberty Consolidated School District v. Schindler, supra , as follows:
'It is a fundamental rule that where a general statute, if standing alone, would include the same matter as a special statute and thus conflict with it, the special act will be considered an exception to or qualification of the general statute and will prevail over it, whether it was passed before or after such general enactment.'
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