Montana Eastern Railway Company v. Lebeck
| Decision Date | 29 November 1915 |
| Citation | 155 N.W. 648,32 N.D. 162 |
| Court | North Dakota Supreme Court |
Appeal from a judgment and an order denying a new trial of the District Court of Williams County, Fisk, J. Plaintiff appeals.
Affirmed.
W. B Overson and Murphy & Toner, for appellant.
The right of the plaintiff to condemn the mentioned strips of land is free from doubt. Bigelow v. Draper, 6 N.D 152, 69 N.W. 570; Pitznogle v. Western Maryland R Co. 119 Md. 673, 46 L.R.A.(N.S.) 319, 87 A. 917; State ex rel. Dominick v. Superior Ct. 52 Wash. 196, 21 L.R.A.(N.S.) 448, 100 P. 317.
The evidence is insufficient to support the verdict. The facts, upon which opinion evidence of witnesses is based, must be proved with reasonable certainty, and knowledge of such witnesses, or the subject about which they are testifying, must be clearly established. Goodwin v. State, 96 Ind. 557; Fremont, E. & M. Valley R. Co. v. Lamb, 11 Neb. 592, 10 N.W. 493; Dunham's Appeal, 27 Conn. 192; Potts v. House, 6 Ga. 324, 50 Am. Dec. 329; Roe v. Taylor, 45 Ill. 485; American Bible Soc. v. Price, 115 Ill. 623, 5 N.E. 126; Carthage Turnp. Co. v. Andrews, 102 Ind. 138, 52 Am. Rep. 653, 1 N.E. 364; Beaubien v. Cicotte, 12 Mich. 459; Re Pinney, 27 Minn. 280, 6 N.W. 791, 7 N.W. 144; State v. Erb, 74 Mo. 199; Schlencker v. State, 9 Neb. 241, 1 N.W. 857; Re Vanauken, 10 N.J.Eq. 186; Clapp v. Fullerton, 34 N.Y. 190, 90 Am. Dec. 681; Baltimore & O. R. Co. v. Schultz, 43 Ohio St. 270, 1 N.E. 324, 54 Am. Rep. 805; Shaver v. McCarthy, 110 Pa. 339, 5 A. 614; Jones v. Fuller, 19 S.C. 66, 45 Am. Rep. 761; Harrison v. Rowan, 3 Wash. C. C. 580, Fed. Cas. No. 6,141.
The testimony of nonexpert opinion witnesses must be based upon proved, tangible facts, within their knowledge. Chicago, K. & W. R. Co. v. Donelson, 45 Kan. 189, 25 P. 584; St. Louis, I. M. & S. R. Co. v. Yarborough, 56 Ark. 612, 20 S.W. 515.
The possibility of percolation or seepage occurring after the trial is mere guesswork, and not a fact, nothing of the kind being proved as having occurred before the trial. Consolidated Home Supply Ditch & Reservoir Co. v. Hamlin, 6 Colo.App. 341, 40 P. 582; Manufacturers' Natural Gas Co. v. Leslie, 22 Ind.App. 677, 51 N.E. 510, 19 Mor. Min. Rep. 566.
No right that was not affected by the taking for the original right of way is shown to have been interfered with, and conditions in such respect were not changed. 10 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law, 1173; White v. Chicago, St. L. & P. R. Co. 122 Ind. 317, 7 L.R.A. 257, 23 N.E. 782; Kimble v. White Water Valley Canal Co. 1 Ind. 285; Gordon v. Tucker, 6 Me. 247; Fowle v. New Haven & N. Co. 112 Mass. 334; McCormick v. Kansas City, St. J. & C. B. R. Co. 57 Mo. 433; Trenton Water Power Co. v. Chambers, 13 N.J.Eq. 199; Denver City Irrig. & Water Co. v. Middaugh, 12 Colo. 434, 13 Am. St. Rep. 234, 21 P. 565; Churchill v. Beethe, 48 Neb. 87, 35 L.R.A. 442, 66 N.W. 992; Van Schoick v. Delaware & R. Canal Co. 20 N.J.L. 249; Bell v. Chicago, B. & Q. R. Co. 74 Iowa 343, 37 N.W. 768; Pingery v. Cherokee & D. R. Co. 78 Iowa 438, 43 N.W. 286.
Damages are to be assessed on the basis that the work will be constructed and operated in a skilful and proper manner. Jones v. Chicago & I. R. Co. 68 Ill. 380; Fremont, E. & M. Valley R. Co. v. Whalen, 11 Neb. 585, 10 N.W. 491; Neilson v. Chicago, M. & N.W. R. Co. 58 Wis. 516, 17 N.W. 310; Blakeley v. Chicago, K. & N. R. Co. 25 Neb. 207, 40 N.W. 956; Jackson v. Portland, 63 Me. 55; Setzler v. Pennsylvania Schuylkill Valley R. Co. 112 Pa. 56, 4 A. 370; March v. Portsmouth & C. R. Co. 19 N.H. 372; Nason v. Woonsocket Union R. Co. 4 R. I. 377; 1 Lewis, Em. Dom. 1105, 1106; Spencer v. Hartford, P. & F. R. Co. 10 R. I. 14.
Compensation must be fixed with reference to the value of the property in view of its character and use at the time of estimating damages. Tri-State Teleph. & Teleg. Co. v. Cosgriff, 19 N.D. 771, 26 L.R.A. (N.S.) 1171, 124 N.W. 75; Powers v. Hazelton & L. R. Co. 33 Ohio St. 429; Cedar Rapids, I. F. & N.W. R. Co. v. Ryan, 37 Minn. 38, 33 N.W. 6; Currie v. Waverly & N.Y. Bay R. Co. 52 N.J.L. 381, 19 Am. St. Rep. 452, 20 A. 56; New Britain v. Sargent, 42 Conn. 137; Clark v. Pennsylvania R. Co. 145 Pa. 438, 27 Am. St. Rep. 710, 22 A. 989; Calumet River R. Co. v. Moore, 124 Ill. 329, 15 N.E. 764; 10 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law, 1114.
The instructions of the court are the law of the case for the jury, and a verdict disobedient thereto is one contrary to law, and should be set aside. Freel v. Pietzsch, 22 N.D. 113, 132 N.W. 779; Abbott, Civil Jury Trials, § 8, p. 505; Valerius v. Richard, 57 Minn. 443, 59 N.W. 534; Cincinnati, I. St. L. & C. R. Co. v. Darling, 130 Ind. 376, 30 N.E. 416; Dent v. Bryce, 16 S.C. 14; Declez v. Save, 71 Cal. 552, 12 P. 722; South Florida R. Co. v. Rhodes, 25 Fla. 40, 3 L.R.A. 733, 23 Am. St. Rep. 506, 5 So. 633; Bushnell v. Chicago & N.W. R. Co. 69 Iowa 620, 29 N.W. 753; Union P. R. Co. v. Hutchinson, 40 Kan. 51, 19 P. 312; Kansas City, Ft. S. & M. R. Co. v. Furst, 3 Kan.App. 265, 45 P. 128; Rafferty v. Missouri P. R. Co. 15 Mo.App. 559; Jacobs v. Oren, 30 Ore. 593, 48 P. 431; Hulett v. Patterson 6 Sadler (Pa.) 22, 8 A. 917; Reynolds v. Keokuk, 72 Iowa 372, 34 N.W. 167; Murray v. Heinze, 17 Mont. 368, 42 P. 1057, 43 P. 714; Boyesen v. Heidelbrecht, 56 Neb. 570, 76 N.W. 1089; Pepperall v. City Park Transit Co. 15 Wash. 176, 45 P. 743, 46 P. 407; Felton v. Chicago, R. I. & P. R. Co. 69 Iowa 577, 29 N.W. 618; Brown v. Wilson, 45 S.C. 519, 55 Am. St. Rep. 779, 23 S.E. 630; Emerson v. Santa Clara County, 40 Cal. 543.
There was no competent evidence of damage to lands other than those taken or used. The proper measure of damages in condemnation cases is the difference between the value of the land before and after taking. San Diego Land & Town Co. v. Neale, 88 Cal. 50, 11 L.R.A. 604, 25 P. 977; Young v. Harrison, 21 Ga. 584; 2 Lewis, Em. Dom. p. 947; St. Louis, K. & N.W. R. Co. v. St. Louis Union Stock Yards Co. 120 Mo. 541, 25 S.W. 399; 10 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law, 1158, 1174, subdiv. 5, and cases cited; Blair v. Charleston, 43 W.Va. 62, 35 L.R.A. 852, 64 Am. St. Rep. 837, 26 S.E. 341; Springer v. Chicago, 135 Ill. 552, 12 L.R.A. 609, 26 N.E. 514.
Admissions of the owner of lands so taken, as to their value, are material, and proof of same is competent. Lewis, Em. Dom. p. 958; Brown v. Calumet River R. Co. 125 Ill. 600, 18 N.E. 283; Central Branch, U. P. R. Co. v. Andrews, 37 Kan. 162, 14 P. 509; 10 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law, 1154; East Brandywine & W. R. Co. v. Ranck, 78 Pa. 454; Patch v. Boston, 146 Mass. 52, 14 N.E. 770.
The jury cannot estimate damages on their own responsibility; they must keep within the evidence. A theory to the contrary, adopted by the trial court in his charge, is erroneous and prejudicial. Bigelow v. Draper, 6 N.D. 152, 69 N.W. 570; 11 Enc. Pl. & Pr. 1145; Baker v. Ashe, 80 Tex. 356, 16 S.W. 36; Haight v. Vallet, 89 Cal. 249, 23 Am. St. Rep. 465, 26 P. 897.
R. J. Cowles and Palmer, Craven, & Burns, for respondents.
Defendants were clearly entitled to have the question as to the adaptability of the property to uses other than as farm property, submitted to the jury. It is an element which the jury has the right to consider in estimating damages. Petersburg School Dist. v. Peterson, 14 N.D. 344, 103 N.W. 756; Montana R. Co. v. Warren, 6 Mont. 275, 12 P. 641; Chicago, K. & N. R. Co. v. Davidson, 49 Kan. 589, 31 P. 131; Sherman v. St. Paul, M. & M. R. Co. 30 Minn. 227, 15 N.W. 239; Russell v. St. Paul, M. & M. R. Co. 33 Minn. 210, 22 N.W. 379; Washburn v. Milwaukee & L. W. R. Co. 59 Wis. 364, 18 N.W. 328; Alexian Bros. v. Oshkosh, 95 Wis. 221, 70 N.W. 162; Seattle & M. R. Co. v. Murphine, 4 Wash. 448, 30 P. 720; 15 Cyc. 726; Missouri, K. & T. R. Co. v. Roe, 15 L.R.A.(N.S.) 679, and note, 77 Kan. 224, 94 P. 259; 1 Thomp. Trials, § 247; McReynolds v. Burlington & O. River R. Co. 106 Ill. 152; Montana R. Co. v. Warren, 6 Mont. 275, 12 P. 641; Chicago, K. & N. R. Co. v. Davidson, 49 Kan. 589, 31 P. 131.
Where there is substantial evidence, the verdict of the jury will not be disturbed on appeal, because the evidence for the respective parties is conflicting. Taylor v. Jones, 3 N.D. 235, 55 N.W. 593; Becker v. Duncan, 8 N.D. 600, 80 N.W. 762; Flath v. Casselman, 10 N.D. 419, 87 N.W. 988; Omaha Southern R. Co. v. Beeson, 36 Neb. 361, 54 N.W. 557; Snouffer v. Chicago & N.W. R. Co. 105 Iowa 681, 75 N.W. 501; Duluth & W. R. Co. v. West, 51 Minn. 163, 53 N.W. 197.
The jury is presumed to have followed the instructions of the court. Chicago, M. & St. P. R. Co. v. Brink, 16 S.D. 644, 94 N.W. 422.
Plaintiff appeals from a judgment and an order denying its motion for a new trial in a condemnation proceeding wherein the defendants Fred C. Lebeck, Lora E. Lebeck, A. M. Gardner, and Florence S. Gardner were awarded a verdict for $ 2,363. The tract of land involved adjoins the town site of Fairview, which is located partly in the state of Montana and partly in McKenzie county, North Dakota. Prior to the taking of the strip involved in this action, the plaintiff railway company had acquired a right of way for its railway across respondents' lands; and, also, acquired certain other lands for side tracks and roundhouse site, etc., and the main track of the road had been graded and substantially completed. At a point a short distance to the east of the east boundary line of the tract of land involved, and extending north and south, there was a lateral irrigation ditch which extended across appellant's right of way as well as across the proposed side tracks and roundhouse site. About June 28 1913, plaintiff entered upon...
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