US v. 20.08 ACRES OF LAND, HARMAR TP., ALLEGHENY CO., PA.

• Decision Date: 17 June 1941
• Docket Number: No. 8047.,8047.
• Citation: 39 F. Supp. 421
• Parties: UNITED STATES v. 20.08 ACRES OF LAND IN HARMAR TP., ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA., et al.
• Court: U.S. District Court — Western District of Pennsylvania

39 F. Supp. 421

UNITED STATES v. 20.08 ACRES OF LAND IN HARMAR TP., ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA., et al.

No. 8047.

District Court, W. D. Pennsylvania.

June 17, 1941.

George Mashank, Acting U. S. Atty. of Pittsburgh, Pa., for plaintiff.

McCrady, McClure, Nicklas & Hirschfield, of Pittsburgh, Pa., for defendant.

McVICAR, District Judge.

November 22, 1934, the United States filed in this court a petition for condemnation of certain land and also for an easement in other land owned by the McCrady-Rodgers Company.

May 9, 1935, an order of immediate possession was entered. This court appointed viewers to determine the value of the land and of the easement taken. The viewers filed their award. The Government took an appeal therefrom. An issue was awarded.

November 25, 1939, the jury returned a verdict in the sum of "$29,200.00 plus interest for four and one-half years, a total of $37,084.00." A judgment was entered in favor of the landowner on the same date, in accordance with the Rules of Civil Procedure, 28 U.S.C.A. following section 723c.

The United States filed a motion for a new trial. For some reason which does not appear now, this motion was not argued until a considerable time thereafter. The motion was refused October 29, 1940. 35 F.Supp. 265. No appeal was taken by either party.

March 22, 1941, the Government paid into the Registry of this court the amount of the verdict and judgment, $37,084. The landowner, subsequently, filed a petition, wherein it prayed that a rule be granted upon the Government to show cause why it should not pay interest on the amount of the verdict and judgment, $37,084, from the date of rendition, November 25, 1939 to March 22, 1941, the date of payment into court. The Government filed an answer wherein it denied liability for the interest claimed. The question involved, therefore, is whether the landowner is entitled to the interest claimed.

In United States v. Rogers et al., 255 U.S. 163, 167, 168 and 169, 41 S.Ct. 281, 65 L.Ed. 566, the United States brought an action January 18, 1915, in the District Court of the United States for New Mexico, to condemn lands of the defendants. The petition prayed that the Court appoint commissioners to assess the damage for the appropriation, and that upon payment of the amount assessed, the lands be decreed to be the property of the United States from the date of the appropriation thereof. The award of the commissioners was filed February 3, 1917, and an order was entered July 27, 1917, directing that the sum awarded be deposited and distributed for the benefit of the owners. Subsequently, the owners made a motion for a supplemental order requiring the United States to deposit a sum equal to 6 per cent. interest on the award calculated from April 19, 1912, the time the lands were taken. The Court made the order prayed for. It also appears "that the allowance of interest was from the time of the actual taking of the land to the time deposit was made in payment for the same." An appeal was taken from the judgment of the District Court to the Circuit Court of Appeals, 8 Cir., 257 F. 397. The assignments of error in the latter court were: "(1) That the District Court erred in awarding interest against the United States from April 12, 1912, to date of deposit of the awards in court, for the reason that interest cannot properly be allowed in a condemnation case against the United States for any period prior to date of final judgment; (2) that the District Court erred in awarding interest against the United States from April 19, 1912, to date of deposit of awards in court, for the reason that interest cannot properly be allowed in a condemnation case against the United States for any period prior to date of the order of the court placing the United States in possession of the lands condemned; (3) that the District Court erred in awarding interest at the rate of 6 per cent. per annum against the United States from April 19, 1912, to date of deposit of awards in court, for the reason that there is no authority of law for allowing interest at said rate on judgments against the United States." The assignments of error in the Circuit Court of Appeals are the assignments that were considered in the Supreme Court, and the question involved, as stated in the opinion of the Supreme Court, came to this 255 U.S. 163, 41 S.Ct. 282, 65 L.Ed. 566: "Was there error in awarding the owners interest on the value of their lands appropriated from the time of actual taking of the same until compensation was made?" In discussing said question, the Supreme Court stated, by Mr. Justice Day:

"It is unquestionably...