A. & N. R. v. Boerner

51 N.W. 842, 34 Neb. 240, 1892 Neb. LEXIS 62
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 16, 1892
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 51 N.W. 842 (A. & N. R. v. Boerner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
A. & N. R. v. Boerner, 51 N.W. 842, 34 Neb. 240, 1892 Neb. LEXIS 62 (Neb. 1892).

Opinion

Norval, J.

This action was brought in the court below by August Boerner, the defendant in error, to recover damages by reason of the construction of the Atchison & Nebraska railroad near his real estate, in the town of Rulo. There was a trial to a jury, who assessed the damages at $1,500. The defendant’s motion for a new trial was overruled and judgment entered on the verdict, to reverse which the railroad company brings error.

The property in question is lots 5, 6, 7, and 8, in block 2, in Rouleau & Bedard’s addition to the town of Rulo. The lots are bounded on the east by Commercial street, and. on the north by Rouleau street. There is an alley running north and south through the center of the block. Lots 7 and 8 run east, fronting upon Commercial street, and the rear ends abutting upon the alley. Lots 5 and 6 run north and south, abutting against lot 7 and fronting on Rouleau street. Lot 6 lies along Commercial street, and lot 5 adjoins lot 6 on the west. Lot 4 in the same block lies between lot 5 and the alley. On lot 6 there is a two-story frame brewery building used and operated by the defendant in error. There is also upon the lots a residence, ice house, and outbuildings.

In 1886 the plaintiff in error constructed its line of railroad in the center of said alley, running north and south, extending through the next two blocks south of block 2, thence curving to the east across Commercial street, making a deep excavation across the street which completely obstructed the travel thereon. A high embankment was constructed through block 2 for the road-bed, and a trestle bridge was built across Rouleau street, near the northwest corner of Boerner’s property, so as not to impede the travel upon the street.

Prior to the location and construction of the railroad the plaintiff in error caused to be condemned, for right of way [243]*243purposes, said lot 4 and the west thirty-five feet off the rear ends of said lots 7 and 8, and deposited with the county judge, as provided by law, the amount of damages assessed by the commissioners. From the award an appeal was taken to the district court. The defendant in error was a party to the condemnation proceedings, as was also one Charles Gagnon, who claimed an interest in lot 4. Judgment was rendered in the district court for $700 as damages sustained by reason of the appropriation of lot 4, which sum was apportioned between Boerner and Gagnon according to their respective interests in the lot, after deducting the amount of taxes on the lot due the county. Boerner.accepted and receipted for his share of the money, and in< the arrangement allowed the railroad company $150 for the-dwelling house which stood on lot 4, and he subsequently-moved the building therefrom onto lot 7 in question, where he has since resided. The sum of $100 was assessed for the taking of the portions of lots 7 and 8, the greater amount of which went to the county treasurer in payment, of the taxes charged against the lots.

It is contended by the railroad company that the defendant in error is estopped by the adjudication in the condemnation proceedings from prosecuting this action. The soundness of this position depends upon whether the matters now sought to be litigated were directly involved i» the former litigation. If they were, this suit cannot be-maintained, for the judgment of a court having cognizance of the subject-matter is conclusive upon the parties thereto» as to all questions therein actually litigated, as well as alii matters necessarily within the issue joined, although nofc formally litigated. (Wells, Res Adjudicata, secs. 10, 217.)

The undisputed testimony discloses that lots 4, 5, 6, 7y and 8 in said block 2 lie contiguous to each other, upo» which the defendant in error had resided for nearly a quarter of a century prior to the location of the railroad, and had operated the brewery situated oil one of the lots. All [244]*244the lots at the time of the proceedings to condemn lot 4 and parts of lots 7 and 8 were improved and used as one property. The land-owner had the right to have considered the depreciation in value of the portion of his property not taken, resulting from the proper construction and careful operation of the road over his premises, the measure of his damages being the value of the strip actually appropriated and the diminution in value of the portion remaining. Although but a part of the lots are described in the proceedings to condemn, yet neither the commissioners nor the district court on appeal from the award, were confined in their investigation to the damages done to the lots mentioned in the petition for the appointing of commissioners. It was proper for the commissioners and the jury to consider the direct effect of the location of the road upon the entire tract. Any other rule, would put it in the power of a railroad company to limit the amount of damages in condemnation proceedings, by describing in the petition to the county court for the appointment of commissioners to condemn its right of way, a portion of the tract over which its road is to be constructed. The rule for which we contend is fully sustained by the authorities.

In Wilmes v. M. & N. W. Ry. Co., 29 Minn., 242, plaintiff was the owner of 120 acres of land, consisting of three forties in a line from east to west which he occupied and used as a farm, his residence being upon the east forty. The railroad corporation having located the line of its railway across the two westerly forties, commenced proceed^ ings for condemnation, describing in the petition only the two forties through which the road crossed. It was held that the owner was entitled to have considered as an element of damages the effect of the appropriation of the right of way upon the entire 120 acres of land.

In Sheldon v. M. & St. L. Ry. Co., 29 Minn., 318, the tract of land contained about thirty acres, a part of which had been laid out and platted into village lots, but the [245]*245owner continued to use the whole tract as one farm. The railroad company filed its petition to acquire the right of way across the land by condemnation, in which was described only the particular lots, according to the plat through which the line of road was located, and made no mention of the remainder of the tract. It was decided that the land-owner was not limited in the damages he was entitled to recover to the lots described in the petition, but was entitled to compensation for damages done to the whole tract out of which the right of way was taken, and that it was not necessary that the land-owner should have the description in the petition corrected so as to include the entire tract.

In Cummins v. Des Moines & St. L. R. Co., 63 Ia., 397, proceedings were instituted by the railway company for the condemnation for right of way purposes, one of two contiguous city lots owned and occupied by Cummins as one property. But one lot was described in the proceedings. It was held that he was entitled to compensation for the injury to the property as a whole.

Port Huron & S. W. Ry. Co. v. Voorheis, 50 Mich., 506, was a proceeding to condemn, for right of way and depot grounds, one of six lots owned and occupied by Yoorheis as a homestead. The lots were divided by an alley. The petition, in describing the land sought to be appropriated, only refers to one lot. It was ruled that the award of damages could not be confined to the portion actually taken, but must cover such actual injury as is done to the entire homestead, including the easement in the alley.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
51 N.W. 842, 34 Neb. 240, 1892 Neb. LEXIS 62, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/a-n-r-v-boerner-neb-1892.