Anderson v. City of Columbus

1 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 541, 14 Ohio Dec. 180, 1903 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 89

This text of 1 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 541 (Anderson v. City of Columbus) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Common Pleas of Ohio, Franklin County, Civil Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson v. City of Columbus, 1 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 541, 14 Ohio Dec. 180, 1903 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 89 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1903).

Opinion

Bigger, J.

This case is submitted to the. court for deoision upon the evidence. The plaintiff in his petition states that he is the owner of a lot at the southwest comer of Gay and Third streets in this city, fronting 42 feet on Gay street and being 75% feet deep on Third; that the pavements are about 15 feet wide upon each street; that the lot -has been improved with a brick building occupying the entire frontage on Gay street and extending back on Third street for a distance of 55 to 60 feet; and that the two store rooms upon the ground floor as well as the upper rooms in the building are occupied by tenants; that the premises are located in the center of the business district of the city and in a populace section thereof, and are very valuable; that both Gay and Third streets have been paved with an expensive pavement; that the curb lines have been established and expensive and permanent pavements constructed on both streets between the building and the curbs, the entire expense of which was assessed upon plaintiff’s premises and paid for by him; that he has leased the premises to tenants with all the privileges and appurtenances belonging thereto, and that they are using the pavements in front of their premises for temporarily storing freight and goods which are carried into and from their place of business. lie then states that the city council of Columbus has passed an ordinance to ¡orovide for a change in the curb line at certain street comers and among others for a change in the curb line on the southwest comer of Gay and Third streets, beginning at a point on the west curb line of Third street and from thence by a curve with a radius of about 18 feet to a point in the south curb line of Gay street. That the ordinance was passed in accordance with the statue in such cases made and provided, but that the same is illegal and void. That it is intended by the city in pursuance of this ordinance to cut off the established pavement 48 square feet as the same is now constructed and used, and throw that amount of the sidewalk into the street, and thus place upon [543]*543tbe premises of plaintiff tbe necessity of paving tbe 48 said square feet of street. It is then averred that no notice was served upon the plaintiff of the intention of the city to make the change in the curbing and pavement; that the city has not tendered or offered the plaintiff any compensation for the property of the plaintiff so about to be taken, and that plaintiff has never given his consent to the change proposed. It is further averred that the city has no right or authority to change the curb line and thus make a change in the pavement without first taking the necessary steps to appropriate the plaintiff’s property thus about to be taken for public use. That the defendant threatens to and will, unless restrained, proceed to tear up the pavement and curbing and cut off the corner, and that such acts on the part of the city will materially affect and destroy the value of the plaintiff’s premises and cause an irreparable injury to the same. It is further averred that there is no necessity for such change; that the streets are wide and that there is 14 feet of space between the curb and the curve which now connects the street car tracks upon Third street with those upon Gay, and that the same is ample for the accommodation of travel upon the street. Plaintiff prays that the defendant may be temporarily restrained, and that upon final hearing the defendant may be permanently enjoined.

The answer of the defendant admits that the plaintiff is the owner of the premises in question, and that there is a brick building erected thereon, and that said premises are occupied by tenants of the plaintiff. It is further admitted that the premises are situated in the center of the business district of the city and in a populace section thereof; that Gay street and Third street in front of plaintiff’s premises have been paved, and the grade thereof established, and the curb lines also established. The defendant further admits the passage of the ordinance providing for a change in the curb line at the southwest corner of Gay and Third streets, and that in pursuance thereof the defendant intends and proposes to make a change at the southwest corner of Gay and Third streets, beginning on the west curb line of Third street and to a point on the south line of Gay street with a radius of 18 feet. It is further admitted that no notice of the intention of the city to make the [544]*544change was served on the plaintiff. All the other averments of the petition are denied.

The evidence shows that the plaintiff’s premises located at the southwest corner of Gay and Third streets are upon what is known as the inter urban loop, constructed for the use of the interurban railways entering the city, and that this loop passes by a curve around the southwest corner of Gay and Third streets; that prior to the construction of this loop the plaintiff had given his consent to its constuction, and it appears thereafter it was constructed and plaintiff did not object to its construction in the manner in which it was constructed, or at least he took no steps to prevent it.

The evidence further discloses that the distance between the comer of the sidewalk and the track is about 10 feet and that when a car is passing around the curve, or at least when some of the longer cars are passing around the curve, there is not sufficient space between the side of the car and the corner for an ordinary vehicle; that in order to make the distance sufficient for the passage of vehicles it is proposed to take off a portion of the corner of the sidewalk and throw sufficient of it into the street to make the space sufficient for the safe passage of vehicles.

Upon this state of facts the plaintiff claims that the city is about to take his property without making compensation therefor. The contention of the city is that it is not the taking of the plaintiff’s property but it is only the exercise of a power conferred upon the city by law in the discharge of the legal duty imposed upon it, to make the streets of the city safe for public travel.

The statute of the state upon the subject of control of municipal authorities over its streets is contained in Section 1536, subdivision 131, of Bates 4th Edition of the Revised Statutes. It is provided that—

“In all municipal corporations council shall have the care, supervision and control of public highways, streets, avenues, alleys, sidewalks, public grounds, bridges, acqueducts, and viaducts within the corporation, and shall cause the same to be kept open and in repair and free from nuisances.”

Section 1536, 232, provides that—

“The councils of cities and villages may provide by ordinance for the construction and repair of all necessary sidewalks, or parts [545]*545thereof, within the limits of the corporation and may require by the imposition of suitable penalties or otherwise, the owners and occupants of abutting lots and lands to keep the sidewalks in repair, free from snow or any nuisance.”

Substantially the same general powers control over the streets and sidewalks of municipalities that have always been conferred upon the municipal authorities by law in this state.

The term street in legal signification includes all parts of the highway, the roadway, the curb and gutters and the sidewalks. Elliott on Roads and Streets, Section 20.

The statutes of the state nowhere fix the width of streets nor the relative width of the roadway and the sidewalk.

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Bluebook (online)
1 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 541, 14 Ohio Dec. 180, 1903 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 89, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-v-city-of-columbus-ohctcomplfrankl-1903.