Armstrong's Petition

10 Pa. D. & C. 528, 1927 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 310
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Clearfield County
DecidedAugust 4, 1927
DocketNo. 375
StatusPublished

This text of 10 Pa. D. & C. 528 (Armstrong's Petition) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Clearfield County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Armstrong's Petition, 10 Pa. D. & C. 528, 1927 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 310 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1927).

Opinion

Chase, P. J.,

A petition was presented to the court by Zelma L. Armstrong asking for the appointment of viewers to determine damages to herself and to pass upon the matter of damages and benefits in respect of all property owners affected by the building of the State highway, known as Route No. 62, through the Borough of Burnside, said petition proceeding under the provisions of the Act of May 14, 1915, ch. 6, art. ii, P. L. 312.

Upon the court appointing viewers, petition was presented on behalf of Burnside Borough to dismiss the proceedings and strike off the appointment of viewers.

This action raises the single question of whether or not, under the facts involved in this issue, the Borough of Burnside is liable for damages caused by the alleged appropriation of property of the petitioner in relocation of the highway through the lands of said petitioner and the alleged incidental damages caused by change of grade, etc.

The facts pertinent to the issue raised are as follows: State Highway Route No. 62, as established by the Act of May 31, 1911, P. L. 468, parses over [529]*529Main Street in the said Borough of Burnside. That, in January, 1925, the Highway Department notified the borough authorities of its intention to construct a concrete road or street over the highway route through the borough, stating that blue-prints showing the proposed construction on said State Highway Route No. 62 through the borough had been forwarded to the secretary of council, and stating that contracts for this work would not be awarded until the borough had ordained the lines and grades as shown on the plans. It appears from the evidence that, for some reason or other, the blue-prints showing the lines and grades through the property in question were not among those forwarded to the secretary of council. As a result of the aforesaid correspondence and action on the part of the Highway Department, the minutes of the borough council, as shown by the minute-books, state the following proceedings: “Burnside, Pennsylvania, January 21, 1925. Special meeting called for the purpose of accepting or rejecting plans and grades of State road according to blue-prints as drawn up by State Highway Department. Motion by J. E. Wetzel, seconded by G. E. Bennett, that Burnside Council comply with the resolutions of the Highway Department concerning State road through the Borough of Burnside. Motion carried.”

The evidence discloses that the council filed with the Highway Department, as the action of council, the State Highway Department’s Form No. 3105, which reads as follows:

“Form No. 3105.
“Resolution of Council of the Borough of Burnside approving the lines, grades, drainage structures and all other structures appearing on plans showing proposed reconstruction work in said Borough. Clearfield Co. Route 62.
“Whereas, The Department of Highways has submitted to the Borough Council of Burnside, Pa., plans showing proposed construction work on Department of Highways Route No. 62, from Station 396+68 to Station 462+24, a distance of 6555.9 feet, as shown by the plan of said Department of Highways, approved Jan. 21, 1925; therefore,
“Be It Resolved and Ordained, on motion of J. E. Wetzel, seconded by G. E. Bennett and carried, that the Burgess and Council of the said Borough of Burnside ordain the said plans of the Department of Highways, together with the lines, grades, drainage structures and all other structures thereon shown, with full force and effect as the action of said Borough, and
“Be It Further Ordained, That all ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith be and the same are hereby repealed.
“Passed and enacted at a session of Council of the Borough of Burnside, Pa., Wednesday, held this 21st day of January, A. D. 1925.
“Attest: (Signed) John H. Patchin, President.
“John Williamson, Secretary.
“[Borough Seal] (Stamped) 1 1119 Jan 2325.
“Approved by me this 22nd day of January, A. D. 1925.
“(Signed) Edwin E. Kantz, Per E. Y. K.,
“Burgess.
“I, John Williamson, Secretary of the borough council of the Borough of Burnside, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the ordinance duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Borough Council of said Borough, held 21st January, 1925, and that the same has been recorded in the Borough Council Book and has been advertised as required by law.
“(Signed) John Williamson, Secretary.
“[Borough Seal] Clearfield Co.”

[530]*530The highway was constructed as the plans of the Highway Department had provided, and as a result thereof the petitioner alleged damages caused by the taking of her private property and incidental damages by reason of change of grade, etc., in construction of said highway. As to the time when the actual taking of the property of the petitioner, if there was a'taking which produced the alleged! damages, or when the construction took place in the change of grade and lines causing damages, it does not appear; therefore, it cannot be determined from the evidence whether the Act of May 12, 1925, P. L. 593, which became effective May 12, 1925, has application with this issue or not, but under the view the court takes of this issue, it becomes immaterial whether this act applies or the Act of May 18, 1923, P. L. 252, 254.

In an examination of the testimony, it is noted that the action of council, as certified to the Highway Department by its secretary, states that the plans, etc., on Route No. 62, from Station 396+68 to Station 462 +24, a distance of 6555.9 feet, were ordained as the action of said borough. The evidence also discloses that the certified purported copy of the ordinance of council, including the highway between the aforesaid mentioned stations, covers the entire distance of the highway through Burnside Borough. It appears that the council took no action otherwise than above indicated. The cost of the construction of this highway was borne by the State. Under these facts, the petitioner denies liability.

In the case of Fetherolf’s Petition, 84 Pa. Superior Ct. 515, the court at great length sets forth the rights and powers of the Secretary of the Highway Department on public roads or streets within the limits of a borough. This decision clearly shows the distinction between roads in a borough and those in a township, the powers of the Highway Department over roads taken over which pass through townships or that are county roads being absolute, while the control of roads in and through boroughs is restricted so that the rights of the control of said roads or streets through boroughs remains in the borough, the court stating that by the provisions of section 10 of the Act of 1911, the powers granted the State Highway Commissioner under section 8 of the aforesaid act are not to include any authority on his part to interfere with the roads, streets and highways of boroughs. Under the law, the borough council alone has power to ordain and lay out new streets and to change the lines and location of existing streets. That this power has not been expressly or impliedly taken away from the borough authorities and lodged in the State Highway Commissioner.

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Bluebook (online)
10 Pa. D. & C. 528, 1927 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 310, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/armstrongs-petition-pactcomplclearf-1927.