Atchison, T. & S. F. Ry. Co. v. Bishop

1948 OK 136, 207 P.2d 282, 201 Okla. 471, 1948 Okla. LEXIS 424
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 8, 1948
DocketNos. 33066, 33067
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1948 OK 136 (Atchison, T. & S. F. Ry. Co. v. Bishop) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Atchison, T. & S. F. Ry. Co. v. Bishop, 1948 OK 136, 207 P.2d 282, 201 Okla. 471, 1948 Okla. LEXIS 424 (Okla. 1948).

Opinion

RILEY, J.

On and prior to February 8, 1946, Worall C. Bishop, defendant in error in Case No. 33066, was the owner of the west half of southeast quarter section 6, township 13 north, range 5 east, in Lincoln county. Alta Grace Stockton and L. G. Stockton, wife and husband, defendants in error in case No. 33067, were the owners of the east half of the quarter section of land. The land is in the valley of Deep Fork creek, a tributary of the North Canadian river.

About 1902, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, or its predecessor, the Eastern Oklahoma Railway Company, acquired a right of way 200 feet in width across the southeast corner of the west half of the quarter section of land and across the east half of the quarter section, running in a northeasterly direction. A railroad was constructed there.

[472]*472The right of way enters the east half of the quarter section about 200 feet north of the southwest corner. It runs out on the east side about the middle of the east line.

At that time, the channel of Deep Fork creek entered the Stockton land from the north, 250 feet east of the northwest corner. Deep Fork creek runs in a southeasterly direction to a point 200 feet west of the east line, and 800 feet south of the north line; there it turned to a southerly direction for 200 feet, thence in a southeasterly direction. It crosses the railroad right of way and runs across the east line of the Stockton land 200 feet south of the center line of the railroad right of way. The creek then turns sharply back east and north and runs for a short distance nearly due north at a location 100 feet east of the east line of the Stockton land. At that point, the creek turns to the southeast, thus forming a partial horseshoe on the Stockton land and partly on land to the east.

A smaller creek, Quapaw creek, enters the Bishop land from the west 660 feet north of the southwest corner. This creek runs across the Bishop land in a northeast direction. It enters the Stockton land a short distance north of the center of the west line. It runs to the east and north and enters the channel of Deep Fork creek near the center of the north 40 acres of the Stockton land.

The railroad, in constructing its roadbed, erected an embankment entirely across the valley of Deep Fork creek. The railroad company erected a bridge over the highway where the railroad . crosses the south line of the quarter section of land. In the record, the bridge is designated as Bridge 108-B. The railroad company also erected a bridge over Deep Fork creek and the public highway running north along the east side of the Stockton land. This is Bridge 108-A.

On February 8, 1946, Worall C. Bishop commenced an action against the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company. In the first cause of action, plaintiff sought injunctive relief and alleged that the roadbed maintained by defendant across Deep Fork Valley and across plaintiff’s land is elevated so as to completely obstruct the overflow water from Deep Fork and Qua-paw creeks from the west and. north; that the water, for failure to provide drainage, was cast on plaintiffs land where it remained until it evaporated or percolated into the soil. That the water was collected and stood for long periods of time at a considerable depth at the opening under the bridge along the highway. That because of this water and the boggy condition of the passage and highway, plaintiff is prevented from going to and from his land for the purpose of cultivation and harvesting his crops. On each side of defendant’s roadbed there are deep ditches paralleling the roadbed in a northeasterly direction toward Deep Fork. These ditches are the only means of draining the water from plaintiff’s land and the highway. Although plaintiff had repeatedly called the railroad company’s attention to the condition, the company has neglected to keep the drainage system in repair and has allowed the northern termini of the ditches to become completely obstructed and has failed and refused to keep the ditches in repair; as a result, plaintiff’s land has been rendered worthless for agricultural purposes; plaintiff has been prevented from going upon his land for the purpose of farming it, and by reason thereof plaintiff has been irreparably damaged and has no complete adequate remedy at law.

Plaintiff sought a permanent injunction to enjoin defendant from allowing its drainage system to remain so deteriorated, and for a mandatory injunction compelling defendant to clean ouc the ditches and properly maintain them so the water would flow into the main channel of Deep Fork drainage ditch, and for other proper relief.

[473]*473By the second cause of action, plaintiff sought damages for loss of crops on about twelve acres of his land during the year 1944.

This was action No. 14257 in the trial court.

On the same date, Alta Grace Stockton and L. B. Stockton commenced a similar action against the railroad company. In their first cause of action, these plaintiffs made allegations similar to those in the Bishop case. They further alleged the only means of ingress and egress to and from their land is a drive along the railroad right of way which had been dedicated to public and used by the public as a highway for more than 20 years.

These plaintiffs further alleged that the defendant could, by slight expenditure, extend its drainage system approximately 200 feet to the main channel of Deep Fork and repair the natural outlet which theretofore drained the ditches.

By a second cause of action, plaintiffs sought damages for loss of crops during the years 1944 and 1945.

Defendant answered in both cases by general denial, admitting, however, its corporate character and its operation as a railroad throughout the State of Oklahoma.

Before defendant answered in the Bishop case, plaintiff in that action dismissed as to his cause of action for damages. On September 9, 1946, these causes came on for hearing; by agreement of all parties, the causes were consolidated as to injunctive relief.

A hearing was had in the consoli-' dated cause on the issue of injunc-tive relief only. The hearing resulted in a finding in favor of plaintiffs. Defendant was required to open, and keep open, the ditches on each side of its railroad track between Bridges 108-B and 108-A so as to drain the water flowing from the west of Bridge 108-B along the railroad’s right of way, and required to construct properly and maintain drainage along its right of way and across the land and to connect the borrow pits with the main channel of Deep Fork creek.

Defendant was further ordered to provide and maintain an adequate underpass under its railroad track at the intersection of the tracks with the section line highway between sections 6 and 7 at the point designated and known as Bridge 108-B. Separate findings and decrees were entered in the two cases. Defendant appeals.

It is contended the judgment and decrees are contrary to law and are not sustained by sufficient evidence; that they are contrary to the weight of the evidence.

An examination discloses the evidence fully sustains the plaintiffs’ allegations as to the natural slope of the south part of the land of plaintiffs. On both sides of the section line running east and west between sections 6 and 7, drainage is to the east and south, that is, slightly to the east of south.

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Bluebook (online)
1948 OK 136, 207 P.2d 282, 201 Okla. 471, 1948 Okla. LEXIS 424, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/atchison-t-s-f-ry-co-v-bishop-okla-1948.