Backus v. Fort Street Union Depot Co.

169 U.S. 557, 18 S. Ct. 445, 42 L. Ed. 853, 1898 U.S. LEXIS 1508
CourtSupreme Court of the United States
DecidedMarch 7, 1898
Docket55
StatusPublished
Cited by156 cases

This text of 169 U.S. 557 (Backus v. Fort Street Union Depot Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of the United States primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Backus v. Fort Street Union Depot Co., 169 U.S. 557, 18 S. Ct. 445, 42 L. Ed. 853, 1898 U.S. LEXIS 1508 (1898).

Opinions

Me. Justice Brewer,

after stating the case, delivered the opinion of the court.

Inasmuch as the respondents, both on the trial in the circuit court and in the subsequent proceedings on the certiorari in the Supreme Court, specifically set up and claimed rights under the Federal Constitution which were denied, the jurisdiction of this court is not open to doubt. They again and again insisted that certain provisions of the Federal Constitution, which they named, stood in the way of any further proceedings against them.

It is also not open to further debate, since the decision in Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad v. Chicago, 166 U. S. 226, that this court may examine proceedings had in a state court, under state authority, for the appropriation of private property to public purposes, so far as to inquire whether that court prescribed any rule of law in disregard of the owner’s right to just compensation. But in this respect we quote the restriction placed in the opinion then filed (p. 246):

“We say, ‘in absolute disregard of the company’s right to just compensation,’ because we do not wish to be understood as holding that every order or ruling of the state court in a case like this may be reviewed here, notwithstanding our jurisdiction, for some purposes, is beyond question. Many matters may occur in the progress of such cases that do not necessarily involve, in any substantial sense, the Federal right alleged to have been denied; and in respect of such matters, that which is done or omitted to be done by the state court may constitute only error in the administration of the law under which the proceedings were instituted.”

While in cases of this kind coming from the Supreme Court of a State, questions of fact passed upon in the state courts are not here open to review, Egan v. Hart, 165 U. S. 188, and [566]*566cases cited in the opinion, it may not be inappropriate to notice that the award of compensation as finally sustained gave to the respondents the sum of $63,000. As the valuation they placed upon the plant, outside of the realty, was only $150,000, and of the realty the like sum of $150,000, though the realty cost in 1871 less than $30,000, and as none of the ground, upon which the plant stood and the business was carried on, was taken by the Depot Company, but only the use of the street in front thereof, and that not so as to exclude them from its use, it is obvious .that the award, whether adequate or not, was not one in reckless disregard of their rights..

It is not questioned by counsel that the settled rule of- this court in cases of this kind is to accept the construction placed by the Supreme Court of the State upon its own constitution and statutes as correct. Long Island Water Supply Company v. Brooklyn, 166 U. S. 685; Merchants' & Manufacturers' Bank v. Pennsylvania, 167 U. S. 461, and cases cited in those opinions. His contention, however, is that the true construction of the constitution and laws of the State, as settled' by repeated decisions of its Supreme Court, was wholly disregarded in this case, and that by reason thereof the respondents were denied that equal protection of the laws which is guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution. His contentions are grouped under the following heads:

“I. They were denied the fundamental right to have an ascertainment and determination of the amount of compensation and its final payment before being deprived of their property.
“ II. They were denied the protection of that guaranty of the state constitution providing that the questions of compensation and necessity should be passed upon by one and the same jury, and of the settled, uniform and unreversed construction of the constitution to that effect by the state judiciary in respect of all other citizens.
“III. They were denied the protéction of a trial on the questions of necessity and compensation by the tribunal [567]*567guaranteed by the constitution of the State, in accordance with the settled, uniform and unreversed construction of that constitution in respect of all other citizens.
“ IY. They were denied that measure of just compensation for their property taken, guaranteed by the constitutions, Federal and state, as the same was and is accorded to all other persons than themselves.
“ Y. They were denied a hearing and deprived of a hearing guaranteed by the Constitutions, Federal and state, as ‘ due process of law,’ when summoned into court as appellees to defend their property, rights and themselves from imputations upon them.
“YI. Finally, having been deprived of their property sought by the railroad company for its purposes, their personal assets of the value of one hundred and ten thousand ($110,000) dollars were taken from them under the color of a judgment and process unknown to the constitution and statutes of Michigan, and unknown to jurisprudence, whereby they were deprived of their property without ‘ due process of law.’ ”

Attention is called to the fact that while upon the return of the first verdict the respondents moved to confirm it, which motion was denied by the circuit court and the verdict set aside, yet after the decision of the Supreme Court awarding the writ of mandamus, they did not renew that motion; that the petitioner alone asked for confirmation, though, as expressly stated, for the purpose of taking an appeal to the Supreme Court; that, after the order of confirmation had been entered, it paid the amount of the award to the respondents, which sum wa,s accepted by them, and that thereupon it took possession of the property and has since continued in undisturbed possession and use. It is insisted that such payment and taking possession created, under the constitution and statutes of Michigan a finality so far as the Depot Company was concerned, and that to this effect had been the repeated adjudications of the Supreme Court of the State. The argument is that the property owner has a constitutional right to have the amount of his compensation finally determined and [568]*568paid before yielding possession; that the party seeking condemnation (in this case the Depot Company) cannot be let into possession until after, all question as to the compensation has been finally settled, and the amount thereof paid; that it cannot take advantage of one report or verdict, pay the sum fixed by it, obtain possession, and still litigate the question of amount; that if it does then pay and take possession its right to further litigate is ended. But the Supreme Court of the State held against this contention, and we must assume therefrom that it is not warranted by the constitution and statutes of the State.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
169 U.S. 557, 18 S. Ct. 445, 42 L. Ed. 853, 1898 U.S. LEXIS 1508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/backus-v-fort-street-union-depot-co-scotus-1898.