Bailey v. Chicago, St. P., M. & O. Ry. Co.

126 N.W. 268, 25 S.D. 200, 1910 S.D. LEXIS 67
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 23, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 126 N.W. 268 (Bailey v. Chicago, St. P., M. & O. Ry. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bailey v. Chicago, St. P., M. & O. Ry. Co., 126 N.W. 268, 25 S.D. 200, 1910 S.D. LEXIS 67 (S.D. 1910).

Opinion

McCOY, J.

This action was brought by plaintiff and respondent in the circuit court of Minnehaha county against the appellant, the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Company, and against the city of Sioux Falls, jointly, to recover damages for trespass and to obtain an injunction. Upon the trial findings of fact and conclusions of law were made in favor of respondent, and she was awarded damages of $125 against the city of Sioux Falls 'alone, and an injunction restraining both the city and the railway company from permitting further accumulations of surface water to flow along the right of way upon her property. The judgment for damages and costs was paid by the city of Sioux Falls, which accepted the judgment of the circuit court as final. The railway company appeals to this court from the judgment awarding an injunction against it.

The facts appearing from the record are: That appellant’s right of way lies northeast and southwest in-the southern portion of the city of Sioux Falls. That starting back northwest from the right of way between 400 and 500 feet there is a natural heavy downgrade lay of the land sloping southeastwardly down towards the right of way. That still farther to the eastward and across the right of way and further down the slope is the Sioux river. .That appellant’s tracks are laid on a raised embankment some five or six feet'higher than the natural lay of the right of way. That prior to the grading of the highways approaching the track in that portion of the- city the surface water accumulating on the slope northwest of the right of way passed off through an open ditch upon its right of way on the northwest side of its track, down to Fourth avenue, where such surface water spread out over and across that avenue and other adjacent property beyond. The public highways approaching said track on Fourth avenue and Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets were graded and embanked up to the level of the track at the crossings, thus leaving the natural [203]*203surface of abutting property lower than the street and railway embankments. In 1905, for the purpose of relieving Fourth avenue from the accumulation of surface water, the city of Sioux Falls constructed three surface water isewers or tile drains upon the right of way of appellant, and with the knowledge and consent of appellant. One tile drain was under the street embankment on Fourth avenue, and conducted, the surface water coming down the open ditch on the right of way, under the street embankment, instead of permitting it as formerly to spread down and over that avenue, and over and upon other property adjacent. Another tile drain was constructed under the Fourteenth istreet embankment, connecting with the open ditch on the right of way abutting on plaintiff’s property. The plaintiff owns lots 1, 2, 3, and 12 and parts of lots 7, 8, 9, 10, and 1 x,, block 22, lying between Thirteenth and Fourteenth 'streets on the northwest side of appellant’s right of way and sloping from Fourteenth to Thirteenth street. A thi-rd tile drain was constructed by the city under the track and railroad embankment at a point between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets, near the northeast corner of the block, directily opposite plaintiff’s property. The tile drain under the railroad embankment was insufficient in capacity, and unable to carry the accumulation of surface water during ordinarily hard rains. The effect of constructing these three tile drains in connection with the open ditches upon the right of way was to deposit and pocket all the surface water accumulating on the slope, northwest of the right of way, for a distance of more than three-quarters of a mile up the right of way, upon the said property of plaintiff, which had situated thereon seven houses, all of which became flooded and the cellars filled with water and the gardens overflowed and destroyed, and the buildings and structures thereon flooded and injured and damaged on the occasion of every heavy rain. After these tile drains were constructed by the city, they were only effective in connection with the open ditches situated on the right of way. While there is no contention by respondent that appellant was actively instrumental in the construction of any of said tile drains or surface water sewers, still it appears from the record that no objection to their construe[204]*204tion was made by appellant, and that various officers and employes of appellant were aware of their construction and examined into their operation and condition. Complaint was made by respondent both to the city and appellant, but appellant claimed the city was responsible, and the city authorities claimed the railway company was responsible. Respondent, being otherwise unable to obtain redress, instituted this ¡suit.

The appellant first contends that the complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action against the appellant, railway company, but we are of the opinion that the complaint is sufficient to charge both defendants with trespass and with negligently discharging and causing and permitting surface water to accumulate on plaintiff’s premises. The complaint specificially alleges that defendants have neglected and refused to divert said surface water from said ditch, and that they constructed an outlet that was unable to carry such water.

Appellant further contends that the trial court was not justified in granting an injunction against appellant, railway company, upon the evidence shown by the record, when it held that appellant whs not liable for any damages. But, as we view this question, the appellant was a necessary party to this action, and to the relief sought by plaintiff. The fact that all these tile drains or culverts and open ditches which were some of the instruments that produced the injury or damage to plaintiff’s property were situated upon appellant’s property is sufficient under the circumstances of this case to constitute appellant a proper party defendant, and amenable to the injunction judgment. The raised railway embankment, raised street grades, the tile drains and open ditches are each and all elements which combined to produce the injury complained of by collecting the surface water over an area some three-fourths of a mile long, and from 400 to 500 feet wide, and discharging the same in unusual and unnatural quantities upon plaintiff’s land, without having provided any sufficient means for the escape of such surface water, thereby overflowing and flooding plaintiff’s said .premises on the occasion of every hard rain. The precise wrong or tort here involved is the collecting of surface waters by these means, and in negligently [205]*205permitting and refusing to construct a proper and sufficient escape therefor, and thereby accumulating such surface water upon plaintiff’s property. It is a tortious'and actionable wrong to collect surface water and discharge the same in unusual and unnatural quantities upon the lands of another. Farnham on Water Rights, §§ 906, 907, 909, 911. It was as much the legal duty of the appellant as it was the duty of defendant city to: refrain from discharging and permitting such surface water to accumulate upon plaintiff’s land. Under the circumstances of this case, it was just as much the legal duty of appellant to construct a sufficient outlet for the escape of such water as it was the duty of the city. It was a duty common to both defendants. Both defendants were instrumental in collecting such waters. Appellant has permitted the city to construct upon its right of way, over which appellant has exclusive control, an insufficient outlet.

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Related

Habicht v. City of Wessington Springs
191 N.W. 455 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1922)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
126 N.W. 268, 25 S.D. 200, 1910 S.D. LEXIS 67, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bailey-v-chicago-st-p-m-o-ry-co-sd-1910.