Bennett v. Beaty

194 N.W. 627, 156 Minn. 293, 1923 Minn. LEXIS 533
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedJuly 13, 1923
DocketNo. 23,448
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 194 N.W. 627 (Bennett v. Beaty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bennett v. Beaty, 194 N.W. 627, 156 Minn. 293, 1923 Minn. LEXIS 533 (Mich. 1923).

Opinion

Holt, J.

The city of St. Cloud operates under a home rule charter. Its governing body consists of three persons, called the city commission, whose powers in regard to streets are thus conferred: “The Commission shall have power to care for, supervise and control, to name and re-name, to lay out, alter, widen, extend, straighten and narrow, to open, construct, re-construct, build, re-build, maintain, repair and close to travel, to grade and re-grade, to curb, re-curb and gutter, to pave, re-pave and macadamize, to clean, park, beautify and otherwise improve, to cause the same to be done, at such times and in such manner as they deem proper, the highways, streets, alleys, bridges, culverts, parks, parkways, public squares and grounds within said city, or such portion of the same as they deem proper.” Section 199, Charter.

In 1917, the commission by resolution fixed the curb line on Third street east of Third avenue at 10 feet from the lot lines, and permitted the sidewalk of 4 feet to be laid against the curb. In the fall of 1918 the commission by resolution changed the curb on the [295]*295north side of Third street so as to .be in line with the curb of the same street west of Third avenue. This placed the curb 18 feet south of the lot line. A clerical error in the resolution was corrected by another resolution adopted in March, 1919. This change of the curb line on the north side of the street occasioned this lawsuit.

Third avenue, running north and south paralleling the west bank of the Mississippi river, is one of the best residence streets of the city. It is 80 feet wide, and has a paved roadway of 36 feet between the curb. The boulevard or space between the curb and lot line is 22 feet wide on each side of the avenue. Third street crosses at right angles; the easterly end, ternainating at the river bank, forms a cul-de-sac. It was dedicated as a street to the width of 66 feet.

Some years ago plaintiff acquired by warranty deed from the former owner a tract of land, about 317 feet in length, extending from Third avenue to the river bank, and 132 feet in width, bordering the south line of Third street, as platted, with an additional strip 66 feet wide immediately south of and adjoining the easterly half of said first-mentioned tract. She also obtained from such owner a quitclaim deed to 18 feet of Third street adjoining the first-mentioned tract on the north. Thereafter she brought suit against the city to quiet her title to the 18 feet strip of the public street, on the ground that her grantor had obtained title thereto by prescription. She prevailed, and a decree to that effect was entered in May, 1915. In the meantime, the defendants George Reis and Ellen Belle Beaty had become the owners of land north of Third street and east of Third avenue, on which, prior to 1917, each had erected a home. George Reis owned the easterly part, and his dwelling fronted on Third street, his only outlet, the front porch being 6 or 8 feet from the lot line. Mrs. Beaty’s home fronted on Third avenue. She had a garage in the rear with a driveway from Third street.

It appears that, when Third avenue was paved, the curb thereon was extended around the corners of intersecting streets, thereby indicating the curb lines on such streets. The engineer who so outlined the curb at Third street, evidently, had no knowledge of plaintiff’s claim of ownership of any part of the street, hence such curb [296]*296indicated a roadway 22 feet in the center of the street as platted, with a boulevard on each side of 22 feet. After erecting their buildings, Reis and Beaty applied to the city engineer for the line to put in cement curb. The then engineer staked out the line as so indicated 22 feet south of their lot line. The curb and sidewalk was put in by Mrs. Beaty. This aroused opposition from plaintiff and her husband. The commission sought to settle the controversy by the first resolution mentioned, and afterwards by the second and third.

Plaintiff was not satisfied and brought this action to permanently enjoin the commission from establishing a boulevard on either- side of Third street of a greater width than 6 feet. The court made findings to the effect that the space of 20 feet between the curbs for a roadway, as established by the commission, was entirely inadequate for public travel, and would damage plaintiff’s property without compensation; “that the action of the commission in thus appropriating said north strip of 18 feet of said street to private use and in narrowing said street for public travel was not and is not in the exercise of an honest judgment or discretion, but was prompted by ill will towards the plaintiff, and was arbitrary and únreasonable, and without lawful authority, r and in utter disregard of the rights of the public in this street and the rights of this plaintiff.” As a conclusion of law the court enjoined the city and its officers from establishing a boulevard line which would leave less than 30 feet for a roadway and enough at the end for turning around in. From the order denying a new trial the city and Reis and Beaty appeal.

In our judgment the record fails to support the above findings and conclusions. The administrative and legislative powers of the commission in respect to city streets are clearly ample to fix curb lines, determine width of driveways and locate the same, and designate sidewalk space. As to those matters the court may not substitute its judgment for that of the commission. The latter is a purely administrative or legislative body, whose duties the court has nó authority to direct or meddle with, except where there has been a departure from the procedure required by law, or its action is proven clearly arbitrary, oppressive or unjust and against public interest. And then the court’s function is only to reverse; it may [297]*297not fix the limits of the legislative or administrative body’s judgment or discretion, as was done in this case.

That part of Third street here involved is a stub street or cul-de-sac, accommodating these 3 property owners and that small part of the public having occasion to visit those who may reside in dwellings accessible only by means of this part of the street. An owner of property abutting a public street owns the land to the center of the street as dedicated, subject only to the public easement. It has always been recognized that, except as needed for travel and public use, the owner may use, beautify and enjoy the street. He usually plants trees and cares for the boulevard in summer, and may be made to keep the sidewalk free from snow in winter.

So here, we think, the commission was justified in considering the benefit the width of the boulevard would give the adjoining property. Nor was there impropriety in giving weight to the fact that Reis and Beaty had built with reference to curb lines already indicated by the city, and had expended money for curb and sidewalk on lines staked out by the city engineer. And we fail to see how the commission could ignore the fact that the sole occasion for any break in the uniformity of the lines for curb and sidewalk on either side arose from plaintiff’s absorption by prescription of part of this public street. Such acquisition of public property does not appeal to the average citizen, and the owners on the other side of the street ought not in justice to suffer on that account unless public necessity so requires. Rightfully, the commission also considered the use which Reis and Beaty as well as plaintiff could make of their properties, and they and the public be served with a 20-foot driveway.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
194 N.W. 627, 156 Minn. 293, 1923 Minn. LEXIS 533, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bennett-v-beaty-minn-1923.