Boothroyd v. Board of County Commissioners

43 Colo. 428
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedApril 15, 1908
DocketNo. 6063
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 43 Colo. 428 (Boothroyd v. Board of County Commissioners) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boothroyd v. Board of County Commissioners, 43 Colo. 428 (Colo. 1908).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Maxwell

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an action to enjoin appellant (defendant below) from in any manner interfering with appellee and its agents in opening and constructing a public highway across appellant’s land.

The complaint alleges proceedings of the board of county commissioners, in full arid strict compliance with the requirements of the statutes (Mills’ Ann. Stats., §§ 3931 to 3943) relating to the establishment of public highways, the payment of the compensation awarded by the viewers, and an order of the board to the road overseer of the road district in which the road was located, to proceed with the worlc of opening and constructing the same, and then proceeds:

“The overseer of said road district was proceeding to open and work said road, and had arrived at the line of the defendant’s said land which was crossed thereby, when the defendant appeared, and, with a force armed with deadly weapons, by intimidation and threats to take the life of any person whn attempted to enter upon his said land for the purpose of opening' or working said road, and thereby putting the said road overseer in fear of the loss of his life, prevented him from further prosecuting his said work, or from opening and working said road, and continues and still does threaten like acts of violence in case there is any further attempt to enter upon his premises for the purpose of carrying out the order of the said board of county commissioners to the. said road overseer.”

The answer admits the proceedings of the board, [431]*431denies that defendant had any notice of the meeting' of the viewers or any knowledge of the award made to him until long after the time allowed for an appeal, denies that he has been paid the compensation provided for in the report of the viewers or any compensation whatever, and “avers that the said defendant refused to' accept the compensation awarded by the said viewers, for that the same was wholly and absolutely inadequate and insufficient; admits that the defendant was armed and informed the road overseer that he would resist any attempt to enter upon his land for the purpose of opening- or working said road, and further admits that he will continue to resist,' by force, if necessary, any future attempts to enter upon his land for the purpose of either opening or working said road, unless restrained by an order of this court or an order of any competent court having jurisdiction in the premises.”

A second defense denies the jurisdiction of the court upon the ground that it appears from the complaint and the statutes that the plaintiff had a full and adequate remedy at law.

A trial to the court without a jury resulted in findings in favor of the plaintiff upon all issues presented by the pleadings, and a decree granting the' injunction prayed for.

Appellant objected to the introduction of any evidence, upon the ground that the complaint did not state facts sufficient to- constitute a cause of action, and, in support of the assignment of error based upon the action of the court in overruling his objection, relies upon the familiar maxim, that equitable relief will not be granted where there is a plain, speedy and adequate remedy at law.

The argument is that the plain, speedy and adequate remedy at law which was open to appellee is [432]*432found in. Mills ’ Ann. Stats., § 3945, the concluding paragraph of which is:

“The board of county commissioners of any county may, and they are hereby authorized, to take and condemn, or cause to be condemned, the lands of private persons ulider and according to said eminent domain. act in the first instance, without view or other proceeding under this act.”

And in that portion of subdivision 5, of Mills’ Ann. Stats., § 1720, which reads as follows:

“And at any stage of such new proceedings, or of any proceedings under this act, the court or judge may by rule in that behalf made, authorize the said petitioner, if already in possession, and if not in possession to take possession of and use said premises during the pendency and until the final conclusion of such proceedings, and may stay all actions and proceedings against such petitioner on account thereof. Provided, such petitioner shall pay a sufficient sum into court, or to the clerk thereof, to pay the compensation in that behalf when ascertained. Provided, further-, that the judge of the court before or wherein any such proceedings are had shall determine the amount such petitioner shall be required to pay or deposit pending- any such ascertainment; and in every case where possession shall be so authorized, it shall be lawful for the owner to conduct the proceedings to a conclusion, if the same shall be delayed by the petitioner.”

The portion of the statute last above quoted is found in the eminent domain act.

For the purpose of discussing this error only, counsel for appellant admit that the board observed all the requirements of the statute respecting the opening of the public highway across the land of appellant. This admission concedes the authority of the board to order the road to be opened for travel [433]*433as provided by Mills’ Ann. Stats., §3942. Under this conceded authority the road overseer was proceeding to execute the order of the board when he was met by appellant, shotgun in hand, and prevented from executing the order of the board. This act upon the part of appellant, and his avowed intention to resist, by force if necessary, any future attempts to execute the order of the board, constitutes appellee’s cause of action as set forth in the complaint. The provisions of the statutes above quoted, upon which counsel rely in support of their contention, .are entirely inapplicable; they have reference to proceedings condemning a right of way for a public highway in the absence of a petition of freeholders, in cases where the board may determine that the necessity for a public highway exists. This proceeding was not of that character, but was based upon a petition of freeholders, and, according to the concession of plaintiff, all proceedings of the board were regular and valid;

If the contention of appellant is right, it amounts to this: That the board, having proceeded regularly to acquire a right of way across the land of one who happens to be .along the line of a proposed highway, such person may resist by force the attempt of the board to exercise the power conferred upon it by statute and thereby compel the board to abandon all of its proceedings in that behalf and resort to an entirely different proceeding under a different statute. The ultimate result of such conclusion would mean that any person who might imagine his rights were being infringed could, by the use of a shotgun, abrogate the statutes of this state. This court is not prepared to announce a doctrine which will lead to any such results.

The authorities cited by counsel for appellant in support of this contention are not in point, and it [434]*434is unnecessary to review them. The court committed no error in overruling the objection to the admission of any evidence under the complaint.

Appellant objected to the admission in evidence of the petition presented' to the board, upon the ground that the evidence failed to show that the petition was signed by .ten freeholders resident within two miles of the proposed highway.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
43 Colo. 428, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boothroyd-v-board-of-county-commissioners-colo-1908.