Bower v. Moorman

147 P. 496, 27 Idaho 162, 1915 Ida. LEXIS 26
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 23, 1915
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 147 P. 496 (Bower v. Moorman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bower v. Moorman, 147 P. 496, 27 Idaho 162, 1915 Ida. LEXIS 26 (Idaho 1915).

Opinion

BUDGE, J.

— This is an appeal from a judgment entered in the district court of the fourth judicial district in Twin Falls county, in favor of the respondents, perpetually injoining appellants from driving or maintaining an artesian well on lot 5; or from in any manner or by any means interfering with the waters flowing or which might flow from respondents’ wells, which are located on lot 4, adjoining appellants-’ said lot; or from doing any act that would interfere with the flow or use of the water flowing from the wells of respondents.

It appears from the record that some years prior to the commencement of this action, respondents- sunk several artesian wells upon lot 4, section 31, township 11 south, range 20 east, B. M. Two of these wells were dug to a depth of 360 feet, and are but a few feet apart, discharging the water flowing therefrom into a cement tank built around said wells. It further appears that before the cement tank was built, a well was dug where the tank now stands and still discharges some water underneath the tank. There is another well located about ten feet north of the cement tank and still another about 100 feet west of said tank. All of the wells outside the cement basin flow a limited amount of water and vary in depth from 110 feet to 320 feet. A measurement of all of the water flowing from respondents’ wells was made prior to the bringing of this suit, and showed a combined flow of 254 inches.

[170]*170Previous to the bringing of this action, the respondent Bower and his wife sold the right to the use of practically all the water flowing from said wells located upon their lands to the Artesian Water Company, a corporation, incorporated under the laws of this state — which corporation is not a party to this action. Bowers and his wife did not warrant that the flow of water from said wells would be a continuous flow of any fixed number of inches, or that said water would be furnished at all times.

Before the commencement of this action in the district court, and prior to the issuance of the injunction herein, appellants had commenced the drilling of an artesian well upon said lot 5, adjacent to the property of the respondents and within 300 feet of respondents’ wells, and had reached a depth of approximately 200 feet when they were enjoined from further prosecuting said work.

There is evidence in the record to the effect that 'when the respondents’ large well, which is located within the cement tank, was drilled, it was of sufficient size to admit an eight-inch easing down to a depth of about 85 feet, and that eight-inch casing was used to that depth, at which point it became necessary to reduce the diameter of said well to six inches, from which point a six-inch casing was continued down to the present depth of the well. Said six-inch casing was telescoped inside the eight-inch casing, and when the water-gate, or valve, which controls the flow of the water at the top of the pipe was placed, the same was screwed into- the eight-inch casing, instead of the six-inch casing, and when this valve is closed to shut off the flow of water, the pressure forces the water down between the casings and it escapes at the bottom of the eight-inch casing, about eighty-five feet below the surface of the ground. At the time this action was- brought, the appellants’ well was flowing about three inches of water. When the respondents’ large well within the cement tank is shut -off, or partially shut off, within a few minutes thereafter the appellants’ well will commence to flow an increased amount of water to the extent of twenty-five or thirty inches, and the small wells heretofore referred to, on- the respond[171]*171ente’ premises and outside the cement basin, likewise increase their flow in practically the same proportion. But when the respondents1’ small wells, which are outside the cement basin, are shut off, it does not seem to affect the flow of water in the appellants’ well; neither does it appear that the sinking of appellants’ well to its present depth has in any manner affected the flow of water from respondents’ smaller wells.

Appellants filed a demurrer to respondents’ complaint and the same was by the trial judge overruled. We have examined the respondents’ complaint and in our opinion it states a cause of action. Therefore, the court did not err in overruling appellants’ demurrer.

It is next contended that the court erred in overruling a motion for nonsuit made by the appellant at the close of the introduction of respondents’ evidence.

The first, third and fourth assignments of error set out in support of appellants’ motion for nonsuit are, as we view the facts in this ease, without merit, and we do not consider said assignments of sufficient importance to discuss them at this time, other than to say that they involve questions that will be considered and determined by this court in reaching its conclusion upon the merits of this case.

The second assignment of error urged in support of appellants’ motion for nonsuit is entitled to consideration, and is as follows: “The evidence shows without conflict that the plaintiffs were not the owners of the water coming from what are called the Bowers wells, but that such water is owned by the Artesian Water Company, an Idaho corporation, and that no rights to any of the waters of said wells which plaintiffs may have, have ever been interfered with by the sinking of defendants’ well.” Counsel for appellants contend that the plaintiffs below, by reason of having conveyed by deed the right to the use of the waters flowing from the wells located upon plaintiffs’ premises to the Artesian Water Company, a corporation, during the irrigation season and for the balance of the year such an amount only as was necessary for domestic purposes, prior to the commencement of this action [172]*172in the trial court, would not be authorized, under the law, to maintain this action against the defendants.

It appears from the record in this case that about September, 1909, the respondents, by -deed, conveyed to the Artesian Water Company, a corporation, 262 inches of water flowing and to flow from the wells in question, located upon respondent’s land, for use during irrigation season, and during the balance of the season such an amount of water as was necessary for domestic purposes; the grantors retaining control of the waters and the possession of the land upon which the wells are situated, and also retaining the right to- control the flow of the water to the place or places of distribution to the consumers. It also appears that the respondents were virtually the owners of all of the capital stock of said Artesian Water Company, and that Bower and his wife were president and secretary, respectively, of said corporation.

Sec. 4090, Bev. Codes, provides: “Every action must be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest, except as otherwise provided by this code.” In the case of Van Camp v. Board of County Commrs., 2 Ida. 29, 2 Pac. 721, this court said: “ .... It would be the duty of the court to look beyond the mere title to ascertain who are interested and affected as parties.” We think the general rule to be that “Although a legal title is necessary for a standing as piaintifE in a court of law, it does not follow that the complete legal title is necessary. Thus, any person may sue for an interference with the possession if he has the right to the immediate possession as against defendant.” (30' Cyc., p. 34, par. 3.) Sec. 4105, Eev. Codes, provides that “ .

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
147 P. 496, 27 Idaho 162, 1915 Ida. LEXIS 26, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bower-v-moorman-idaho-1915.