Boyd v. City of Oskaloosa

179 Iowa 387
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedFebruary 19, 1917
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 179 Iowa 387 (Boyd v. City of Oskaloosa) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boyd v. City of Oskaloosa, 179 Iowa 387 (iowa 1917).

Opinion

Ladd, J.

1- uonSíorB¿m-" YoniencpCimd discomfoit. A creek, with source about a mile beyond where the effluence from the septic tank of the defendant emptied into it, i-tss course through plaintiff’s land about a mile farther on. The evidence ivas such that the jury might have found that the waters of the creek were polluted by the flow from the septic tank to such an extent that, upon reaching plaintiff’s farm, they were discolored, contained a slimy sediment, were obnoxious to taste, and threw off a disagreeable odor, described by plaintiff as “an awful stinking smell.” He testified that he could smell it all over the farm, especially at the house when the wind blew from the east or southeast. His son described it as a stinking or sickening odor, and' he also testified that the smell at the house on the premises about 40 rods from the creek was so offensive when the wind came from the east or southeast that they had to close the doors and windows. Evidence adduced tended to show the difference between the rental, value of the farm, consisting of 70 acres, as it was between July 1, 1913, and December 7, 1914, and the rental value thereof as it would have been without the alleged nuisance. There was no evidence tending to prove any injury, physical or otherwise, save that in consequence of the offensive odor, and there was no evidence as to how frequently the wind blew from the east or southeast. As [390]*390bearing on the measure of damages, the court, in the 9th instruction, told the jury:

“If said nuisance caused a depreciation in the rental value of plaintiff’s property and that such depreciation was in consequence of such nuisance, then plaintiff would be entitled to recover the loss by reason of such depreciation of rental value in such reasonable sum as may be shown by the evidence for the period of time between July 1, 1913, and December 7, 1914, that you may find from the evidence that defendant maintained such nuisance upon plaintiff’s premises. And in like manner, if you find from' a preponderance of the evidence that the plaintiff and his family in their home and house suffered inconvenience and discomfort, as shown to have been suffered during the time, between July 1, 1913, and December 7, 1914, bearing in mind that the intent of the law is to compensate plaintiff for the injury he has suffered to his use and occupancy and enjoyment of his property, • if any is shoAvn, and no more, but in no event in a sum greater than is claimed in his petition.”

In the 13th. paragraph of the charge, the court instructed that:

“The measure of his recovery Avill be the difference, if any is shown, between the fair and reasonable value of the use of his premises as they Avould have been without the alleged nuisance, and the fair and reasonable value of the use of said premises Avith the existence of said nuisance, and in arriving at the amount, you should take into account and consider the rental value of the plaintiff’s premises without the alleged nuisance, as shoAvn by the evidence, and the' rental value of said premises Avith ihe alleged nuisance, as shoAvn by the evidence; the discomfort and annoyance and deprivation of the comfortable enjoyment of the premises suffered by plaintiff and his family, if any is shown, and as shown by the evidence by reason of the nui[391]*391sauce and offensive smells from the creek, occasioned by defendant’s polluting its waters, if shown and as shown by the evidence, and allow him such sum as damages as you may find from all the evidence will fully and fairly compensate him for any and' all injury to his use, occupancy and comfortable enjoyment of his premises which is shown by the evidence to have resulted from defendant’s having polluted the waters of the creek, if you find from the evidence under the court’s instructions that defendant did so pollute the waters of said creek.”

The jury returned a verdict for $375, and answered the following special interrogatory by inserting the same amount as answer thereto:

“How much, if anything, do you allow plaintiff and include in your general verdict for inconvenience and discomfort to plaintiff and his family in their home?”

T. Appellant’s. counsel, assuming that two elements of damages were included in these instructions — (1) depreciation' of rental value, and (2) inconvenience and discomfort of plaintiff and family in the enjoyment of their home —argues that the jury found against plaintiff on the first of these, and, as to the last, that inconvenience and discomfort without injurious consequences, such as sickness and the like or loss of use of or injury to property, are not enough to warrant the allowance of damages in a substantial amount. That the last proposition is utterly untenable sufficiently appears from the previous decisions of this court.' Though injurious consequences, such as- sickness and injury to property, may be shown, proof of inconvenience and discomfort from noisome odors and' offensive smells, occasioned by the maintenance of a nuisance, is alone sufficient basis for the allowance of damages. Van Fossen v. Clark, 113 Iowa 86; Holbrook v. Griffis, 127 Iowa 505; cases collected in 29 Cyc. 1272.

[392]*392In 2 Wood on Nuisances, Sec. 866 (,3d Ed.), the author says:

“In the case of an action for an injury to the comfortable enjoyment of property by a person in possession, no precise rule for ascertaining the damage can be given, as, in the very nature of things, the subject-mat lei' affected is not susceptible of exact measurement; therefore the jury are left to say what, in their judgment, the plaintiff ought to have in money, and what the defendant ought to pay, in view of the discomfort or annoyance to which the plaintiff and his family have been subjected by the nuisance; and whether the verdict is large or small, if, in view of the evidence, it has any reasonable foundation, it will not be disturbed because it is too small on the one hand, or too large on the other.”

This is the mile quite generally sanctioned by the authorities. Perry v. Howe Co-op. Creamery Co., 125 Iowa 415, seems to be relied on. That was an action to enjoin a nuisance, and it was held that, on evidence merely that members of plaintiff’s family were nausealed at limes, the allowance of nominal damages only would no! be denounced as erroneous. This was not (anlamount to saying that, had actual damages been allowed. Ibis court would have interfered.

2’ uonSfqr°aar¿c" lineo' ana°naisn" ure of damages: evidbnce. II. The plaintiff occupied his farm, consisting of 70 acres, as a home for himself and family. It was not for rent, and therefore loss or rental was not experienced, and . . , , , , ,, , might not accurately measure the damages he had suffered. But evidence of diminution of rental value is admissible in such cases, as tending to measure in part the .injuries suffered. The subject received adequate attention by the.Supreme Court of Georgia in Swift v. Broyles, 58 L. R. A. 390, where, speaking through Lumpkin, J., it said:

[393]*393“The owner of property of a given rental value is entitled, if he elects to he at once his own landlord and tenant, to get an amount of enjoyment out of it equal to the sum he would be obliged to pay as rent for premises of a like rental value belonging to another.”

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179 Iowa 387, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boyd-v-city-of-oskaloosa-iowa-1917.