Cambria Iron Co. v. Union Trust Co.

48 L.R.A. 41, 55 N.E. 745, 154 Ind. 291, 1899 Ind. LEXIS 113
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 12, 1899
DocketNo. 17,848
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 48 L.R.A. 41 (Cambria Iron Co. v. Union Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cambria Iron Co. v. Union Trust Co., 48 L.R.A. 41, 55 N.E. 745, 154 Ind. 291, 1899 Ind. LEXIS 113 (Ind. 1899).

Opinions

Hadley, C. J.

The Richmond City Railway Company had operated a railroad over the streets of the city of Richmond for many years with animal power, and in March, 1889, the city council passed an ordinance granting the company a new franchise for the period of fifty years, and authorizing the company to operate its street railroads by means of cable, electric, or animal power “or either or any of them” upon the conditions recited in the ordinance. The company accepted said ordinance, as amexided, April 22, 1889, reorganized thereunder, and in January, 1890, to .secure its 200 $1,000 bonds executed to the now appellees its mortgage on all its propérty and “all rents, profits, tolls, issues, and income derived or arising therefrom”.

In 1892, it was deemed necessary and expedient by the common council of the city to pave with vitrified brick three squares of Main street, and, having adopted a declaratory resolution and ordinance therefor, gave notice to the Richmond City Railway Company to pave between its tracks on said squares “when and as the street was improved”. The company failing to comply with the notice, the city paved between the tracks when and as the street was paved, and, upon completion of the work, charged against the company the actual cost thereof, namely $3,011.30, and demanded payment. The company failed and refused to pay the demand.

Thereafter, in April, 1893, the city, desiring to pave with brick twelve additional squares of Main street, entered into what is termed a compromise settlement with the street-car company of all disputes and liabilities of the company to pave between its tracks, and in the settlement agreement it was specifically stipulated, as declared by ordinance and [293]*293acceptance thereof in writing, that the city should remit its claim of $3,011.30 for the pavement already constructed, and that the company should thereafter pay for ail such improvements between its trades, if the cost thereof should be assessed against its property, under the provisions of the Barrett law'; the same to become a lien and be enforced in the same manner as such assessments are enforced against abutting property owners.

After the agreement,- in the summer of the same year, twelve squares of Main street were, by process of law, paved with brick. The work was performed and materials furnished by the Standard Paving Company under a contract, it had with the city for that purpose. The actual and reasonable cost of paving between the company’s tracks, for the twelve additional squares, was $13,171.90, which was assessed against its right of vTay and property for payment in twenty successive semi-annual payments, in pursuance of the compromise agreement. It w'as stipulated in the contract between the city and the Standard Paving Company that the city should be liable, on account of said improvement, only for the cost of so much of the saíne as bordered on public grounds and for the crossings of streets and alleys, as provided by the ordinance and laws of this State. The railway company refused to pay any part of the sum so assessed against it for pavement between its tracks. The Standard Paving Company purchased the brick used in the improvement of said twelve additional squares from the Royal Brick Company and the'Canton Brick Company, appellants herein, and, as part payment therefor, the Standard Company duly assigned in writing to said appellants all its interest in the claim against the street railroad company for paving between its tracks for the said twelve squares. Whatever rights and equities the Standard Paving Company acquired against the railroad company or its property, by reason of said improvements, were held by the Royal and Canton brick companies at the time of filing their petition of intervention. The com[294]*294pany, having made default in the payment of its obligations, secured by its said mortgage, the mortgagees, being the appellees in this case, brought their action in the Wayne Circuit Court for the foreclosure of their mortgage, and the appointment of a receiver; to which action the Richmond City Railway Company, the city of Richmond, and the Standard Paving Company, among many others, were made parties defendant.

It was alleged in the complaint that the Standard Paving Company was claiming to hold a lien against the mortgaged property paramount to the mortgage lien of the plaintiffs, which was unfounded; and the Paving Company was made defendant, and required to assert its lien, if it had any. The default in payment of the street-car company was alleged, the company voluntarily appeared and filed answer, and a reciever was appointed, qualified, and took full possession of the mortgaged property upon the same day the complaint was filed. Pending the formation of issues between the various parties, the appellants, Royal and Canton brick companies, without objection from appellees, obtained leave of court to file their intervening petition, and become parties to the action of foreclosure. The petition set forth with much detail the facts stated above, and particularly the franchise ordinance, the acceptance and reorganization thereunder, the adoption of electricity as a motive power, the paving of Main street with brick, notice to the railway company to pave between its tracks when and as the street was improved, its failure and refusal to do so, the doing of the work by the city, the assessment of the actual and reasonable cost thereof to the railway company, its refusal and failure to pay the same, the compromise agreement between the city and company, the performance of the conditions by the city and the non-performance by the company; that the Standard Paving Company as contractor with the city did the work and furnished the materials in the paving of the twelve squares of Main street; that the Standard [295]*295Company purchased of these interveners all the brick used in paving said twelve squares, and in part payment therefor duly assigned to them in writing, which assignment is filed therewith, all rights and equities held by it against the streetcar company; that the actual and reasonable cost of paving between the tracks of the railway for the distance of the twelve squares was $13,177.90, which is due and unpaid; that, under its contract with the Standard Paving Company, the city is not liable for any part of said sum of $13,177.90; that, after the execution of the plaintiff’s mortgage, the railway company purchased and added to the mortgaged property, in machinery, equipments, and track extensions, property and improvements of the value of $65,000. Prayer: That, in any judgment or decree that may be entered herein, the claim of these petitioners may be held a just lien upon the mortgaged property of the Richmond City Railway Company, and that, upon sale thereof upon decree of this court, the claim of these petitioners be ordered first paid, after payment of costs, out of the proceeds of such sale, and for all further proper relief.

The city of Richmond, appellant, also filed an intervening petition for the use of the Royal Brick Company et al. The plaintiffs filed a demurrer to the petition of the Royal Brick Company et al., (1) for insufficiency of facts; and (2) for defect of parties in this, that the Standard Paving Company was not made a party defendant. The plaintiff’s demurrer was sustained, and the interveners refusing to plead further, and electing to stand by their petition, the court rendered judgment upon the demurrer against them, from which they appeal.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Stout, Rec.
195 N.E. 297 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1935)
Inskeep v. State Ex Rel. Nees
153 N.E. 411 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1926)
Flint v. Danbury & Bethel Street Railway Co.
125 A. 194 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1924)
Bossert v. Granary Creek Union Drainage District No. 1
138 N.E. 726 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1923)
Olejniczak v. Indiana Lumber Manufacturing Co.
135 N.E. 6 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1922)
Chicago, South Bend & Northern Indiana Railway Co. v. Dunnahoo
112 N.E. 552 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1916)
Pottlitzer v. Citizens Trust Co.
108 N.E. 36 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1915)
Rayl v. Kirby
102 N.E. 136 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1913)
Town of Woodruff Place v. Gorman
100 N.E. 296 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1912)
Citizens Trust Co. v. National Equipment & Supply Co.
98 N.E. 865 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1912)
Larue v. American Diesel Engine Co.
96 N.E. 772 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1911)
Town of Windfall City v. State ex rel. Wood
92 N.E. 57 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1910)
Davidson v. O'Donnell
110 P. 645 (Montana Supreme Court, 1910)
Karr v. Board of Commissioners
85 N.E. 1 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1908)
Chicago & Southeastern Railway Co. v. McEwen
71 N.E. 926 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1904)
Valparaiso City Water Co. v. City of Valparaiso
69 N.E. 1018 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1904)
Muncie Natural Gas Co. v. City of Muncie
60 L.R.A. 822 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1903)
Reynolds & Reynolds Co. v. Eacock
61 N.E. 732 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1901)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
48 L.R.A. 41, 55 N.E. 745, 154 Ind. 291, 1899 Ind. LEXIS 113, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cambria-iron-co-v-union-trust-co-ind-1899.