Central Power & Light Co. v. Mathers

234 S.W.2d 921, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1751
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 22, 1950
DocketNo. 2931
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 234 S.W.2d 921 (Central Power & Light Co. v. Mathers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Central Power & Light Co. v. Mathers, 234 S.W.2d 921, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1751 (Tex. Ct. App. 1950).

Opinion

TIREY, Justice.

Appellant brought this condemnation pro--ceeding for the purpose of securing an easement twenty feet in width on which to build an electric transmission line over three separate tracts of land in Cameron County of 42.3 acres, 54.8 acres and 254.14 acres respectively. In each proceeding the respective property owner filed his objections and exceptions to the award of the special commissioners and the cause was appealed to the County Court at Law of Cameron County and there the causes were consolidated and tried in that court without the aid of .a jury. The judgment of the trial court awarded the property owners certain damages on each respective tract, and also awarded to appellant an easement over and [922]*922upon said land and appellant has appealed because of the amount of the award for damages to each respective tract. At the request of appellant the court filed findings of fact and conclusions of law. We quote the pertinent parts.

“Findings of Fact
“ * * * 3. This is a suit brought in condemnation for right-of-way for electric transmission lines, the plaintiff being a public utility authorized to bring such class of suit, and this court has jurisdiction of the cause.
“4. The easements sought by plaintiff across defendants lands are for an electric power line and for an extension of existing lines beginning on the western side of the City of Brownsville, outside of the city limits, and going around on the southern side of the City of Brownsville, and then cutting across the lands of defendants, to end on the banks of the Rio Grande River, where power is sold to the City of Mata-moros in the Republic of Mexico. There are a substantial number of users on said line for a large portion of its length, though for the last approximately one mile of the transmission line there are no users on it, and none on it where it crosses the Mathers land, except at its termination where power is delivered to the City of Matamoros.
“5. The award by the Commissioners is insufficient.
“6. Defendants established by competent testimony that the tract of 0.51 acre for right-of-way in Cause No. 7726, was worth the reasonable sum of $300.00 per acre prior to the taking, and was worth the sum of $75.00 per acre after the taking for the right-of-way; the market value of the remaining 41.79 acres of land in Cause No. 7726 was decreased $2.00 per acre after the acquisition of such right-of-way; the damage suffered by defendants in Cause No. 7726 on the basis above set out is $114.75 for the 0.51 acre of right-of-way, and $83.58 for the $2.00 per acre resulting damage, or a total in Cause No. 7726 of $198.33.
“7. Defendants established by competent testimony that the tract of 0.22 acre for right-of-way in Cause No. 7727, was worth the reasonable sum of $300.00 per acre prior to the taking, and was worth the sum of $75.00 per acre after the taking for the right-of-way; the market value of the remaining 54.58 acres of land in Cause No. 7727 was decreased $2.00 per acre after the acquisition of such right-of-way; the damage suffered by defendants in Cause No. 7727 on the basis above set out is $49.50 for the 0.22 acre of right-of-way, and $109.-16 for the $2.00 per acre resulting damage,, or a total in Cause No'. 7727 of $158.66.
“8. Defendants established by competent testimony that the tract of 1.87 acres for right-of-way in ‘Cause No. 7728, was worth the reasonable sum of $400.00 per acre prior to the taking, and was worth the sum of $75.00 per acre after the taking for the night-o f-way; the market value of the remaining 252.27 acres of land in Cause No. 7728 was decreased $4.00 per acre after the acquisition of such right-of-way; the damage suffered by defendants in Cause No. 7728 on the basis above set out is $608.75 for the 1.87 acres of right-of-way, and $1009.08 for the $4.00 per acre resulting damage, or a total in Cause No'. 7728 of $1617.83.
“Conclusions of Law.
“That the plaintiff is entitled to condemn for right-of-way for electric power and transmission lines, the lands of defendants involved in the three consolidated causes of action.
“2. That the award of the commissioners was insufficient; and the defendants are entitled to total damages of $198.33 in Cause No. 7726, including both actual damage of land condemned and resulting damage to the remaining acreage; and the defendants are entitled to total damages of $158.66 in Cause No. 7727, including both actual damage of land condemned and resulting damage to the remaining acreage; and the defendants are entitled to total damages of $1617.83 in Cause No. 7728, including both actual damage of land condemned and resulting damage to the remaining acreage.”

Appellees’ fourth counter point assails the judgment of the trial court in granting appellant an easement and right-of-way for an electric transmission line over and across appellees’ land and says in [923]*923effect that the evidence is insufficient to bring this consolidated cause within the provisions of the statute and the decisions of our court construing the same. We overrule this contention. We have reviewed the evidence and we think it is ample to sustain the trial court’s judgment in awarding the easement. See Housing Authority of City of Dallas v. Higginbotham, 135 Tex. 158, 143 S.W.2d 79, 130 A.L.R. 1053; Texas & N. O. R. Co. v. Schoenfeld, 136 Tex. 173, 146 S.W.2d 724; Arcola Sugar Mills Co. v. Houston Lighting & Power Co., Tex.Civ.App., 153 S.W.2d 628, N.R.E.; West v. Whitehead, Tex.Civ.App., 238 S.W. 976, writ ref.; Wise v. Abilene Water Co., Tex.Civ.App., 261 S.W. 549, writ dis.; Arts 1107, 1433, 1436, Vernon’s Ann.Civ.Stats.; 29 C.J.S., Eminent Domain, § 31, page 824; Shedd v. Northern Indiana Public Service Co., 206 Ind. 35, 188 N.E. 322, 90 A.L.R. 1032.

Appellant in its brief assails the award of damages to each of the tracts and as grounds therefor says substantially that there is no evidence to support the trial court’s finding that the market value of the remainder of the 42.3 acre tract outside of the easement strip was diminished to the amount of $2.00 per acre after the acquisition of the easement (the same point is made •with reference to each of the other two tracts except that the court found that the market value was diminished $4.00 per acre on the 254.14 acre tract) ; that the evidence is insufficient to support the court’s findings in each of the foregoing matters; that there is no evidence to support the trial court’s finding as to the market value of the easement strip across the 42.3 acre tract before the acquisition of said easement (the same point is made with reference to each of the other two tracts); that the evidence is insufficient to support the court’s findings in each of the foregoing matters; that there is no evidence to support the trial oourt’s finding as to the market value of the easement strip across the 42.3 acre strip after the acquisition of said easement (the same point is raised with reference to each of the other two tracts); and that the evidence is insufficient to support the court’s findings in each of the foregoing matters.

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Bluebook (online)
234 S.W.2d 921, 1950 Tex. App. LEXIS 1751, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/central-power-light-co-v-mathers-texapp-1950.