Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. v. Johnson

69 S.E.2d 393, 137 W. Va. 20, 1952 W. Va. LEXIS 19
CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 4, 1952
Docket10414
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 69 S.E.2d 393 (Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. v. Johnson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. v. Johnson, 69 S.E.2d 393, 137 W. Va. 20, 1952 W. Va. LEXIS 19 (W. Va. 1952).

Opinion

Given, Judge:

This proceeding in eminent domain was instituted by The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company, defendant in error, for the purpose of acquiring title to a lot of land situated in Huntington. Elizabeth Johnson, plaintiff in error, was the owner of the land title to which was sought to be acquired, being the rear or northerly thirty by thirty feet of Lot 4 of Block 181, Addition No. 1, in Huntington. A previous writ of error granted to the condem-nor was before this Court. The opinion disposing of the questions before the Court on that writ of error is reported in 134 W. Va. 619, 60 S. E. 2d 203. Upon the second trial to a jury, a verdict fixing the amount of just compensation to which the owner was entitled was returned, in the amount of $800.00.

The several assignments of error of the landowner upon *21 this writ of error are included in three propositions: (1) Was it error for the trial court to have admitted certain evidence relating to values and sales of certain properties in the vicinity of the land being condemned? (2) Was the verdict inadequate or clearly against the preponderance of the evidence; and (3) Did the court commit error in refusing to give to the jury Instructions Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, or any of them, offered by the landowner?

Arden Trickett, a witness for condemnor, in answer to questions propounded by the condemnor, gave testimony relating to the purchase by him, as a representative of the condemnor, of a number of properties in the vicinity of the land being condemned. The testimony disclosed that the properties were acquired by Mr. Trickett in 1947 and 1948, the location of the different properties, the price paid for each, and other pertinent facts. Included in the properties so purchased by him was the rear thirty feet of all lots other than Lot 4 in Block 181. No objection whatever was made to the introduction of any of this evidence.

The landowner contends that this evidence was inadmissible and, also, that objection thereto was not necessary. Upon the former writ of error this Court held that such evidence was admissible. Upon the first trial, however, as pointed out in the prior opinion, “* * * Though damage to the residue of the land could have been shown by the defendants and benefits to accrue to such residue could have been established by the applicant, neither was in fact done or attempted by the landowner or by the applicant. In consequence no damage to the residue was involved.” Upon the second trial the landowner did attempt to prove damages to the residue, several witnesses testifying as to the amount of damages resulting unto the residue from the taking. Therefore, it is clearly apparent that the evidence was objectionable. See Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company v. Bonafield’s Heirs, 79 W. Va. 287, 90 S. E. 868; Buckhannon & Northern Railroad Company v. Great Scott Coal & Coke Company, 75 W. Va. 423, 83 S. E. 1031.

*22 It is well established, however, that where evidence is permitted to go to the jury without any objection thereto, any error in the admission thereof will be deemed to have been waived. In Williams v. County Court, 90 W. Va. 67, 110 S. E. 486, Point 4, syllabus, this Court held: “Error, predicated upon the introduction of improper evidence which has been permitted to go to the jury without objection or exception, cannot be considered in the appellate court.” See State v. Files, 125 W. Va. 243, 24 S. E. 2d 233; State v. Driver, 88 W. Va. 479, 107 S. E. 189, 15 A. L. R. 917; Colebank v. Garage Co., 75 W. Va. 389, 84 S. E. 1051. The necessity for an objection to inadmissible evidence is apparent, whether the evidence be offered on the first trial or a subsequent trial, as in the instant matter. Without an objection the trial court would have no opportunity to pass upon the admissibility of the evidence. To permit evidence to go to the jury without objection to its admissibility, is tantamount to a representation to the court that such evidence is admissible.

Was the verdict inadequate or against the plain preponderance of the evidence, as it relates to the amount of just compensation to be paid to the landowner? In eminent domain proceedings the rule requiring courts to uphold verdicts unless clearly against the plain preponderance of the evidence, is applied with more forcefulness than in other proceedings. “In cases of this character, courts rarely disturb verdicts of juries, if founded upon any reasonable view of conflicting evidence as to what amount is a just compensation for the owner, proprietor or tenant of lands, where no substantial error has been committed by the trial court in the admission or exclusion of evidence.” Point 8, syllabus, Road Commission v. McMurray, 103 W. Va. 346, 137 S. E. 530; County Court v. Coal Co., 105 W. Va. 321, 142 S. E. 430.

Testimony of seven witnesses of the landowner related to the market value of the property taken, at the time of the taking, or damages to the residue. The landowner testified to the effect that the then market value of the land taken was $2,700.00; that the amount of damages to *23 the residue was $1,500.00; and that the garage building situated upon the property taken, at the time of the taking was renting for $5.00 per week. One witness testified to the effect that the reproduction cost of the garage building was $1,950.00 to $2,000.00, and that proper depreciation on the garage building was $250.00. One witness gave, as his opinion, that the market value of the property taken was $3,000.00, and another placed the market value of the property taken at $2,500.00. The three other witnesses gave as their opinions that the amount of just compensation to which the owner was entitled was $4,000.00, $4,100.00 and $4,000.00, respectively.

Testifying on behalf of the condemnor, Arden Trickett stated, in effect, that the amount of just compensation to which the landowner was entitled, including the market value of the property taken and any damages to the residue, was $800.00. Grady Risen, a real estate broker of the City of Huntington, gave, as his opinion, that the amount of just compensation, including the market value of the property taken and damages to the residue, was $660.00, and “broke that down into land at 360 and the building at 300.” The landowner, on cross-examination, stated, in effect, that she purchased Lot No. 4 about three years before the date of the taking for $3,700.00, and that the seven room dwelling and the garage building were on the lot at the time of the purchase, and included in that purchase. As to whether such evidence may be considered, see Guyandot Valley R’y. Co. v. Buskirk, 57 W. Va. 417, 432, 50 S. E. 521, 110 Am. St. Rep. 785.

It should be noted that the jury viewed the premises. Although the garage building had been removed from the lot at the time of the view, the jury undoubtedly obtained actual knowledge of the lot taken, its relation to other properties in the immediate vicinity, the general character of, the vicinity as affecting values, any peculiar or observable damage to the residue, and other pertinent matters.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
69 S.E.2d 393, 137 W. Va. 20, 1952 W. Va. LEXIS 19, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chesapeake-ohio-railway-co-v-johnson-wva-1952.