Chicago Title & Trust Co. v. State

8 Ill. Ct. Cl. 616, 1935 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 230
Court of Claims of Illinois·Decided June 1, 1935·No. Nos. 2105 to 2138, inclusive, and No. 2174·Published

Opinion

Me. Justice Linscott

delivered the opinion of the court:

The above claims, numbering 35 in all, arise out of the same general transaction and have been consolidated, by agreement of counsel, in order to facilitate their orderly presentation and consideration. The claimants seek to recover total damages of $157,000.00' against the respondent, the State of Illinois, for damages sustained to real estate and business, by reason of the construction by the State of Illinois, through its proper department, of an overpass on Ogden Avenue, on S. B. I. Rt. No. 18 across what is now S. B. I. Rt. No. 53, and by reason of the change in grade of what is known as the Old Joliet Road through Lisle, in the County of DuPage. This involves damages to property not taken or condemned. This highway improvement project was commenced December 31, 1931 and completed December 1, 1932.

In Claim No. 2174, some additional drainage damage is sought, which it is alleged arises from a change in grade on the old Joliet Road near the intersection of Ogden Avenue, when it was paved in the year 1932. All of the property involved fronts and abuts on Ogden Avenue, which is also known as S. B- I. No. 18.

The damage to all of the properties and business was occasioned by the construction of the over-pass or viaduct mentioned, with the exception that the damage to one piece of property was occasioned as aforesaid.

Route No. 18 has for a number of years been a State Highway in the system of hard roads constructed by the State of Illinois, and runs from the City of Chicago in a generally western direction to the city of Princeton. It is a principal arterial highway and is much used. Prior to the construction of the improvement involved in this ease, it was improved with a hard surfaced slab 20 feet in width, and at Lisle was on the same grade as the abutting property.

During the construction of this improvement, which lasted approximately one year, the State constructed along Route No. 18 a long, high and wide overhead pass, whereby it crossed Lincoln Avenue, and which had then been designated by the State as Route No. 53, with long and gradual approaches thereto. This viaduct or overhead pass was constructed with a height at the intersection of Route No. 53 of 18% feet, and descended with a 4% grade in an easterly and westerly direction, going east approximately 507 feet from this intersection, and going west approximately 623 feet from this intersection.

The properties involved in this case all abut on this overhead pass or viaduct, in whole or in part, with the exception of Lot 6 in Block 45, in Arthur T. McIntosh & Company’s Lisle Development No. 4, and Lots 1, 2 and 3 in the same subdivision. These latter lots, together with Lot 4, are all owned by the same individuals, and are used as one unit.

At the time of the building of the overhead pass or viaduct, the paved portion of Route No. 18 was widened to 40 feet for the purpose of providing access to and from Route No. 53, which extends easterly and westerly under the central part of the overhead pass or viaduct. To provide some access to the properties involved on account of Ogden Avenue or Route No. 18, a concrete slab 20 feet in width was laid on the north and south sides of the overhead pass or viaduct, with the exception at the east end of the viaduct on the north side there is no slab or any access to the same from the east on the north side. The distance from the north and south lines of the overhead pass or viaduct to the property lines is approximately 27 feet. For about the east 180 feet, the distance is some 6 or 8 feet. The pavement along the sides of the viaduct, which is also known as a ramp, goes within 2 feet of the viaduct and leaves only about 5 feet both on the north and south between the property line and the line of the pavement, leaving insufficient room for a sidewalk or ornamental trees.

The old Joliet road, which extends northerly and southerly approximately 162 feet east of the east end of the viaduct or overhead pass, was improved by the construction thereon of a concrete slab 20 feet in width, in the Fall of 1932. Prior thereto, the Joliet road was on the same grade as the abutting property. In the making of the improvement, for a distance of about 200 feet, the grade was raised 4 or 5 feet above the grade of the abutting property.

It is claimed by the claimants that the building of the viaduct or overhead pass has had the effect of almost destroying the value of the abutting properties.

It is also claimed that the raising of the grade on the old Joliet road has so interfered with the drainage on the property involved as to require the expenditure of a large amount of money to correct the same and to fill in the property to the level of the road; and destroyed a large amount of peonies, as is hereinafter set out.

Prior to 1926, the territory surrounding Lisle was mostly farm land. At that time there were only some 15 houses and a few stores located there. In 1928, Arthur T. McIntosh and Company laid out subdivisions at the site of Lisle. Streets were graded; water, gas and electricity were put in in substantially all of the property in the subdivisions. It was contended at the time the evidence was taken that 95% of all the lots in that subdivision had been sold.

Lisle is located about 30 miles from Chicago, about 3% or 4 miles west of Naperville, and there has been much building from Chicago to Naperville. Lisle is also served by the Chicago & Burlington Railroad, which at the time of the hearing operated 12 or 14 trains daily to and from Chicago.

G-enerally speaking, the purchasers of these lots were working people in the factories on the west and southwest sides of Chicago. The character of the buildings ranged from modest 2, 3 and 4-room garage type homes to better 5, 6 and 7-room modern homes, including modern improvements.

In the laying out of the subdivisions at Lisle, a building line restriction of 40 feet was placed on all the properties with the exception of those fronting on Joliet Road, Ogden Avenue and Railroad Avenue. The properties sold along Ogden Avenue were all sold and purchased as present or future business properties, and a number of business establishments prior to the building of the overhead pass or viaduct had been commenced and were operating.

During the planning and laying out of the subdivision, no one knew or had any reason to know anything about the overhead pass being constructed, and when it was learned the State proposed it, an effort was made by some of the owners, or at least one owner, to induce the State to construct this overhead pass at another location, but without any success.

Prior to the laying out of the subdivision now known as Lisle, much of this territory west of Chicago and between Lisle and west of Lisle, had been developed for home and business purposes, and there were a number of small communities, cities and villages in that general territory. It is also served by a bus line in addition to the railroad, with four trips daily. It is shown that Downers Grove is 4 miles east and increased in population in the last ten years from 4,500 to 12,000. Glen Ellyn is 5 miles north of Lisle on Route 53 and Roosevelt Road, and it has very materially increased its population in the past ten years.

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

Chicago Title & Trust Co. v. State, 8 Ill. Ct. Cl. 616, 1935 Ill. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 230 (Ill. Super. Ct. 1935).

8 Ill. Ct. Cl. 616 (Chicago Title & Trust Co. v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.