Cincinnati Union Stock Yard Co. v. City of Cincinnati

14 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 529
CourtCourt of Common Pleas of Ohio, Hamilton County
DecidedMarch 15, 1913
StatusPublished

This text of 14 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 529 (Cincinnati Union Stock Yard Co. v. City of Cincinnati) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Common Pleas of Ohio, Hamilton County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cincinnati Union Stock Yard Co. v. City of Cincinnati, 14 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 529 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1913).

Opinion

May, J.

The plaintiff, the Cincinnati Union Stock Yard Company, a corporation organized under the laws of Ohio, filed its petition in this cause in a dual capacity. It alleged that it is a tax-payer of the city of Cincinnati and brings this action as such on behalf of the city of Cincinnati and also individually. The necessary allegations requesting the city solicitor of the city of Cincinnati to bring this suit and his refusal are also set out in the plaintiff’s petition.

The plaintiff further states that it made the request of the solicitor to apply for an order of injunction to restrain the misapplication of the funds of the city, the abuse of its corporate powers and the execution and performance of a contract made in behalf of the city in contravention of the laws governing it, relating to a proposed abolition of the crossing of grade of Plopple street with the tracks of the defendant, the Baltimore ■ & Ohio Southwestern Railroad Company, by building a viaduct, raising tracks and vacating a portion of the streets covered by the tracks and the purchase or condemnation of certain property for the extension of certain streets rendered necessary and in connection with said project.

The plaintiff further alleges that as an individual it operates a stock yard company and owns and uses in connection with its business other structures which abut on Iiopple street and that it will suffer great damage because of this improvement.

The petition also sets forth that on September 5, 1905, the city council passed an ordinance, numbered 1048, declaring it necessary to abolish grade crossings along the line of said rail[531]*531roacl within the limits of the city, among which was the Hopple street grade crossing; that on or about October 7, 1907, council passed an ordinance, numbered 141, providing for the separation of grade at the intersection of Hopple street and the tracks of the B. & O. S. W. R. R.; that this ordinance was amended by ordinance No. 1074, passed March 22, 1909, which ordinance, together with the amendments thereto, is the basis of the proposed agreement for the abolition of said grade crossing.

Plaintiff further alleges that the ordinance and amendment' thereto are invalid for the following reasons:

1. That it contains more than one subject, embracing separation of grades, the proposed widening of Hopple street, the proposed vacation of a portion of Hopple street, the proposed raising of the grade of said railroad tracks five feet over Hopple street.

2. That said ordinance is further invalid for the reason that it does not require the railroad company to pay its sharé of the cost of said improvement and also of damages.

3. That this ordinance provides that the railroad company should not be obliged to pay any part of the cost to the city in the event that the city does not vacate the portion of Hopple street over which the viaduct is built.

The petition further alleges that notwithstanding the invalidity and illegality of the ordinance, that council, on May 10, 1909, passed an ordinance, numbered 1167, directing the city solicitor to begin a proceeding and that the city solicitor did bring a suit in this court, unmbered 151517, for the condemnation of property for the abolition of said crossing by means of a viaduct, making the plaintiff in this case and other property owners defendants in that ease; that said proceedings seek the condemnation of property for the extension of Meeker street, the widening of Hopple street and Bridge avenue, all of which are necessary for the abolition of said grade crossing.

Plaintiff further says that if this proceeding is continued, this plaintiff will suffer irreparable damages, for which it has no adequate remedy at law.

The prayer of the petition is that the city of Cincinnati and the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad Company, defend[532]*532ants, be enjoined from proceeding further under Ordinance No. 141, and that the city be enjoined from acquiring or paying for any property in furtherance of such improvement and from proceeding further with the condemnation suit instituted by it, and for all other and further relief as may be just and proper.

The city of Cincinnati filed its separate answer, in which it admitted the fact that the city was proceeding in case 151517 in the common pleas court, brought by virtue of ordinance 1167, to condemn property necessary for the abolition of the grade crossing at' Hopple street. Th.e city further admitted that the plaintiff operated a stork yard company and owned property abutting the improvement. The city further stated that the plaintiff in this case was a party to the proceeding in condemnation and had introduced evidence in that case.

For a second defense, the city set out a plea in bar, setting forth that on the 5th day of April, 1912, in a suit in the common pleas court, numbered 150293, entitled the City of Cincinnati, a municipal corporation under the laws "of Ohio, by Alfred Bettman, its Solicitor, plaintiff, vs. Victor T. Price, director of' Public Service of the city of Cincinnati, and the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad Company, a corporation under the laws of Ohio, defendants, named in that proceeding setting forth in said' petition in full the various ordinances, to-wit: Nos. 1048, 141 and 1074, relating to the abolishment of the grade crossing at Hopple street.

The answer of the city further states that in its petition in case No. 150293 it had also alleged that the council had, on the 8th day of March,'1909, by resolution duly passed, declared its intent to appropriate property to public use for the extension of Meeker street and the widening of Hopple street and Bridge avenue, rendered necessary by the abolishment of the B. &. O. S. W. Railroad 'grade crossing at Hopple street, and that on the 10th. day of May, 1909, it passed an ordinance, No. 1167, -to appropriate property rendered necessary for.this improvement, by the terms of which ordinance the solicitor was authorized and directed to have a jury impaneled and to assess damages.

The defendant city further states that this ordinance, No. 1167, is the same ordinance referred to in the plaintiff’s petition.

[533]

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Related

Quinby v. City of Cleveland
191 F. 68 (U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Northern Ohio, 1911)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
14 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 529, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cincinnati-union-stock-yard-co-v-city-of-cincinnati-ohctcomplhamilt-1913.