City of Cincinnati v. Diamond Light Co.

16 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 305, 30 Ohio Dec. 317, 1914 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 109
CourtCourt of Common Pleas of Ohio, Hamilton County
DecidedNovember 11, 1914
StatusPublished

This text of 16 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 305 (City of Cincinnati v. Diamond Light Co.) 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
City of Cincinnati v. Diamond Light Co., 16 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 305, 30 Ohio Dec. 317, 1914 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 109 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1914).

Opinion

Gorman, J.

On August 17, 1914, the city of Cincinnati, through Walter M. Sehoenle, its solicitor, upon the direction of the city council filed a petition in the above entitled cause, alleging in substance that the defendant company, a corporation under the laws of Ohio, is engaged in the business of manufacturing and generating electricity and supplying the same for commercial purposes to consumers within the city of Cincinnati, and that without warrant or authority of law and without the consent of or permission from the city, and contrary to its ordinances, has constructed conduits and has laid wires under certain public highways of the city, to-wit, Walnut street, between Fifth and Sixth [306]*306streets, Vine street,'between Fifth and Sixth streets, and Hatters alley, between Yine street and Lodge alley; and it further averred that said defendant is about to extend its conduits and wires under, along or over said streets and other streets and alleys, and is now supplying or about to supply thereby electricity for commercial purposes to consumers, and will do all of said things unless restrained by order of this court. Plaintiff prays that the defendant be perpetually enjoined from doing the things complained of until it shall secure the consent of the proper city authorities to lay and maintain said conduits and wires in the public ways of the city, and that it be ordered to remove those conduits and wires now laid without authority, and that a temporary restraining order issue pending the hearing of this cause, and for such other and further relief as it may be entitled to.

Summons was issued and the defendant brought into court.

On motion of the plaintiff the defendant, on August 26th, was temporarily restrained, until the further order of the court, from further laying any conduits or wires under or through any of the streets or alleys named in the petition and from using the conduits through Walnut street and Yine street and from transmitting electrical current through said conduits and wires in Yine and Walnut streets.

By amended petition plaintiff avers that the defendant has also laid or is about to lay' conduits or wires in Fountain alley, between Fifth street and Sixth street, and prays that it may be enjoined as to this alley also, as well as to the other streets and alleys.

On October 13, 1914, an answer was filed .by the defendant admitting most of thé averments of the petition and amended petition. It denies that said conduits and wires were laid without authority of law or without the consent of the city authorities. By way of further answer to the plaintiff’s amended petition 'it avers that said conduits and wires referred to in plaintiff’s petition were installed by it and with the consent of the owners of the real estate abutting upon said streets and alleys where said conduits and wires are laid; that said conduits and wires are laid at a depth of not less than nineteen feet below the surface across said streets and alleys; that they do not interfere in any way with other conduits or wires or with any present use of said [307]*307streets by plaintiff, or with any use which plaintiff has a right" to make thereof, and that they were laid without tearing up the surface of said streets or in any way interfering with the use thereof by the plaintiff or the public.

Defendant further avers that it is the owner of and has installed at large expense a modern plant for generating and distributing electricity and is now furnishing the same at reasonable rates and that it has complied with the laws of Ohio and .the rules and regulations of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio with reference to generating and distributing electricity.

Defendant further avers that under the authority granted plaintiff by the laws of Ohio to regulate the mode and manner of distributing electricity, the plaintiff, by its council, passed Ordinance No. 2585, April 21, 1911, which was duly approved by the mayor, and by the provisions of Section 647 thereof the business of fúrnishing and distributing electricity for illumination and power is regulated and provided for; that said ordinance is in full force and effect and that it has complied with all the provisions thereof in so far as the same affects its business and that by reason thereof the plaintiff has exhausted its power in the premises and has no legal authority to impose further con- ■ ditions on its business.

Defendant further avers that on August • — , 1914, after the commencement of this action, it sought to procure from the council .of the plaintiff the passage of an ordinance granting to it permission to install and maintain the conduits and wires under the alleys named in the petition; that the committee on light of said council refused, to recommend and the council refused to pass said ordinance because plaintiff was then negotiating with the Union Gas & Electric Company and ‘had under consideration a contract with said company for furnishing light and power to plaintiff and its citizens, and that final action on said ordinance it was recommended should be postponed until the final determination of this action by this court.

Defendant further avers that the request to bring this action was made by the Union Gas & Electric Companv, an Ohm corporation, which has been furnishing electricity and power to the city- of Cincinnati and its citizens for some time past and is now furnishing the same under an agreement for that purpose; and [308]*308that said, the Union Gas & Electric Company, is the real party in interest in this action.

Defendant further avers that the practically exclusive right now given to said Union Gas & Electric Company by plaintiff has resulted in the charging of unreasonable and unjustifiable rates therefor, and operates to the loss and damage of the plaintiff and its citizens in that behalf; that the sole purpose of the bringing and maintaining of this action is to prevent competition with said Union Gas & Electric Company and to prevent defendant company from furnishing electric light and power to consumers in said city at a much lower rate than that charged by the said the Union Gas & Electric Company.

Defendant further avers that said Union Gas & Electric Company has installed its conduits, poles and wires upon .and below the streets of plaintiff under the ordinance, No. 2585, above referred to, without obtaining special permission from plaintiff or its officers, and that there has been no objection to or interference with the said company on account thereof by the plaintiff.

Defendant avers that by reason of the premises the plaintiff is estopped from asserting the claim set up in its petition and amended petition herein and is not entitled to the equitable relief therein demanded; and that it asks to be hence dismissed with its costs.

By reply plaintiff denies that this action was brought upon the written request of the Union Gas & Electric Company and denies that said company is the real party in interest herein; but avers that the action is brought at th'e direction of the city council of Cincinnati; and denies each and every allegation .of the answer except that defendant sought to procure the passage of an ordinance through the city council granting it permission to lay its conduits and wires and that the light committee of the council and the council took the action alleged in the answer and for the reasons set out in the answer, which averments of the answer are admitted to be true.

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

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 305, 30 Ohio Dec. 317, 1914 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 109, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-cincinnati-v-diamond-light-co-ohctcomplhamilt-1914.