City of Denison v. Corcoran

253 S.W.2d 321
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 29, 1952
Docket10079
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 253 S.W.2d 321 (City of Denison v. Corcoran) 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
City of Denison v. Corcoran, 253 S.W.2d 321 (Tex. Ct. App. 1952).

Opinion

HUGHES, Justice.

The City of Denison exercising its power of eminent domain for the purpose of widening and improving its streets' has condemned one-half acre of land, more or less, belonging to appellee, John P. Corcoran.

Statutory commissioners appointed by the County Court assessed the damages due ap-pellee in the sum of $5,500.

This award was objected to by appellee on the ground of inadequacy, such objection conceding the right of appellant to condemn his land and the legality and sufficiency of all steps taken towards such condemnation and stating “That the only issue remaining to be determined in this action is the amount of money which should be paid the defendant (appellee) for his loss and damage by reason of these proceedings.”

Trial was thereafter held before court and jury, the jury finding appellee’s damages to be $7,550, $7,500 for the lands taken and $50 for damages to the remaining lands. Accordingly judgment for this amount was rendered against appellant.

Appellant’s first point is that the court erred in overruling its objection to the following question asked appellee by his counsel :

“Q. Did the sheriff serve a Writ of Possession on you stating that you were to move out and that property was to be turned over to the City of Denison?”

The objective was that the matter inquired about was “irrelevant and immaterial.”

Appellee’s answer was:

“A. Mr. Clark came up there and just read something off.
“Q. He is Deputy Sheriff is he? A. Yes, sir.”

While an objection in general terms, such as used here, is ordinarily insufficient as a basis for error, Tex.Jur. Vol. 3A, Sec. 165, we believe that this evidence *323 was relevant and admissible notwithstanding appellee’s concession that appellant had proceeded in a legal manner. By acknowledging that appellant had tracked the law appellee did not admit that this suit, as concerned him, was changed from an involuntary to a voluntary proceeding. It is material to show the compulsory nature of the proceedings and the use to which the taken lands will be put in order that the jury may properly assess the damages to the remaining lands. 16 Tex.Jur. p. 991.

It may be that the evidence admitted was cumulative but it was not irrelevant nor immaterial.

Appellant next complains that the court erred in admitting, over its obj ections, the opinion of W. L. Teat, a licensed real estate dealer, as to the value of the property. The witness began his answer by saying “Well, according to the way other stuff sells there, and all * * Counsel for appellant then interrupted the witness with this objection:

. “If the Court please, we object to that; that is not a criterion and guide for fair, cash, market value. And I submit the fair, cash, market value can not be arrived at by comparison with other property.”

The objection was overruled and the witness answered “It would be well worth, I think, $11,000.00.”

Appellant takes the position that “The situation here is analogous to the situation where offers are made and rejected,” and cites such cases as Abramson v. City of San Angelo, Tex.Civ.App., 210 S.W.2d 476 (Austin, error dism.) which holds that unaccepted offers to buy made by third parties are inadmissible on the question of value.

We construe the language used by the witness, when interrupted, as referring to “sales” and not to mere offers. Appellant' took this witness on cross-examination but did not interrogate him concerning this matter.

Since sales of similar property, under certain circumstances and conditions, are some evidence of value of the property in issue we cannot, from this record, say that the testimony was inadmissible. See McCormick and Ray, Texas Law of Evidence, p. 908; Cole v. City of Dallas, Tex.Civ. App., 229 S.W.2d 192 (Dallas, error ref. n. r. e.)

Appellant’s Third Point reads:

“The error of the court in admitting the testimony of the witness, J. L. Gos-din, as to the description of the foundation and basement of the property, and the value thereof, over the timely objection of the Appellant that such was an attempt at segregating the value of one part of the property and not taking the same as a whole.”

The record shows the following as pertinent to this point:

“Q. You saw that foundation, did-n’t you? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. What kind of a foundation was it? A. I never saw one like it before. It is built out of hewn rock sawed and built to a line, I suppose, inside and out, sixteen inches thick, and averaging four feet in height on a portion of it. And there is three courses of it around the basement walls will average around eight feet, sixteen inches thick. I drew it off. I wouldn’t take nobody’s word for it.
“Mr. Gullett: Now, if the court please, this is an attempt at segregating part, the value of one part of the property and not as a whole, and we object to it.
“The Court: I will overrule the ob- . j ection.
“Mr. Gullett: We except.
“By Mr. Nall:
“Q. You say you don’t find foundations like that any more ? A. No, sir.
“Q. Do you have any idea what it would cost to build a foundation like that—
“Mr. Gullett: We object to that, if the Court please, certainly as being irrelevant and immaterial and inflammatory. That is not a criterion or guide as to value in a suit of this kind.
“A. I have an idea what it would cost if I built it.
*324 “By Mr. Nall:
“Q. And what is that? A. It would cost around thirty-five hundred to four thousand dollars.”

Appellant did not obj ect to the last question and answer.

There certainly was no error in permitting the witness to describe the foundation. An accurate description of improvements on land is essential to its fair evaluation.

We doubt if the record as set out above is sufficient to constitute an objection to the admissibility of the evidence about which appellant is complaining.

Assuming, however, that the objection was properly and timely made it is not reviewable by us for the reason that the ruling of the court on such objection is not shown. This the Statement of Facts must show in order to constitute an exception without the necessity of filing a formal bill. Rule 372, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.

By its fourth point appellant complains of admitting in evidence the testimony of R. B.

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

Related

Winkel v. Hankins
585 S.W.2d 889 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1979)
Ex Parte Shepperd
513 S.W.2d 813 (Texas Supreme Court, 1974)
Cusack v. Cusack
491 S.W.2d 714 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1973)
Plyler v. City of Pearland
489 S.W.2d 459 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1972)
Cannon v. State
473 S.W.2d 325 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1971)
City of Garland v. Stevener
462 S.W.2d 67 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1970)
Stewart v. State
453 S.W.2d 524 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1970)
State v. Weidel
385 S.W.2d 625 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1964)
Royal v. Cameron
382 S.W.2d 335 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1964)
Webb v. Mitchell
371 S.W.2d 754 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1963)
State v. Hartman
338 S.W.2d 302 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1960)
Ex parte Dominguez
282 S.W.2d 715 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1955)
Ex parte Partridge
275 S.W.2d 682 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1955)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
253 S.W.2d 321, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-denison-v-corcoran-texapp-1952.