City of Denton v. Chastain

156 S.W.2d 554
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedNovember 21, 1941
DocketNo. 14294
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 156 S.W.2d 554 (City of Denton v. Chastain) 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 Denton v. Chastain, 156 S.W.2d 554 (Tex. Ct. App. 1941).

Opinion

SPEER, Justice.

Plaintiff, City of Denton, instituted and prosecuted this condemnation proceeding against defendants B. F. Chastain and wife. An award was made by the jury in favor of defendants. Plaintiff, being dissatisfied, has appealed.

The State of Texas, acting through its Highway Commission and with Federal Aid, contracted to reroute and construct Highway No. 377 through the City of Den-ton and another part of Denton County. The City was to furnish right-of-way within its limits. Only a part of that within the City limits is involved here. In the vicinity of the property involved, the right-of-way did not follow previously designated streets, but extended in a northeasterly and southwesterly direction; the streets in that locality ran north and south. Defendants owned a lot, on which their home was situated, 320 feet north and south by 160 feet east and west, facing on the west side of Myrtle Street, which is a rather narrow unpaved street. Defendants’ lot has considerably more elevation at its north end than at the south, there being a branch or water course near the south line. East of defendants’ northeast corner, the new highway enters a considerable hill and requires-a cut or excavation from which several thousand cubic yards of dirt must be removed, and as the highway extends southwest the road bed calls for a fill which begins at the cut and gradually increases in height until when it reaches defendants’ southeast corner it is seven feet higher than the natural elevation of defendants’ lot. The right-of-way is 100 feet wide and the pavement is to be 24 feet wide, with shoulders on either side slanting down to the edge of the right-of-way. It will be necessary to refer to other phases of the proposed structure as we discuss propositions presented by plaintiff’s briefs.

The record discloses that the City of Denton passed suitable resolutions preparatory to condemnation, petitioned the County Judge of Denton County for the appointment of a Board of Commissioners; that the Board was appointed, qualified, acted, made their report with awards and recommendations ; that the defendants filed their objections to the award and thereafter, within the time required by law, the case was placed on the County Court docket and was tried.

First proposition* relied upon by plaintiff (appellant) is because the court permitted defendants’ counsel to ask Mr. McMath, a witness for plaintiff, if he was not one of the Board of Commissioners appointed by the County Judge in this matter. Over plaintiff’s objection the witness answered in the affirmative. We have seen no decision of our courts which holds that such proceedings present reversible error. We think it may be safely said that the award made by the Board has no place in the evidence when upon a trial before the court, after either party is dissatisfied with the award. Crystal City & U. R. Co. v. Boothe, Tex.Civ.App., 126 S.W. 700. The record discloses that this witness was asked about certain matters considered by the Board in making its award, but there was no objection made to that part-of the testimony. We cannot see- how knowledge of the jury that a witness was a membel of the Board could affect the rights of either party. The jury must have known there was such a Board; in fact, there was [556]*556nothing before the jury which would apprise them of which party was dissatisfied with the award made by the Board. The point must be overruled.

Second point or proposition complains because of alleged remarks made by .the trial court to and about plaintiff’s counsel while making an argument to the jury. We find no bill of exception or other sanction of the trial court in the record that such a matter took place. Therefore we cannot consider it.

Third proposition complains of the admission of testimony as to the expense of moving defendants’ house, because, as stated by counsel, there was no testimony that it was necessary to move it. It is true that no one testified that it was necessary to move the house, but there is undisputed evidence that immediately in front of the house as it now stands, the new highway will be on a fill or dump four or five feet higher than the ground upon which the house stands; that the new conditions will make the premises very unattractive for purposes of a home and will render it less valuable on the market; that the north end of defendants’ lot is higher and that to remove the house from where it now stands to a point north, it will be farther from the elevated highway and still face on Myrtle Street as it had done in the past. The ultimate issue involved here is the difference, if any, between the market value of that part of the land not taken (which includes the house) immediately prior to and immediately after the appropriation by the City of the part taken. Defendants could not recover, as a separate item, the expense of moving the house, but such testimony was admissible as tending to show the highest value after all had been done to relieve it of the depreciation sustained by the construction of the elevated highway in such close proximity to the dwelling house. It has long been the rule in this State that if by the taking of a portion of one’s land for public use it becomes necessary to build fences, construct gates, culverts and other things necessary to make the remainder usable and to prevent greater losses sustained by the appropriation of that part taken, evidence of such expenses thus incurred should be considered by the jury in fixing the amount of damages to that part not appropriated. Cook v. Eastland County, Tex.Civ.App., 260 S.W. 881; Pillot v. City of Houston, Tex.Civ.App:, 51 S.W.2d 794, The assignment of error upon which the point is predicated is overruled.

Fourth, fifth and sixth points relied upon complain because the court permitted defendants to assume the burden of establishing their damages and to open and conclude the argument. Before the trial began defendants filed their admission of the right of plaintiff to recover, as disclosed by its petition, except insofar as it may be defeated by the facts of their answer. The admission is in the precise wording of Rule 31 for District and County Courts. The trial was had upon the basis of defendants’ admission. They introduced their testimony first and opened and concluded the argument. Moreover, no objection or exception was taken by plaintiff to the procedure, and nothing is presented to us for review.

Seventh point is based upon the refusal of the court to permit plaintiff to inquire of Mr. Ritchie, a real estate dealer, by whom it had proven market values, what effect it would have on the market value of defendants’ property if the Highway Department should fill in defendants’ lot with waste dirt taken • from the cut south of the premises. When upon objection the question and answer were excluded, an argument ensued between the attorneys and the court retired the jury. Plaintiff’s counsel claimed that he had previously shown by the local engineer that the extra dirt could and would be placed on the premises if requested by defendants, and that he should be1 permitted to ask the witness what effect such acts would have on the value of the property. The witness on the stand apparently knew nothing about any arrangements or proposal to fill in and raise the elevation of the lot. In the absence of the jury the court told counsel to offer any evidence he desired to complete his bill of exception, but none was offered. Counsel relied upon what he claimed to have been testified by the local engineer, Cawthon.

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

Related

Downing v. Uniroyal, Inc.
451 S.W.2d 279 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1970)
State v. Walker
430 S.W.2d 13 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1968)
State v. Berry
393 S.W.2d 723 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1965)
State v. Newton
391 S.W.2d 758 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1965)
State v. Lynch
390 S.W.2d 335 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1965)
City of Sherman v. Gnadt
337 S.W.2d 206 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1960)
State v. Bernhardt
334 S.W.2d 203 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1960)
Price v. Callahan
319 S.W.2d 347 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1958)
Bradshaw v. White
294 S.W.2d 736 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1956)
Hill v. State
289 S.W.2d 801 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1956)
Colls v. Price's Creameries, Inc.
244 S.W.2d 900 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1951)
Moore v. Long
234 S.W.2d 936 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1950)
City of Houston v. Schorr
231 S.W.2d 740 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1950)
Kennedy v. City of Dallas
201 S.W.2d 840 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1947)
Lower Colorado River Authority v. Burton
170 S.W.2d 783 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1943)
Crow v. Levine
165 S.W.2d 117 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1942)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
156 S.W.2d 554, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-denton-v-chastain-texapp-1941.