City of Moberly v. Hogan

298 S.W. 237, 317 Mo. 1225, 1927 Mo. LEXIS 463
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedSeptember 16, 1927
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 298 S.W. 237 (City of Moberly v. Hogan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Moberly v. Hogan, 298 S.W. 237, 317 Mo. 1225, 1927 Mo. LEXIS 463 (Mo. 1927).

Opinions

This is a condemnation proceeding by the city of Moberly to condemn a strip of land of defendant, under an ordinance which recited that the condemnation and appropriation of said land was for an extension of West Reed Street, in said city, so that the extension would intersect Parks Avenue. The intersection is at an acute angle. The defendant owns, and since the year 1908, or earlier, has owned a tract of forty-two and one-half acres within the limits of said city. Reed Street runs east and west, and its west end runs to the east line of defendant's said tract, striking the east line at a point approximately 300 feet south of the north line of defendant's tract. Before describing the piece of ground sought to be condemned in this proceeding, and before statement of the issues made, it seems advisable to relate certain acts of the parties, antedating the institution of this proceeding.

It appears that in 1908 the city desired to extend West Reed Street across defendant's land, or at least, to secure a highway over his land, and an agreement was reached between the city and the defendant. The agreement was one whereby the defendant agreed to convey, and he did convey, to the city, a strip of land eighty feet in width across his land for a highway or street, to be known as Parks Avenue, and in addition to said eighty-foot strip, and by the same deed, he conveyed to the city a small triangular piece of ground south of the south line of said eighty-foot strip and in the angle between the south line of the eighty-foot strip and the east line of defendant's land, so that the east, or north-and-south line of this triangle, coincided with the east line of defendant's land. The east end of the eighty-foot strip was not directly opposite the west end of Reed Street. Said triangular piece did not extend to the full width of West Reed Street. The south line of the eighty-foot strip began at a point twenty-one feet north of the point where the north line of West Reed Street reaches defendant's east line. The eighty-foot strip did not run due west across defendant's land, but ran south eighty-four degrees and fifteen minutes west until it reached defendant's west line, a distance of about 1300 feet. The triangular piece then also conveyed by defendant to the city, began at a point on defendant's east line, twenty feet south of the north line of West Reed Street, ran thence due northwest to an intersection *Page 1228 with the south line of the eighty-foot strip, and thence along the south line of the eighty-foot strip eastward, back to defendant's east line, thence south (forty-one feet) to the beginning. Thus, the triangular piece conveyed, its east side extending as it did twenty feet south beyond the north line of West Reed Street, furnished an entrance or gateway twenty feet in width from the north part of West Reed Street, for passage on to the triangular strip and thence on to the eighty-foot strip.

By the proceeding here under consideration the city undertook to condemn so much of defendant's land as would afford an outlet eighty feet in width from the west line of West Reed Street on to and over the eighty-foot strip. The strip thus desired, included the triangular piece conveyed in 1908, and something more. Excepting therefrom the triangular piece conveyed by defendant's deed in 1908, the city sought to condemn a piece of land in the form of a triangle whose base, or east line, was 101 feet in length from north to south, and coincident with defendant's east line, and thus extended from the south line of the eighty-foot strip, to the south line of West Reed Street. The north and south boundary lines of this triangle converge to a point, approximately 600 feet westward in and upon the line of the eighty-foot strip.

In his answer to the city's petition, the defendant, after admitting that he was the owner of the land described in the petition, and denial of all other allegations, for his further answer, pleaded, that prior to May 14, 1908, it was agreed that defendant should convey to the city the tract of ground for the establishment of a public street, to be known as Parks Avenue, the same to begin near the west end of West Reed Street, and to extend west through his said tract of ground; that the city agreed that for said conveyance it would accept said strip of ground — establish said Parks Avenue — open the same, and keep and maintain the same as a public street, and would at no time in the future acquire, take or demand any other part of defendant's said tract of ground for said street; that on May 14, 1908, defendant executed and delivered to plaintiff his deed to said strip eighty feet wide across his land, and also to the triangular strip, which has been first referred to and described by us. Defendant further averred that the city had accepted said deed, and placed the same of record; had taken possession of said strip of ground, made the same into a street, called the same Parks Avenue, and had ever since held the same; that the only consideration received by him for his said conveyance was the covenant and agreement of the city that it would not take any more of defendant's ground for said street, Parks Avenue. He further alleged that the city, in this proceeding, was fraudulently and unlawfully seeking to add to and widen Parks Avenue by taking more ground from plaintiff's said tract, and adding the same thereto, contrary to said agreement; that plaintiff's real purpose was not *Page 1229 to extend Reed Street, but to widen and add to said Parks Avenue, in contravention of the agreement aforesaid; that the strip of ground sought to be condemned was in such shape that it could not be used for public purposes or otherwise, unless used in conjunction with the said Parks Avenue; and plaintiff pleaded the aforesaid agreement and the acceptance and use of said strip of ground by the city as a bar to plaintiff's action; and pleaded that by said acts and things, the city was estopped from prosecuting the proceeding.

Upon motion of the city, the court struck out all of defendant's answer constituting his special defense and plea of estoppel. The court thereafter proceeded to the appointment of commissioners to assess damages, and the commissioners made their report in which they allowed defendant the sum of $600 as his damages. Upon the hearing the defendant offered to make proof of the aforesaid agreement and of the consideration therefor, and the conveyance by defendant of the land described in said deed, all of which, upon objection of the plaintiff, was excluded. The record shows that defendant offered to prove that the agreement above mentioned was made effectual on the part of the city by an ordinance duly enacted. Tender in evidence was made of said ordinance and deed, and the evidence offered was rejected. The ordinance is not set out in the record. The deed, set out in full, recites that it was made in consideration of the sum of one dollar paid by the city. Said deed, after its description of the land constituting the eighty-foot strip, and the triangular piece for the purpose of a public highway, further continues: "Said street shall be opened by said city and put in passable condition for travel by the general public for vehicles of all kinds, within ninety days (weather permitting) after the completion of the extension of the West Reed Street sewer, to the winding ways. Said city shall fence said street on either side thereof, and maintain same until such time as the adjacent land is laid off into lots and blocks, said street and highway to be forever known as Parks Avenue and no more ground to be taken from said Hogan for said street." The defendant in his answer also alleged that his said tract of land had not been laid out in lots or blocks.

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Bluebook (online)
298 S.W. 237, 317 Mo. 1225, 1927 Mo. LEXIS 463, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-moberly-v-hogan-mo-1927.