City of New Albany v. Kentucky & Indiana Bridge & Railroad

108 N.E. 272, 58 Ind. App. 318, 1915 Ind. App. LEXIS 120
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 25, 1915
DocketNo. 8,828
StatusPublished

This text of 108 N.E. 272 (City of New Albany v. Kentucky & Indiana Bridge & Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of New Albany v. Kentucky & Indiana Bridge & Railroad, 108 N.E. 272, 58 Ind. App. 318, 1915 Ind. App. LEXIS 120 (Ind. Ct. App. 1915).

Opinion

Ibach, J.

This was a suit by appellant to enjoin the alteration and widening of an existing street railroad track [319]*319in one of its streets. The Kentucky and Indiana Bridge and Railroad Company by its cross action sought to enjoin the city from interfering with, or preventing such alteration of gauge. Judgment was rendered in favor of this appellee on its cross-complaint, and a perpetual injunction granted as prayed. The only question presented for review is whether the cross-complaint states facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action, which is questioned by independent assignment of error, for the first time in this court.

The averments of this cross-complaint are in substance the following: The Kentucky and Indiana Bridge and Railroad Company is a corporation organized and operating under the laws of Kentucky and has complied with the laws of Indiana; the city of New Albany is a municipal corporation organized under the general laws of the State of Indiana for the incorporation of cities; the Kentucky and Indiana Bridge and Railroad Company (which we shall hereafter designate as the bridge company) under the acts of the legislature of Kentucky and the laws of the United States, was authorized and empowered to build and maintain, a bridge for railway, street railway, wagon and all other purposes between the cities of New Albany, Indiana, and Louisville, Kentucky; was authorized to lay down on said bridge a single or double track for railroad cars, street ears, etc., and to charge tolls for the use thereof; was authorized to contract with any railroad company in or out of the state of Kentucky for the use of said bridge; and any railroad, or street railroad company, person or municipal corporation might subscribe for the capital stock of the bridge company, and it might make such contracts as might be deemed expedient for the use, management or control of said bridge.

In 1881 a corporation was formed under the laws of Indiana, for the purpose of constructing and operating a bridge across the Ohio River between the cities of New Albany and Louisville, for railway and common roadway [320]*320purposes, and with, a substantial causeway in extension of and connection with said bridge. Shortly after, the two bridge companies consolidated under the laws of Indiana and Kentucky. In 1885 by an ordinance of the city of New Albany, duly passed it was provided that the bridge company “be and it is hereby authorized and empowered to build, construct and maintain approaches, roadways and embankments and trestles on, over and along and across the street, road or highway) (if any exist) immediately north of the Ohio River and opposite the north stone pier of said bridge, along and across Troy Street along and across the alley or highway extending from Market Street in the original plat of the town of Providence to Troy Street, and upon and across upper Vincennes Street — all in said city. ’ ’ In pursuance of said acts of incorporation and consolidation, and of said ordinance the bridge company built sundry tracks in Louisville and built a bridge across the Ohio River and a line of railroad from the north bank of said, river across a right of way secured by it and over Troy Street, and along upper Vincennes Street and across a right of way secured by it over Market Street to King Street; that said tracks were built more than twenty years ago; and have been in operation and use by the bridge company and its successors for more than twenty years in an open, notorious and adverse way, continuously — all with the knowledge and consent of the city of New Albany. The property of the bridge company was used for the purpose'of transferring railroad trains and cars across the Ohio River, ás a wagonway for vehicles on said bridge, and for the transfer and operation of a street railway line from New Albany to Louisville. The property of said bridge company was sold to pay mortgage and mechanics’ liens, it, being insolvent, under decrees rendered by the United States courts, and the property was purchased by Judson Harmon and Alex. P. Humphreys at that sale. A corporation known as the Kentucky and Indiana Bridge and Railroad Company was organized under [321]*321the laws of Kentucky, and all of the property purchased by Harmon and Humphreys was conveyed by them to it in 1900. This new company (cross-complainant, hereafter called complainant) accepted the benefit of the laws of Indiana. Complainant then proceeded and continued to use said bridge and tracks, and continued to operate a line of street railway between New Albany and Louisville, and to use its tracks north of the Ohio River. In October, 1906, complainant entered into a contract with the Louisville and Northern Railway and Lighting Company, by which it was to turn over to said company the operation of the line of electric railway previously operated by the complainant together with the use of its tracks and bridge from New Albany to Twenty-ninth Street in Louisville. The Louisville and Northern Railway and Lighting Company obtained a license from the Louisville Railway Company to operate its cars over the tracks of that company, which were extended from Portland Avenue to the tracks of the complainant. The tracks of complainant are of standard gauge, which is 4 feet, 8-J inches; the tracks of the Louisville Railway Company are of Old Southern standard gauge, which is 5 feet; that is, 3-J- inches wider than the gauge of complainant’s tracks; that it was therefore necessary to widen the gauge of complainant’s tracks in order that the cars of the Louisville and Northern Railway and Lighting Company might run through from New Albany to the terminal station in Louisville, and this was done by the complainant across the bridge and from the south end of the bridge to Thirty-first Street by laying two additional rails and complainant also laid two additional rails from the north end of the bridge to a point within 100 feet of the west line of upper Vincennes Street'. Complainant has two tracks in Vincennes Street; to furnish access to the Louisville and Northern Railway and Lighting Company, it was necessary for it, and it proposes, to remove only one rail in the western side of the [322]*322two tracks, now in Vincennes Street to broaden the gauge from á feet, 8-£ inches to '5 feet, which complainant proposes to do to a point on King Street; that it is necessary to- do this to enable the Louisville and Northern Railway and Lighting Company to run its cars from New Albany over the bridge to Thirty-first Street, and thence over the rails of the Louisville Railway Company to its station on Third Street in Louisville. On March 1, 1908, cross-complainant prepared to remove this rail 3^ inches so as to complete said connection, and had the material and men ready to perform the work, when they were prevented by the city of New Albany, acting through its police force and fire department, and were driven off the ground. That plaintiff and said defendants threaten to continue such opposition to complainant’s work and unless restrained, will prevent complainant from doing said work, and will arrest its men, or deluge them with Avater, and otherwise prevent complainant building, maintaining and operating its said track. Complainant is now compelled to run its cars of standard gauge from New Albany over the bridge to Thirty-first Street, and then transfer its passengers to other cars of the gauge of the Louisville Railway Company (5 feet); that the point of transfer is on a sharp curve and heavy grade, where trains are constantly passing at high rate of speed, and where passengers are in danger of being run over in passing over several tracks used by steam engines and cars.

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Bluebook (online)
108 N.E. 272, 58 Ind. App. 318, 1915 Ind. App. LEXIS 120, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-new-albany-v-kentucky-indiana-bridge-railroad-indctapp-1915.