City of Seattle v. Abrahamson

186 P. 644, 109 Wash. 116, 1919 Wash. LEXIS 978
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 17, 1919
DocketNo. 15428
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 186 P. 644 (City of Seattle v. Abrahamson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Seattle v. Abrahamson, 186 P. 644, 109 Wash. 116, 1919 Wash. LEXIS 978 (Wash. 1919).

Opinion

Mount, J.

This proceeding was brought to condemn a widened right of way for a highway across the lands of appellant. The highway is known as West Marginal Way. This highway is one hundred feet wide and extends through about the center of appellant’s property. Preliminary to the question of damages, the trial court, by consent of both parties, received evidence in order to determine the width of the strip of land to be paid for through the property of Mrs. Abrahamson. After hearing evidence upon this question, the trial court found as follows:

“That county road No. 51, as changed and as it is now used through the tracts of land lying south of G-oodspeed’s Addition, and especially through the tracts of land owned by Annie Abrahamson and by the estate of S. Louise Ackerson, is a county road by prescription and user, and that said county road is sixty feet (60') in width, following the present used portion of said county road as said used portion is indicated and located on petitioner’s Exhibit ‘B’ filed in the above entitled cause; . . . ”

After the court had thus determined that there was a county road sixty feet in width running through the property sought to be condemned, and that this [118]*118county road was within the limits of West Marginal Way, a jury was called to determine the question of damages to he awarded to Mrs. Abrahamson. After the evidence was heard upon that question, the jury found that the damage to the property of Mrs. Abrahamson was $7,271.50. The court entered a judgment upon this verdict in favor of Mrs. Abrahamson. She has appealed from that judgment.

A large number of errors are assigned in appellant’s brief, but these errors are discussed under three headings, in substance, as follows:

First: Was there a public road extending through appellant’s property, for the taking of which appellant was not entitled to compensation?

Second: If so, what was the width of that road? Third: The exclusion of certain evidence offered by appellant. -

Taking up these questions in order, the record shows without dispute that, in the year 1874, some fourteen freeholders within the county of King petitioned the county commissioners of that county to establish a county road from Alki Point to connect with a county road on the west side of the Duwamish river near the house of one Parmerlee. The county commissioners, upon a hearing of that petition, granted the same, and viewers were appointed to view and .locate the road. The same was ordered surveyed. The road was thereupon viewed and surveyed through the property of appellant, and the surveyor’s report was made to the county commissioners. Thereafter, on August 3, 1874, the county commissioners considered the reports of the surveyor and viewers. The reports were adopted and the road was ordered opened and declared to be a county road. Thereafter the road was used by the general public across appellant’s land for a period of more than thirty years. The evidence shows that the [119]*119portion of the road actually used was from ten to twelve feet in width. This used road was a winding one, following through the property of appellant. There is nothing in the record to show that the county acquired, by condemnation or purchase, the right of way through appellant’s property; but the record is clear that, after the road was declared to be a county road and was opened to public travel, it was traveled and used by the public generally, and that work was done upon the road at public expense. It is true that the used portion of the road was shifted upon several occasions and for various purposes. At one time during the life of Mr. Abrahamson, who was then the owner of the property in question, he petitioned the county commissioners for a change of a portion of the road through his property to the eastward of where it was then used. No action appears to have been taken by the county commissioners upon this petition for a change, but it is shown that the used portion of the road was changed and was thereafter used. We are satisfied from these facts that the roadway became a public one, and that, because of the use of the property by the public for the long period of time, and work done thereon at public expense, the right to the roadway was acquired by prescription. Yakima County v. Conrad, 26 Wash. 155, 66 Pac. 411; Olympia v. Lemon, 93 Wash. 508, 161 Pac. 363.

Appellant argues that, even though there was a roadway by prescription across the land of appellant, it was not within the one hundred feet which the city now seeks to take. It is true the engineer who made the drawing which is an exhibit in the case testified that he could not take the field notes of the original survey of the sixty-foot road and follow them upon the ground. His reason was that the witness trees and marks made by the surveyor upon the ground had [120]*120all been obliterated; but he testified that, by following the field notes of the original survey, he could lay the road upon the plat, and he testified therefrom that the whole of the sixty-foot original roadway was within the one hundred feet now sought by the city. It is plain, therefore, that there was evidence upon which the court could base a finding that the sixty-foot roadway was within the one hundred feet which the city was seeking. Appellant strenuously argues that the width of the roadway which was used by the public for more than thirty years was not to exceed ten or twelve feet in width, and that this was the extent of the width of the road to which the county or the city was entitled by prescriptive right; and it is argued, and many authorities are cited to the effect, that a roadway by prescription is confined to the width of the road as actually used, and does not extend to a greater width beyond the width of the road actually used; but in the case of Olympia v. Lemon, supra, in considering this question and in referring to the case of Yakima County v. Conrad, supra, we said, quoting from the last-named case:

“ ‘After the right to a highway has been acquired by usage, the public are not limited to such width as has actually been used. The right acquired by prescription and use carries with it such width as is reasonably necessary for the public easement of travel, and the width must be determined from a consideration of the facts and circumstances peculiar to the case.’ ”

In this case the county originally declared for a county road which, under the statute, was required to be sixty feet in width. The county actually laid out and surveyed a road sixty feet in width. We think, under the authorities cited, and the facts, which are not disputed, that the county acquired by prescriptive [121]*121right the whole of the sixty-foot road, notwithstanding the fact that bnt a portion thereof was actually used. Furthermore, we are of the opinion that, when Mr. Abrahamson, who was then alive and was the owner of the property, petitioned the county for a change in the road, he recognized that the county was claiming the road as an actually dedicated road. Appellant relies upon the cases of Megrath v. Nickerson, 24 Wash. 235, 64 Pac. 163; and In re Twenty-Second Avenue, Southwest, 72 Wash. 99, 129 Pac. 884, to establish the rule that the county road herein sought to be maintained for sixty feet in width across appellant’s property never in fact existed. It is true in those cases a portion of the same road outside of the property of appellant in this case was under consideration. In the Megrath

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
186 P. 644, 109 Wash. 116, 1919 Wash. LEXIS 978, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-seattle-v-abrahamson-wash-1919.