City of Stillwater v. Thomas

1945 OK 329, 169 P.2d 292, 197 Okla. 208, 1945 Okla. LEXIS 613

• Court: Supreme Court of Oklahoma
• Decided: December 4, 1945
• Docket: No. 31969.
• Status: Published

Opinion

RILEY, J.

The city of Stillwater appeals from a judgment in the amount of $1,500, based on a jury’s verdict fixing the value of land condemned by the city for airport purposes.

Commissioners appointed appraised the entire interests condemned, in the amount of $20,000 and apportioned the following amounts:

A. J. Thomas, owner of the fee title ____________________$18,152.32

The Federal Land Bank of Wichita, mortgagee------ 1,347.68

Fannie Thomas Newman, ■ tenant ____________________ 250.00

Claud Newman, tenant---- 250.00

Total $20,000.00 .

The total amount was paid into court. The city entered into possession of the land and the fund of $20,000 was disbursed according to interests appraised. The city and A. J. Thomas demanded a jury trial upon the amount of the award. Upon trial, the amount of defendants’ recovery was fixed by the jury’s verdict at $21,000. The amount awarded by the jury’s verdict was not apportioned. It was $1,000 more than the appraisal of the commissioners, but the court, by judgment, awarded $1,500 to the interest of A. J. Thomas, owner of t the land, omitting from calculation the amount that had been paid to the tenants for their interest.

The judgment should have been limited to the “difference between the award of commissioners and verdict of jury”. Grand River Dam Authority v. Jarvis (C.C.A.) 124 Fed. 2d 914; Lewis on Eminent Domain (3d Ed.) 1258.

Reversed, with directions to limit the judgment to $1,000.

GIBSON, C. J., HURST, V. C. J., and WELCH, CORN, DAVISON, and ARNOLD, JJ., concur.