Colorado Interstate Gas Company v. Long

1962 OK 133, 372 P.2d 220, 1962 Okla. LEXIS 395
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 5, 1962
DocketNo. 39594
StatusPublished

This text of 1962 OK 133 (Colorado Interstate Gas Company v. Long) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Colorado Interstate Gas Company v. Long, 1962 OK 133, 372 P.2d 220, 1962 Okla. LEXIS 395 (Okla. 1962).

Opinion

JOHNSON, Justice.

Colorado Interstate Gas Company, a corporation, plaintiff in error, appeals from a judgment entered on the verdict of the jury in a condemnation proceeding wherein the Company condemned a pipeline easement, or right of way, across a quarter section in Harper County, Oklahoma, belonging to the defendants for the laying of a four-inch gas pipeline, which at the time of the trial had been laid. The area covered by the easement was 3.13 acres.

No complaint is urged herein concerning the procedure followed. The Commissioners fixed the damages sustained by the defendants by reason of the taking of the right of way or easement at $2,000.00. The award was filed, and thereafter in due time the plaintiff filed demand for jury trial. The defendants, Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Long, likewise filed demand for a jury trial.

The issues as to the amount of damages was thereafter tried in November, 1960, to [221]*221a jury in Harper County, Oklahoma, and the jury returned a verdict for $1,600.00.

In due time motion for new trial was filed by the plaintiff which was overruled, from which action of the court plaintiff appeals.

The parties appear in this court in the same positions as in the trial court and will be referred to by their trial court designations.

The plaintiff urges three grounds for reversal. 1. The admission of incompetent evidence. 2. Misconduct of counsel for defendants. 3. Error of the court in refusing to give plaintiff’s requested Instruction No. 1.

Considering these in reverse order, we quote the requested instruction:

“Plaintiff’s Requested Instruction No. 1
“You are instructed that if you find from the evidence that the defendants Leroy Long and Letha Long, his wife, have suffered certain damages to their land which did not arise from the construction or operation of a pipeline by plaintiff across said land you are not to consider such damages in determining the amount you shall award defendants.
“Refused: C. R. Board, District Judge, 11-16-60”

We find nothing in the court’s instructions given which would justify the awarding of damages for the elements excluded under such requested instruction. On the contrary, the court’s Instruction Nos. 2 and 3 specifically limit recovery to the difference in the fair market value of the entire tract immediately before the appropriation of the easement and the fair market value immediately after the construction of the pipeline. If defendants suffered damages from some other source through the construction and operation of this pipeline, we are convinced that the instructions given excluded such damages from consideration by the jury.

In the body of the opinion in Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. Clark, 20S Okl. 416, 238 P.2d 327, it is said:

.“ ‘Where the instructions given reasonably state the law applicable to the case, this court will not reverse the cause for a refusal to give a particular instruction requested by the plaintiff in error.’ ”

The remaining two complaints urged are discussed together by the appellant. A consideration of these alleged errors necessitates a review of the evidence and the rulings and comments of the trial court.

Five witnesses testified for the defendants concerning the depreciation of the farm by reason of the construction of the pipeline. While there was a difference of opinion concerning the value before and after the construction, the difference between the two valuations in every case approximated $2,000.00. In weighing the value of this testimony, it should be borne in mind that there was a gas well on this property and certain installations in connection therewith which were not on the easement sought in this action. Further, there had been much driving of cars in and out from the well, none of which was established to be by plaintiff herein. With these facts in mind, the various witnesses for defendants were asked to detail what they considered in arriving at the valuations which they expressed.

Mr. Collins, a witness for the defendants, testified as follows:

“Q. * * * How do you arrive at that value ?
⅜ * ⅜ ⅜ ⅜ ⅜
“A. Well, about the only way I could get at it would be the damage they done. No telling how long that will be there. You know they have lots of roads going down through there. How long that will be there, nobody knows.
“Q. There are also roads aren’t there ?
[222]*222“A. Yes, you have to have roads to go to the well, don’t you ?
“MR. HOLCOMB: We object.
“THE COURT: Overruled.
“Q. Was that what you were considering, the road?
“A. Partly and the pipeline where they laid the line 30 or 40 feet across there. It would be 7 or 8 years before it was across there.”
“Mr. Laverty, another defense witness, testified:
“Q. Does that take into consideration, is that the only thing that would cause you to take $2,000 less for the land or are there other things?
“A. I would figure the installations and drips and one thing and another.
“Q. Where the well is located?
“A. Yes.
“Q. And well road?
“Q. Yes.
“A. The people going in and out to the well itself?
“A. Yes.”

Mr. Bossart, also a witness for defendants, testified as follows:

“Q. Now, when you were talking about this declination value you put quite a bit of emphasis on this road, didn’t you ?
“A. No, on your ridges, ditches and everything left on the land.
“Q. And on the road too?
“A. The road, I had nothing to do with it because I didn’t figure it in this deal particularly because I didn’t have a road then. In his case I would say yes.
“Q. You figured that in?
“A. Yes.”

Mr. Bonham testified for the defense as follows:

“Q. Not as a matter of — simply a matter of imagination but as a practical matter how does the roads in connection with the pipeline and this right of ingress and egress to your place, how does it affect the cattle business?
“THE COURT: Since an objection is interposed, I have to comment again. I think and certainly not trying to drive but I think the question should be concluded by if it does affect them because you leave the inference. The question should be concluded by if it does affect them.
“Q. Does that affect the cattle business ?
“A. I think it does myself.
“Q. Then state to the jury in what way it affects it?
“A. I have had cattle, run cattle the last 10 years and especially milch cows. It affects milch cows more than anything else.

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Related

Hasty Messenger Service v. Simpson
1961 OK 178 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1961)
Hartford Fire Ins. Co. v. Clark
1951 OK 343 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1951)
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1960 OK 13 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1960)
Green Construction Co. v. Lampe
1935 OK 857 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1935)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1962 OK 133, 372 P.2d 220, 1962 Okla. LEXIS 395, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/colorado-interstate-gas-company-v-long-okla-1962.