Coombs v. Salt Lake & Fort Douglas Railway Co.

39 P. 503, 11 Utah 137, 39 P.R. 503, 1895 Utah LEXIS 46
Utah Supreme Court·Decided February 23, 1895·No. No. 547·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

KING, J.:

From the record in this case it appears that suit was-brought by the plaintiff against the defendant corporations, to secure a permanent injunction, preventing them from operating their road or running cars thereon, unless there was-paid to plaintiff, within such time as might be determined by the court, a sum of money sufficient to compensate her for the lasting injuries accruing to her. property through the construction and maintenance of defendant-railroad. The cause was tried by the court, which found [140] in harmony with the material allegations of the complaint. Among other things, the court found that plaintiff was the ■owner of valuable property in Salt Lake City, which was bounded on the north and west by public streets, and that defendant Salt Lake & Ft. Douglas Eailway Company constructed its road along said streets, and in front of her property, and in so doing made a large and deep cut, as a result of which one of the streets was ruined, and egress from and ingress to said premises rendered impossible; that a corner of plaintiff’s property was entered upon and cut .away in the construction of said road; that defendant never acquired, by purchase or otherwise, the easements and prop-arty injured; that, since the construction of said road, defendant Salt Lake & Ft. Douglas Eailway Company has ■continuously operated its trains on the same, and the Utah Central Company, since its incorporation, has and now is running its trains thereon, under a lease from the former; that the running and operating of said trains, which continues night and day, jars said premises and the residences thereon, and throws ashes and cinders, sparks and smoke, thereon, and has repeatedly set fire to said residences; that said property is in the immediate neighborhood of, and is especially fitted for, superior residences, but that it has been greatly damaged by the construction and operation of defendant’s road; that said damages amount to $3,300; that the injury thereto is permanent in its character, and is continuously and constantly recurring, so that it is a great hurt, inconvenience, and damage to said property ■and easements and hereditaments appurtenant theieto; that .said defendants are insolvent.

Upon these findings of fact and the conclusions of Jaw, the court awarded plaintiff judgment for $3,300, as dam.ages, together with costs against the Salt Lake & Ft. Douglas Eailway Company, and ordered that plaintiff execute .a deed to it conveying the easements and property taken [141] and injured, and release it from further damages upon the payment of said sum. It was further ordered that the injunction and injunctive relief be denied, and that the plaintiff do not recover as against the Utah Central Eailway Company. No exceptions whatever were taken by the defendants to any proceedings or findings or judgment of the court. The plaintiff excepted only to that part of the decree denying injunctive relief. Subsequently she appealed to the supreme court of the territory, assigning as error the refusal of the court to grant the injunction as prayed for in her complaint. The record before this court discloses; that the former appeal was taken on the judgment roll, and that the only portion of the decree appealed from was that denying plaintiff an injunction nisi; that both parties were satisfied with the findings of facts, took no exceptions; thereto, nor did either ask for a new trial; that the error assigned was that the only portion of the judgment appealed from was not supported by the findings of fact. The appellate court decided: “It is the duty of the court to enjoin the company's (defendant's) use of the property, unless within a specified time it will pay the damage assessed. It follows that the court erred in not granting the-injunction prayed for upon the conditions named. Judgment reversed, and the case is remanded." Coombs v. Railway Co., 9 Utah, 322, 34 Pac. 248. Upon filing the remit-titur in the lower court, with a certified copy of the opinion, appellant moved the court to enter a proper judgment, and grant an injunction nisi, in accordance with the opinion of the supreme court. The motion was overruled, and from the order overruling the motion plaintiff appeals.

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Coombs v. Salt Lake & Fort Douglas Railway Co., 39 P. 503, 11 Utah 137, 39 P.R. 503, 1895 Utah LEXIS 46 (Utah 1895).

39 P. 503 (Coombs v. Salt Lake & Fort Douglas Railway Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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