Department of Highways v. Ashland Pipe Line Co.

208 N.E.2d 162, 2 Ohio Misc. 179, 31 Ohio Op. 2d 477, 1965 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 342
CourtRichland County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedJanuary 26, 1965
DocketNo. 40929
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 208 N.E.2d 162 (Department of Highways v. Ashland Pipe Line Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Richland County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Department of Highways v. Ashland Pipe Line Co., 208 N.E.2d 162, 2 Ohio Misc. 179, 31 Ohio Op. 2d 477, 1965 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 342 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1965).

Opinion

Maybe,, J.

Defendant has filed a motion herein under Section 2311.041, Revised Code, asking for summary judgment upon the pleadings and the stipulations of the parties. Said statute provides that a party against whom a cause of action is asserted may, after the' action is at issue, move for a summary judgment and goes on to provide that a summary judgment shall be rendered where the proceedings, admissions, etc., show there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the party moving is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

Examination of the pleading and stipulation herein reveals there is only one issue of fact: whether the pipe line of The Ashland Pipe Line Company lay inside or outside the right of way of Hanley Road. It is the contention of defendant that this is not a material fact, because regardless of who would prevail on this question, defendant still would be entitled to judgment as a matter of law, in that, if defendant is correct it makes no difference whether the pipe line was inside or outside the right of way of Hanley Road. For the purposes of this motion only, defendant stated in its brief that it will assume that the pipe line in question lay within the right of way of Hanley Road.

. Briefly, a resume of the factual situation follows: Hanley Road was dedicated to public use in 1832, its right of way being 60 feet in width. Prior to its relocation, it intersected with State Route 13 at grade and at right angles. The director spread upon his journal, in June of 1957, the establishment of State Route No. 1 (Interstate Route 71) through Richland, Ashland, Wayne and Medina Counties.

After plans and specifications were prepared for the construction of Interstate Route 71, the relocation of Hanley Road, the interchange ramps, drainage, and other facilities incident to construction, the director acquired rights in private lands as follows:

(1) Fee by deed of lands of Walter Griffith, May 22, 1958.

(2) Easement by appropriation over lands of Nellie Har-baugh, et al., with right of entry on May 16, 1958.

(3) Easement by appropriation over lands of Allen R. Williams, et al., with right of entry on May 16, 1958.

(4) Easement over lands of Charles F. Williams, transferred on May 1, 1958.

[181]*181In acquisition of each of the above, lands were described to the center line of Hanley Eoad.

On April 29, 1958, a contract was let for a portion of interstate 71 project, which included the relocation and reconstruction of Hanley Eoad. Construction began on June 16, 1958.

The Ashland Pipe Line Company was notified on July 10, 1958, pursuant to order entered on the journal of the director, that its pipe line interfered with construction and, among other things, of the relocation of Hanley Eoad, and that it should proceed to remove its pipe line. Defendant did not comply. The director, pursuant to what he terms the authority vested in him under Section 5515.02, Eevised Code, proceeded in July of 1958 to remove and relocate said pipe. The cost was $33,-152.33.

On August 24, 1960, the Board of County Commissioners of Eichland county adopted a resolution respecting the abandonment of the location and use of Hanley Eoad where it intersects the right-of-way for State Eoute 1, and pertaining to establishing new location of Hanley Eoad over the right-of-way acquired for its relocation. (Por further action of the Board of County Commissioners on September 21, 1960, as to abandonment and establishment see Stipulation filed herein.)

It is agreed by the director that the location of the pipe line is not at issue at the present time since defendant assumed for the purposes of this motion that it lay within the right-of-way of former Hanley Eoad. He then asserts that the disposition of the cause now appears to turn upon the question whether he as director had control of the right-of-way (in which the pipe line was located) at the time he issued the removal notice under his reliance upon Section 5515.02, Eevised Code.

Counsel for defendant take the firm stand that the state has no right to recover from defendant the costs it incurred in relocating the pipe line, when the director, pursuant to Chapters 5511 and 5519, Eevised Code, undertook to establish and construct as a part of the state highway system a new highway known as State Eoute 1 and also known as Interstate 71, which, as laid out by the director, crossed an old road known as Hanley Eoad in Eichland county and crossed the pipe line of defendant. The director felt old Hanley Eoad should be moved so it would [182]*182cross under Interstate 71 at a different place from where said Hanley Road was situated in 1958.

Stipulation No. 4 states the only reason for moving the pipe line was in order to construct Interstate 71. Had it not been for the construction of Interstate 71, it would not have been, necessary to relocate the pipe line of The Ashland Pipe Line Company.

The petition filed herein specifically alleges the director relocated said pipe line “through the provisions of Section 5515.02, Revised Code.” Further, the stipulation filed herein states the request made by the director to the defendant to relocate the line was made “according to the provisions of Section 5515.02, Revised Code.” Clearly, the record shows the director was acting only under Section 5515.02, Revised Code, and accordingly it must follow that if plaintiff has authority in this case it must be derived from such section. Unless so derived, recovery cannot be had, and defendant would be entitled to judgment herein.

The state would have no right to recover for the cost of relocation of the pipe line unless the right was specifically granted by statute. In 1959 the Attorney General of Ohio rendered an opinion (No. 632) with respect to relocation of railroad tracks, and held that Section 5515.02, Revised Code, provides the only authority for the director in such instances.

In the instant case, the pipe line, if it lay within any public road, lay within the Richland County road known as Hanley Road and had never been within any part of the state highway system.

In the opening sentence of Section 5515.02, Revised Code, it is provided the director can impose the costs of relocating facilities upon those “using or occupying any part of a road or highway of the state highway system.”

Section 5547.03, Revised Code, gives county commissioners, and no one else, the right to recover the cost of removing pipe lines from county roads.

This court has no quarrel with the theory of progress in highway development advanced by the Attorney General in his brief in which he makes reference to Judge Hanna, speaking for the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga county, on the construction of Section 1178-21, General Code (now Section 5511.02, [183]*183Revised Code). But the factual situation in the instant case distinguishes the applicable principles. Argument advanced indicating that the rights and duties of the Director of Highways and county commissioners and township trustees must be lumped together and considered as a whole, rather than examined separately to determine what rights and duties are given by statute to each authority with respect to the roads placed under its respective jurisdiction, falls short of supporting authority and sound reason. A search for statutory authority lumping these various rights and duties together is like looking for a black hat in a dark room.

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Bluebook (online)
208 N.E.2d 162, 2 Ohio Misc. 179, 31 Ohio Op. 2d 477, 1965 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/department-of-highways-v-ashland-pipe-line-co-ohctcomplrichla-1965.