Detroit & Toledo Shore Line Railroad v. Hall

94 N.W. 1066, 133 Mich. 302, 1903 Mich. LEXIS 494
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedMay 29, 1903
DocketDocket Nos. 24, 25
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 94 N.W. 1066 (Detroit & Toledo Shore Line Railroad v. Hall) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Detroit & Toledo Shore Line Railroad v. Hall, 94 N.W. 1066, 133 Mich. 302, 1903 Mich. LEXIS 494 (Mich. 1903).

Opinion

Moore, J.

These proceedings were brought to acquire a strip of land belonging to the respondent Hall for railroad purposes, containing 3.64 acres. The jury awarded for the taking of said land $364. Their award was confirmed by the circuit judge. The proceedings are sought to be reviewed here. There are 100 reasons assigned why the judge erred in confirming the award, and the printed record contains over 600 pages. The proceedings were commenced before. Judge Brooke, and conducted before him until directions were given for striking a jury. The jury was struck under the direction of Judge Hosmer, while the trial, after a jury was obtained, was conducted before Judge Frazer. It is likely some of the questions discussed by counsel would not have arisen if all the proceedings had been conducted under the supervision of but one judge.

It is claimed the proceedings must fail because there was no public necessity for another line of railroad between the points named in the petition, Toledo and Detroit. It is argued by counsel that, as the two railroads already constructed between those two cities can do all the business, another road is not necessary. On the other hand, it is claimed that the two roads between the two cities are practically under one management, so that there is no competition between them, and that there are nine railroads terminating in Toledo and six in Detroit, with no connec[305]*305tion. between these terminals except the two roads mentioned, and that another connection was a public necessity. Proofs were taken in support of these diverse views. The judge, before he ordered a jury to be impaneled, must have been satisfied upon this point; and later the jury, as indicated by its award, was also satisfied. This court will not, under such circumstances, review their action. Toledo, etc., R. Co. v. Dunlap, 47 Mich. 456 (11 N. W. 271); Port Huron, etc., R. Co. v. Voorheis, 50 Mich. 506 (15 N. W. 882); Saginaw, etc., R. Co. v. Bordner, 108 Mich. 236 (66 N. W. 62); Marquette, etc., R. Co. v. Longyear, ante, 94 (94 N. W. 670).

The second objection, and perhaps the most important one, is stated by counsel as follows:

“It was error to strike or to draw a jury to condemn appellants’ lands without giving appellants an opportunity to complete their proofs on the question of value of the property sought to be taken; for without such evidence the court could not determine whether or not a fair offer had been made to them by the appellee for the land before it filed its petition in this cause.”

Counsel says it must be made to appear that a bona fide effort to acquire the land has been made before the aid of the court can be invoked, and that, before that can be determined, the court must receive testimony as to the value of the land, and all the. testimony that the owner of the land desires to offer; citing a number of cases, but especially relying upon Grand Rapids, etc., R. Co. v. Weiden, 69 Mich. 579 (37 N. W. 872). The petition in this case follows the form approved in the Weiden Case. There was testimony taken before Judge Brooke showing that Mr. Hall was offered $100 an acre for his land by a representative of the company, and refused to take it. Testimony was also offered on the part of the railroad company that the land was worth $70 an acre. It was the claim of Mr. Hall that the land was part of a valuable stone quarry, and was worth at least $1,000 an acre. On the part of the railroad company it was claimed the land [306]*306had no value as a quarry, and proofs were offered in support of these various claims. After the attorney for Mr. Hall had called all the witnesses he had in court, there was a discussion as to a further hearing at which'he might put in additional proof in relation to value. Any delay was objected to on the part of the railroad company. The court informed the attorneys, in substance, that there was such a wide difference in the estimates of values, and enough testimony had been put in upon that subject, that more witnesses swearing the land was worth $1,000 an acre would not change his opinion, and that he thought it his duty to order a jury; but that, if the attorney desired to put the record in better shape, he might, on the morning the jury was to assemble, call witnesses as to value; and made an order that a jury be called for the following Tuesday. Judge Brooke had occasion to leave the city before Tuesday, and the proceeding was taken up before Judge Hosmer. The attorney for Mr. Hall objected to the striking of a jury, and stated he desired to swear witnesses to show there were 12 apple trees upon the land, worth $150 to $200 apiece; that there was other timber, worth more than the entire amount offered by the railroad company; and that the stone under the land was worth upwards of $100,000. Judge Hosmer declined to hear this testimony, because he was of the opinion that Judge Brooke, in order to reach the conclusion that it was his duty to order a jury, must have been satisfied there was a bona fide effort made to acquire the title to the land, which effort had failed.

It is undoubtedly true that, if Judge Brooke had been present, he would have received this testimony; but it is evident, from what was stated by him, it would have been received only for the purpose of perfecting the record, so that his action might be reviewed in this court. It is very apparent he was satisfied there was such a wide difference of opinion as to the value of this property that the parties could not arrive at an agreement for right of way, and that it was a proper case to be submitted to a jury. The offer made on the part of the attorney for Mr. Hall accomplished [307]*307the same purpose sought to be accomplished by Judge Brooke. There must come a time, in the preliminary proceeding before the judge, to decide whether a jury shall be called or not, when the taking of testimony shall end. It has already appeared that Judge Brooke was satisfied from the evidence which had been offered that a jury ought to be called, and that the evidence which was prqposed was cumulative, and would not change his opinion. As all this testimony might be offered before the jury, and later was offered, and the trial fully entered upon, we do not think the court lost jurisdiction by what was done.

The jury visited the premises. Complaint is made of instructions which are said to have been given to the jury limiting their inspection of the premises. Counsel says in his brief that in some way these instructions were left out of the printed record, but appear in the original transcript, as a reference will show, but does not say where in the transcript they may be found. Opposing counsel say no such instructions were given. The original transcript contains upwards of 550 typewritten pages, besides all the exhibits. The writer of this opinion has made a diligent effort to find the instructions which are said to have been left out of the printed record, and has been unable to do so. Under the circumstances he does not feel called upon to discuss further what is said by counsel upon that subject in the brief.

Counsel says:

“It did not appear in these proceedings at any time that the appellants asked an unreasonable price for the land, or that the appellee made a bona fide attempt to agree with them upon a price for the property desired.”

This raises a question of fact. An offer of $100 an acre was made and refused. The company claimed this would fully pay the damage, while Mr.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

In Re Kent County Airport
118 N.W.2d 824 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1962)
Rowe v. State Highway Commissioner
114 N.W.2d 227 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1962)
In Re Brewster Street Housing Site
289 N.W. 493 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1939)
Saginaw Milling Co. v. Mower
118 N.W. 622 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1908)
United States Gypsum Co. v. Kent Circuit Judge
114 N.W. 666 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1908)
Boyne City, Gaylord & Alpena Railroad v. Anderson
109 N.W. 429 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1906)
Lorf v. City of Detroit
108 N.W. 661 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1906)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
94 N.W. 1066, 133 Mich. 302, 1903 Mich. LEXIS 494, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/detroit-toledo-shore-line-railroad-v-hall-mich-1903.