Dillon v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co.

124 N.W.2d 543, 255 Iowa 878, 1963 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 781
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedNovember 12, 1963
DocketNo. 50827
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 124 N.W.2d 543 (Dillon v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dillon v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co., 124 N.W.2d 543, 255 Iowa 878, 1963 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 781 (iowa 1963).

Opinion

SNELL, J.

This is a special aetion under chapter 650, Code of Iowa, to ascertain and establish a disputed boundary.

Plaintiff claims record title. Defendant claims title by acquiescence, adverse possession and estoppel.

Under section 650.15 this appeal is heard as in an aetion by ordinary proceedings. The appeal is not de novo. The findings of fact by the trial court if supported by substantial evidence are binding on us. Citation of authorities is unnecessary. See rule 344 (f) 1, Rules of Civil Procedure.

I. The property in dispute is in Lots Seven (7) and Bight (8) of Block One (1), Floyd City, an Addition to Sioux City.

The railroad tracks and right-of-way of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company, defendant herein, cross the lots and have for many years.

In 1944 a warranty deed from a former owner to James B. Dillon described

“All that part of Lots Seven (7) and Eight (8), of Block One (1), Floyd City, an Addition to Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa, east of the west seventy-four (74) feet thereof, except the right-of-way of the Sioux City & Pacific Railway Company.”

Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company is the successor in interest to the Sioux City & Pacific Railway Company.

The present issue in the case at bar is what defendant is entitled to claim as part of its right-of-way.

In 1869 the owner of Lot Seven (7) conveyed to Sioux City & Pacific Railroad Company

[880]*880“All that portion or parcel of said land lying and being within fifty (50) feet in width on each side of the center line of said railroad as the same is now definitely located, staked out and built over and across Lot Seven (7), in Block One (1), Floyd City, Woodbury County, Iowa.”

In 1872 the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad Company took by condemnation “a strip of land within fifty feet in width from the center line of said railroad as now surveyed, staked out and located over and across Lot 7, in Block 1, Floyd City, Woodbury County, Iowa, a strip of land from the east end of said lot forty feet on north line and twenty feet on south line of said lot,” and, “a strip of land within fifty feet in width from the center line of said railroad as now surveyed, staked out and located, over and across Lot 8, in Block 1, Floyd City, Woodbury County, Iowa, a triangular piece of land commencing at a point on the east line of said lot forty feet from the northeast corner, thence running north on the east line forty feet to the southeast corner, then running west on the north line twenty feet, thence in a southerly direction to the place of beginning.”

The land enclosed by these metes and bounds descriptions is east of and does not include the land now in controversy.

There is nothing in the record to indicate when the change was made but from the various documents it is apparent that sometime subsequent to 1872 and prior to 1901 the railroad tracks originally used as the basis for measurements had been moved to the west.

The area now in dispute is indicated by a rough sketch drawn only approximately to scale. The row of short horizontal lines running diagonally from the south line of Lot 8 to the north line of Lot 7 shows the direction and approximate location of the boundary line established by the trial court.

[881]*881¿F. %' of Lots 7 t\no 8 BLOCK / FLOYD CitY ft opt Tl on

The assistant chief engineer of defendant-company identified a blueprint prepared in 1901 from wbicb he computed the [882]*882defendant’s boundary line to be somewhat farther west than would be indicated by original deeds. Another engineer for defendant identified old landmarks showing the location of the main line tracks in 1901. Business records, including maps prepared 40 and 50 years or more ago, show that defendant claimed or assumed ownership of the property in controversy.

In 1923 the City of Sioux City by ordinance granted Wertz Seed Company permission and license for the construction of a sidetrack to the seed company plant. Pursuant to this permission Wertz Seed Company contracted with defendant railroad company for the construction of the railroad tracks to be located as shown on the blueprint map attached to the contract. The blueprint locates the proposed sidetrack west of the main line tracks on Lots Seven (7) and Eight (8). The sidetrack was constructed and has been maintained without substantial change of location. Subsequent agreements in 1944 and 1948 between defendant railroad company and Nutrena Mills, Inc., provide for railroad sidetrack service to the same location as in the Wertz contract.

During the past 40 to 60 years and continuing to the time of trial the defendant railroad company has installed and maintained on the property in dispute various equipment incident to the operation of a railroad, including railroad tracks, switches and switch boxes, telephone and telegraph poles. These installations were beyond the boundary line contended for by plaintiff and within the boundary claimed by defendant.

Sometime at least 40, or possibly as much as 60, years ago plaintiff’s predecessor in interest built a building on part of Lot Eight (8) and extending north into Lot Seven (7). It remains as originally located. It is rectangular in shape except that the northeast corner is cut off diagonally, or as the trial court said on a bias exactly along the boundary line contended for by defendant.

There was additional evidence in support of defendant’s contention but as this appeal must be determined as in an ordinary action no useful purpose would be served by extended recitation thereof.

Factually, plaintiff contends that a 1942 survey showed no [883]*883encroachment by defendant on the property plaintiff now claims. He says be was absent from the state from 1948 until 1950 or 1951; that in 1951 and at various times since then be bas complained to defendant about encroachment and that bis title is supported by the public record. Plaintiff took no official action against defendant until this action was started in April 1959. Defendant’s rights bad ripened long before plaintiff made any complaint of any kind and even before be acquired title to any part of Lots Seven (7) and Eight (8).

The trial court found for and established a boundary line as sought by defendant. Plaintiff appeals contending insufficient support in the record to support the trial court’s findings and conclusions.

The trial court found:

“That when the defendant, Chicago and North Western Railway Company, acquired the property in question in 1901 the main line track as material herein was located to and 50 feet east of a line commencing at a point on the south boundary of and 20 feet west of the southeast corner of Lot 8, in Block 1, Floyd City, an Addition to Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa, and extending in a generally northwesterly direction to a point on the north boundary of and 55 feet west of the northeast corner of Lot 7, in Block 1, Floyd City, an Addition to Sioux City, Woodbury County, Iowa, and that a line parallel with that track and 50 feet to the west of it is the boundary line as contended for by the defendant, Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company.

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124 N.W.2d 543, 255 Iowa 878, 1963 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 781, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dillon-v-chicago-northwestern-railway-co-iowa-1963.