Dissette v. Lowrie

6 Ohio N.P. 392
CourtCuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
DecidedMay 27, 1899
StatusPublished

This text of 6 Ohio N.P. 392 (Dissette v. Lowrie) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dissette v. Lowrie, 6 Ohio N.P. 392 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1899).

Opinion

Kohler, J.

The plaintiff in her petition states, in substance, the following facts constituting her cause of action. She avers that she is the owner of a tract of land on the North side of St. Clair street, in the village of Glenville, Cuyahoga count}7, Ohio, and that the-defendants are the owners of a tract of land on the south side of St. Clair street immediately, opposite the land owned by the plaintiff. That there is a pond of water upon the plaintiff’s land which is supplied from a spring upon or just south of the said tract of defendant’s land, and from which spring there is a natural water-course across defendants’ said tract of land, across St. Clair street and through the land of the plaintiff to said ncnd, which stream of water has for years been running through a pipe laid in said natural water-ooursp, from which said pond has been supplied with running water. That the defendnts are improving their said tract of land by subdividing the same into lots, opening streets through it, constructing sewers in said streets, and in constructing said sewe-s defendants will, and they threaten tc do so, cut through the said water pipe and divert the water flowing therein and therefrom and totally cut off the supply of water tc plaintiff’s pond, thereby causing her irrepaiable injury and damage.

Upon the filing of this petition the judge of the court allowed an injunction order to issue, restraining the defendants, and each of them, from the further prosecution of the work of improving and sewering their said premises. The defendants having been served with process, filed a demurrer to the petition stating as grounds of demurrer, among other things, that the petition does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. The defendants also filed a motion to vacate the order of injunction previously issued by the court. At the-[393]*393time of the hearing of this motion, the demurrer to the petition was, with the consent of parties, overruled, and the case, therefore, came on for.hearing upon the motion of the defendants to vaoate and set aside the order of injunction previously issued.

Before proceeding with the Rearing of the testimony the counsel in the case, together with the court, visited the premises, and although it is apparent that substantial changes have taken place in the lay of the land during the time covered by the investigation, this view materially aided the court in understanding and applying the testimony offered in the case. The affidavits on bcth sides are numerous and, in addition to the affidavits, each party produced a large number of witnesses. There is much conflict in the testimony, and it demonstrates whaat courts and juries have so often felt, that where the question is one of opinion and no strict fact, though that opinion should be founded on scientific principles of professional skill, the injury is painfully unsatisfactory and the answers strangely contradictory. In genera], taking all the testimony into consideration, it is made to appear that there was and is a ravine on the plaintiff’s land, extending to St. Clair street and aoross St. Clair street southerly, becoming shallower until it ran out to the level ground, a distance of, perhaps, fifteen or twenty rods, or more, south of St. Clair street, on the lands now owned by the defendant.

Many years ago the owner of the land now owned by Mrs. Dissette constructed a dam across this ravine,perhaps a couple of hundred feet north of St. Clair street, and this created a little lake or pond, the upper end of which came up near St. Glair street. The source of the water which fed this lake is not very clear. The ground on the margin of the lake, at the side of the ravine was of a springy nature, and-it is also quite apparent that the water came across St. Clair street from this ravine, to whicn I Rave made reference. A number of years ago wnen Judge Dissette purchased these premises, or"Mrs- Dissette purchased these premises, the old wooden dam was taken out and a more substantial structure of stone was constructed, and from that day to this, this little pond or lake upon her premises has been maintained with substantially the same stage cf water as before. For a number of years after the properly was purchased by the plaintiff it was used for watering stock and for other purposes,excepting, perhaps, domestic or culinary purposes. At times ice was cut from the surface of the lake; it was also used as a fishing pond, but for a number of years last past, and since the city water mains have carried the water out in that vicinity, there has been but little practical use for the water, the chief value of this lake a the present time, in the opinion of the court, being, in effect, that it adds to the attractions of the plaintiff’s premises.

The water at the head of the dam is quite deep, twelve feet or more, shade trees surround it, and being near the plaintiff’s residence and St. Clair street, its appearance is quite ornamental. At the present time the water ruus into this lake from a small tile crossing St. Clair street, and this tile runs thence in a southerly direction to an open spring, or catch-basin, as it has been called, and it is said that the water is brought to this catch basin through a pipe from a point still further to the southeast, and whioh was originally laid in the bottom of a ravine where the water ran ; and Mr. Burton, defendants’ grantor, some twelve or more years ago, laid a drain tile from this catch-basin notheasterly to St. Clair street for the purpose of draining his land and rendering the same fit for cultivation.

It is claimed also by the plaintiff that this drain tile placed by Dr.Burton from the catch-basin down to St. Clair street, was laid in the bottom of the ravine where there was a natural water-course, and that the public authorities constructed a sluice-way through St. Clair street sc that the water found its way into the head of the lake on plaintiff’s premises.

The defendants, Lowrie Brothers, purchased twenty-two acres of this [394]*394land from Dr.Burton and others a year or so ago, caused it to be surveyed into about oue hundred and fifty lots, upon which streets have been laid out, and they are now proceeding to improve the same by constructing sewers, planting trees,, building dwelling houses; and the contention of the plaintiff is that by the construction of these sewers whioh the defendants are building, or threaten to dig and build, that the supply of water for this lake of the plaintiff’s will be cut off and destroyed,and that, therefore, irreparable damage will be done to the plaintiff. It does not appear that the defendants are doing anything other than the improvement of their premises in the manner stated. This purchase on the part of the defendants represents an investment of about fifty thousand dollars; they are expending or have expended, in improvements thereon, about twenty-five thousand dollars more, and that the property is now to be brought into the market.

The nature of the soil of the defendants’ property which they are improving, on the surface, and to a depth of about three or four feet, it is of a light sandy nature, but below that it is a quick-sand, or what competent witnesses call a water bearing stratum, in which there are springs of water. Water is found at a few feet from the surface, and the digging cf the cellars in the vicinity of the property in controversy, shows that water gathers in the bottom of these cellars.

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Bluebook (online)
6 Ohio N.P. 392, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dissette-v-lowrie-ohctcomplcuyaho-1899.