Donovan v. Allert

91 N.W. 441, 11 N.D. 289
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1903
StatusPublished
Cited by44 cases

This text of 91 N.W. 441 (Donovan v. Allert) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Donovan v. Allert, 91 N.W. 441, 11 N.D. 289 (N.D. 1903).

Opinion

Morgan, J.

The plaintiff brings this action, and seeks to permanently enjoin the defendants from erecting telephone poles on the streets in front of his lots, situated in various blocks in the city of Langdon, N. D., and particularly described in the complaint, which is, in substance, as follows: That among other lots so described as being affected by the erection of such telephone poles, guy poles, cross bars and wires is the lot on which is erected the dwelling house in which plaintiff resides; that two poles have been erected in the street in front of said lot, and that the erection of said poles at said places interferes with the ingress and egress to his said dwelling house, and interferes with his property rights in said street, and deprives him of light and air to which he is entitled, and that such poles and fixtures render the appearance of said house unsightly, and tend to lessen its financial value and render it unsaleable, and that such poles and fixtures will interfere with the growth of shade trees planted by him in close proximity to said poles; that said poles are 30 feet in height, and are placed in the ground at a distance of 2 feet from the sidewalk, and immediately in line of and in front of the walk leading from the sidewalk to his said dwelling house; that said poles and wires interfere or will interfere with his legal rights in several other lots owned by him in said city; that the defendants were granted- a franchise by said city to construct and operate a telephone system in said city by an ordinance duly enacted by the city council thereof, and that said ordinance does not provide for any compensation to be given to owners of property abutting on the streets of said city, nor does it provide that ■condemnation proceedings shall be instituted and completed before ■such system is constructed, or at any other time; that the said poles were erected without his consent and without compensation to him, and therefore in violation of § 14 of the constitution of North Dakota, and of § 5933 of the statutes of said state. The demand for relief is that the defendants be temporarily and permanently enjoined from putting up any more poles on the streets on which plaintiff’s lots abut, and from operating such telephone exchange, until defendants have made just compensation to plaintiff as required by the laws and the constitution of the state. The defendants answer by denying any damage to plaintiff’s propery, and further allege that they have undertaken the construction of a telephone system in the city of Lang-don under the provisions of an ordinance of the city council granting them the right to do so under prescribed restrictions, and the poles and wires are erected under the supervision of the committee on streets and alleys, as appointed by said council, and in pursuance of said ordinance. The plaintiff applied for a preliminary injunction to restrain the defendants from proceeding with the erection of such poles and the operating of the telephone system until plaintiff had been duly compensated for damage done to his property. The trial court issued an order to show cause [291]*291why the defendants should not be so restrained. A hearing was had upon such order, based on affidavits presented by the parties. On motion of the defendants, the order to show cause was dissolved and the preliminary injunction refused on the ground that the facts shown did not show that the plaintiff was entitled to the relief sought. The plaintiff has appealed to this court from such order denying his application for a preliminary injunction. The defendants contend in this court that the plaintiff is not entitled to relief by injunction, as he has a plain,t speedy,.and adequate remedy at law, the defendants not being shown to be insolvent or unable to respond in damages. This question will be considered and decided after a decision of the other question in the case.

The main question involved — the use of the streets of a city for the poles and other equipments of a telephone system, without compensation to the owners of the lots abutting on the streets — is one of difficulty to determine, and one of vast importance and far-reaching consequences. Upon a question of such magnitude, and practical interest to almost every citzen of the state, as well as to almost every municipality, it is to be regretted by this court that counsel deemed it advisable to abandon the privilege of an oral argument, and to submit the questions raised on written briefs. However, the subject of the action is not a new one, and has frequently been before the courts of many jurisdictions. True, the decisions of such courts are not harmonious. Still, every phase of the principle contended for in this case has been affirmed in learned decigions by courts of the highest standing, and likewise disaffirmed by other courts of equal standing, in opinions showing equal ability and learning.

Before entering upon a decision upon the merits, a statement of a few material facts is advisable: The original plat of the ci'ty of Langdon, as filed by the original proprietors, dedicates and gives the streets and alleys of said city for public use. The ordinance of said city granting the telephone franchise to the defendants for 15 years is silent upon the subject of compensation to abutting or other lot owners for damages by reason of the occupation of the streets by defendants for telephone purposes, and is silent as to condemnation proceedings therefor. Under section 5956, Rev. Codes, the right of eminent domain may be exercised in behalf of several enumerated public uses; among them being telegraph and telephone lines. The question involved, as considered by this court, is that of the occupation of the streets by the defendants for telephone purposes, and not that of the direct or actual occupation of the plaintiffs lots by said company for said purposes, outside of street occupation. Certain conceded principles of law applicable to the questions involved in this case may be stated: The constitution of this state provides that private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation having been first made to, or paid into court for, the owner. The legislature has the power, by general laws, [292]*292to regulate the uses to which the streets may be subjected as against the public. City councils in this state have been granted the power to regulate or prevent the use of the streets for telegraph and telephone poles. § 2148, Rev. Codes. Prior 'to the adoption of the Code of 1895 the regulation of telephone systems and their construction was governed by § 3025, Comp. Laws, enacted in 1885. A telephone system is classed under the statute as one of public use. § 5956, Rev. Codes. Chapter 35 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides that private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation having first been made to, or paid into court for, the owner, and further provides the means and procedure under which such damages may be ascertained. The plaintiff in this case is the' owner of the fee in the lot to the middle of the street, and entitled to the beneficial use thereof, subject to the easement or limited fee of the public in the street for its use for public purposes. In this case the absolute fee of these lots was never in the city, and it has simply an easement or a limited fee therein. In Railway Co. v. Lake, 10 N. D. 541, 88 N. W. Rep. 461, this court decided “that the public has only an easement in streets and highways, the fee remaining in the original owner or his successor, and that such owner may exercise such acts of ownership thereto as are not inconsistent with the easement.” In that case there was no dedication by plat.

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Bluebook (online)
91 N.W. 441, 11 N.D. 289, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/donovan-v-allert-nd-1903.