Fidler v. Roberts

41 F.2d 305, 1930 U.S. App. LEXIS 2776
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedMay 28, 1930
Docket4284
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 41 F.2d 305 (Fidler v. Roberts) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fidler v. Roberts, 41 F.2d 305, 1930 U.S. App. LEXIS 2776 (7th Cir. 1930).

Opinion

SPARKS, Circuit Judge.

This is an appeal from an interlocutory order or decree on a bill filed by appellee, Helen O. Roberts, against appellants, Jacob Fidler, Cliff Oldham, and Frank Worms. Appellants filed an affirmative answer, and upon a preliminary hearing they were enjoined, until further order of the court, from going into and upon the premises described in the bill.

In brief, the bill avers that appellee is-a citizen and resident of, and resides in, Los Angeles, in the state of California, and that the appellants are citizens and residents and reside in Fulton county, 111.; that the amount involved in this proceeding, exclusive of interest and costs, is in excess of $3,000; that appellee is the owner in fee of the land described in the' bill of coinplaint, whieh amounts to over 2,000 acres, all of whieh is located in Fulton county, 111.; that the greater portion of this land is swamp and overflowed land and in a state of nature, and it is estimated by counsel that the overflowed land exceeds 1400 acres; that prior to the opening of the hunting season appellee had caused , notices to be posted in conspicuous places over said territory to the effect that no trespassing would be allowed, and had caused similar notices to be published in the local papers; that, notwithstanding these notices, persons whose names and identity were unknown frequently eame upon the lands in the nighttime as. well as in the daytime, without authority, and shot, hunted, fished, and trapped, and trampled down crops, destroyed fences, and permanently injured said property; that, when the hunting season opened on September 24, 1929, the appellants and others, approximating one hundred in num-. ber, came upon said premises contrary to said notices and contrary to the wishes of appellee, and unlawfully trespassed upon said premises for the purpose of hunting; that appellee’s agent was unable to ascertain the names of more than the three appellants; that appellants have threatened to return in the future and use the premises iri the same manner as abové set forth, and appellee believes that the trespassing will continue; and that the private ownership of said property will be practically destroyed. She therefore prays that the appellants, and all others with notice, may be permanently enjoined from unlawfully using this property in theN manner above indicated, and she asks for a preliminary injunction enjoining appellants from so using the same until a final hearing.

This being a temporary injunction, the only questions for our determination are: (1) Had the trial court jurisdiction to entertain the application for an injunction? And, jurisdiction appearing, (2) was the injunctional relief improvidently granted? Harding v. Corn Products Refining Co., 168 F. 658 (7 C. C. A.); Gasaway et al. v. Borderland Coal Corporation, 278 F. 56 (7 C. C. A.).

We are first met with the ob jection on the part of appellants whieh questions the jurisdiction of the lower court, in that the bill does not allege, nor does the evidence show, that the amount in' controversy, exclusive of interest and costs, exceeds $3,000; and they further insist that this fact should be alleged and proved as to each appellant.

It is sufficient, to support the jurisdiction of a federal court, that the facts requisite to confer it appear in any part of the record, or are the necessary consequences of the facts stated in the pleadings or the findings of the court. Myers v. Hettinger (C. C. A.) 94 F. 370. The verified bill alleges generally that appellee is the owner of the fee simple of many hundreds of acres of valuable land, most of whieh consists of low or marsh lands, sloughs, and" ponds and shallow lakes, and that these lands are very valuable for hunting, fishing, and trapping purposes. The matter in controversy is whether or not the public at large, which of course includes appellants, has the right to go upon and use said land at will, for the purpose of hunting, fishing, and trapping. This use, with the attendant damages to appellee’s property, exceeds in value the sum of $3,000, acecirding to the averments of' the verified bill. None of the appellants has any greater or lesser right to sueh use of the land than do all other members of the general public. Therefore, under the issues, the entire controversy, including the value of the use, is raised by the trial of each appellant. If any appellant recovers on the theory of public use, he must do so on the theory that the public has the same right as he; and the damage to appellee by the existence of sueh use is the same whether the question is tried in a ease where one member of the public is a defendant, or where all the members of the public are defendants. Therefore the damage to appellee, or the amount involved, is the same in each *307 ease. "We think the allegation of the hill in this particular is sufficient.

Appellants further urge that the bill is not sufficient to give jurisdiction by reason of the fact that the words “amount involved” are used instead of the statutory words “amount in controversy.” It seems clear to us that this is a distinction without any material difference, and we think the bill sufficient in this particular.

Appellants insist that the hill is insufficient on account of verification. The bill alleges that appellee is a resident of, and is now living in, California. It is verified by two persons, one of whom is appellee’s supervising agent of the land, and the other is her tenant. Most of the alleged facts are stated to be within the personal knowledge of both affiants, and those facts which are sworn to on information and belief are specifically designated.

When the decree was first presented to the trial judge for signature, appellants for the first time objected to it on the ground that tho hill was not properly verified, as required by equity rule 25 (28 USCA § 723). It is sufficient to say in this respect that, if appellants desired to avail themselves of the alleged deficiency in verification, ample opportunity is provided under equity rule 29 (28 USCA § 723); but such action must be timely. Lack of equity jurisdiction, if not objected to by a defendant, may bo ignored by the eourt in a case where the subject-matter of the suit is of a class of which a court of equity has jurisdiction; and, where the defendant has failed to object seasonably, the objection will he treated as waived. Pusey & Jones Co. v. Hanssen, 261 U. S. 491, 43 S. Ct. 454, 67 L. Ed. 763.

Appellants further attack the bill on the grounds that the insolvency of the appellants, the irreparable injury to appelloo, and the imminency of a multiplicity of suits, are not averred with sufficient particularity. These objections were first made by appellants when the decree was presented to tho court, which was several days after the decree for a temporary injunction was ordered by the court. There was no error in overruling the objections at that late day.

It is further contended by appellants that Bice Lake, which constitutes a major portion of tho premises from which appellants are enjoined, is now a navigable body of water, and has been such continuously from the earliest days of this country; that by the Enabling Act passed by Congress on April 18,1818 (3 Stat.

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Bluebook (online)
41 F.2d 305, 1930 U.S. App. LEXIS 2776, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fidler-v-roberts-ca7-1930.