Harmon v. Railroad

87 Tenn. 614
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedMay 7, 1889
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 87 Tenn. 614 (Harmon v. Railroad) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Harmon v. Railroad, 87 Tenn. 614 (Tenn. 1889).

Opinion

J. M. Dickinson, Sp. J.

Plaintiff owned a parcel of ground in tie Taxing District of Shelby County by deed, which described it as being “one hundred and fifty feet on the north side of Jackson by one hundred and seventy feet on the west side of Eighth Street.” The Tennessee Southern Railroad Company, to whose rights and liabilities defendant, the L., H., 0. & T. R. R. Co. succeeded, by permission of the Taxing District, and in accordance with a contract made with it May 22, 1883, graded under the supervision of the Engineer of the District, and upon the grades fixed by him, Eighth Street, in front of plaintiff’s property, and laid down upon it three lines of railway track. Defendant, at the time the suit was brought, and prior thereto, ran its cars and engines over said tracks in the prosecution of its business as a common carrier with great frequency, both by day and by night. On Hovember 8, 1883, plaintiff* brought suit in the Circuit Court of Shelby County against the said Tennessee Southern Railroad Company for injuries alleged to have been done said realty by the said grading of Eighth Street, and the building and operation of said railroad. The declaration alleged ownership in plaintiff of the ultimate fee in the street, and also an easement of [616]*616way appurtenant to the abutting lot; that defendant had practically closed the street with its tracks, excavations, and fills, so as to utterly destroy its use and value as a highway, and had converted it to its exclusive use for its cars and engines; that the tracks in front of plaintiff’s premises were used for leaving cars at night, and placing and switching engines; that plaintiff’s business, carried on upon said lots, had been greatly injured, and that the property was damaged in the sum of five thousand dollars.

Defendant, by plea, denied that the street was practically _ closed, that it was' destroyed as a highway, and that plaintiff’s ingress, egress, and right of way appurtenant to said property were impaired.’

Plaintiff, at the trial, offered proof tending to show that defendant had placed three tracks on Eighth Street; that prior to that time this street had been the principal way of approaching his lot; that the grade had been raised by defendant putting a high bank of earth along one hundred feet of his lot, resulting in backing the water on said lot and making it marshy; that th.e tracks occupied nearly the whole of the street, so that plaintiff could not pass to and from said lot with vehicles because of the cross-ties and rails, and that he was excluded therefrom by the constant and uninterrupted occupation of said street by engines and cars passing and standing there; that defendant, throughout 1884, habitually left its en[617]*617gines and cars standing on said street in front of plaintiff’s lot, and made it dangerous and impossible for vehicles, animals, or persons to go upon said street; that said realty, prior to the occupation of said street by the defendant, as aforesaid, was worth five thousand dollars, and that because of said appropriation and occupation it had deteriorated in value to the extent of from two thousand five hundred to four thousand dollars; that engines have been allowed nightly, and all night, to stand in front of said premises and escape steam;, that plaintiff could make no use of said street as a highway for vehicles, or for horses; that since the tracks of defendant were placed upon the street it was not used for the ordinary purposes of a street, nor could it be so used with safety or convenience by the public.

Defendant introduced proof tending to show that the property was not lessened in value “ on account of its occupation of said Eighth Street with its tracks or its engines and cars.” It introduced no evidence to controvert the character of the occupation and use as alleged and proven by plaintiff. None of the evidence was excepted to.

The Court charged that defendant had the privilege to use Eighth Street to the extent of laying down and operating three tracks in the prosecution of its business, and that plaintiff' could recover nothing for this, nor for the injuries incident to the grading done pursuant to the contract with the Taxing District. •

[618]*618It was further charged that defendant was not entitled to the exclusive use of the street, that its use must be reasonable, such as would not materially interfere with the use of the street by plaintiff for ordinary purposes; that defendant had no right to leave its engines or trains standing on said street so as to interfere with or obstruct travel on or over said street, except as the same is incidental to the proper running of trains; that if defendant had exceeded the proper uses as limited, plaintiff could recover all damages sustained by such excessive use, to be arrived at by .considering depreciation in value of plaintiff’s property, the impairment in the value of its use, the injury to the property by the passing of trains, and annoyance from noise, sparks, smoke, and the danger from fire caused by the use made of the street by defendant.

Defendant excepted to the charge, but made no request of the Court. A verdict was rendered for five hundred dollars. Both sides appealed, but neither perfected the appeal, and the judgment was paid.

Plaintiff brought the present suit March 10, 1886, making substantially the same allegations in regard to the laying of tracks, and grading, and injury to property and business therefrom as were set out in the former suit.

He alleges that the cars are run on said street at excessive and dangerous speed; that they are frequently left standing thereon; that his rightful [619]*619use of said street is impaired; that since the former suit defendant has repeated the wrongs therein •complained of, and has committed other wrongs, •such as not filling between its tracks, so as to make its road even with the grade' of the street, keeping its track elevated one foot above the surface of the street, allowing open spaces between its cross-ties, thus impairing the proper use of the street as a highway to the injury of plaintiff’s easement.

It is alleged that defendant has made, by day and by night, running, flying, kick, and drop switches, all of which are highly dangerous to and destructive of plaintiffs easement; that defendant stores its cars on said tracks, and uses them as a switch yard, blockading the street and cutting off access to plaintiff’s premises; that engines are stopped there for hours to be cleaned, making loud noises, all to the impairment of plaintiff’s rights in said street.

Defendant relies upon the plea of res adjudicata in bar, and sets out all of the pleadings and proceedings under the former suit. The Judge ruled out all testimony offered by plaintiff to sustain his declaration, and instructed the jury that the former judgment concluded plaintiff, and there was a verdict for defendant.

Plaintiff unquestionably is concluded by the 'former suit as to all damages arising from the taking of the street for ordinary railroad purposes and the' grading incident thereto. Such occupation [620]*620by defendant under its charter and the contract with the Taxing District was lawful, and the use and the consequent injuries were permanent in character. Plaintiff had a right to recover compensation for the new burden imposed on the fee of the street if he owned it. G. R. & I. R. R. Co. v. Heisel, 38 Mich., 62 (A. R., 31, p. 306).

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

Related

George R. Caldwell, Jr., et ux v. PBM Properties
Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 2005
Clabo v. Great American Resorts, Inc.
121 S.W.3d 668 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 2003)
Citizens Real Estate & Loan Co. v. Mountain States Development Corp.
633 S.W.2d 763 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1982)
Ledbetter v. Beach
421 S.W.2d 814 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1967)
Henegar v. International Minerals & Chemical Corp.
354 S.W.2d 69 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1962)
Robertson v. Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway
339 S.W.2d 6 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1960)
City of Murfreesboro v. Haynes
82 S.W.2d 236 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1935)
Conestee Mills v. City of Greenville
158 S.E. 113 (Supreme Court of South Carolina, 1931)
Tennessee Central Railway Co. v. Askew
11 Tenn. App. 406 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1930)
Jones v. Tennessee Central Railway Co.
8 Tenn. App. 183 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1928)
C. N. O. & T. P. Ry. Co. v. Moon
2 Tenn. App. 477 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1926)
Carter Oil Company v. Kerley
1925 OK 201 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1925)
Fox v. Corbitt
137 Tenn. 466 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1916)
Illinois Cent. R. v. Moriarity
135 Tenn. 446 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1916)
Lewisburg & N. R. v. Hinds
134 Tenn. 293 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1915)
Acker v. Mayor of Knoxville
117 Tenn. 224 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1906)
Pepper v. Union Railway Co.
113 Tenn. 53 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1904)
Railway Co. v. Higdon
111 Tenn. 121 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1903)
Wilkins v. Chicago. St. Louis & New Orleans Railroad
110 Tenn. 422 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1903)
Coleman v. Bennett
111 Tenn. 705 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1902)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
87 Tenn. 614, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harmon-v-railroad-tenn-1889.