Hill v. McBurney Oil & Fertilizer Co.

52 L.R.A. 398, 38 S.E. 42, 112 Ga. 788, 1901 Ga. LEXIS 92
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedFebruary 26, 1901
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 52 L.R.A. 398 (Hill v. McBurney Oil & Fertilizer Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hill v. McBurney Oil & Fertilizer Co., 52 L.R.A. 398, 38 S.E. 42, 112 Ga. 788, 1901 Ga. LEXIS 92 (Ga. 1901).

Opinion

Simmons, C. J.

Hill and others applied for an injunction to restrain the McBurney Oil and Fertilizer Company from blowing a certain steam whistle. The petition alleged, that the plant of the defendant was situated in a populous residence community of the town of Warrenton, and that the dwellings of the plaintiffs were situated near by; that the steam whistle used in connection with the plant was “loud, shrill, shrieking, discordant, startling, and terrific,” and its blasts such as to injure the health of plaintiffs, disturb their sleep, and seriously interfere with their reasonable enjoyment of their habitations; that the damage to the plaintiffs was, because of the proximity of their homes, special and not shared by the public generally; that the whistle was blown at unseasonable hours, particularly in the very early morning; that the use of the whistle was entirely unnecessary; that the use of the whistle was a continuing nuisance, causing injury every day; that to sue for damages would necessitate a multiplicity of suits; and that the injury to the plaintiffs was great hut not susceptible of adequate compensation in damages. The plaintiffs also made certain allegations, which will be presently discussed, to show why resort was not had to the remedy provided by statute for the abatement of nuisances in towns and cities. The petition prayed that the defendant be enjoined from blowing the whistle at certain specified times in the early morning and at all other times, hut on the hearing the plaintiffs expressly abandoned all objections to the moderate blowing of the whistle at noon and at the time of the usual afternoon signal. The defendant answered, admitting the moderate use of the whistle, but denying most of the material allegations of the petition. The answer also alleged that the plaintiffs had an ample and complete remedy at law, and that the plaintiffs should avail themselves of the statutory remedy if the whistle could be considered as a nuisance. On the interlocutory hearing the plaintiffs introduced in evidence a large [790]*790number of affidavits tending to sustain fully the allegations of the petition. The defendant offered to introduce a great many affidavits, every one of which was objected to by the plaintiffs on the ground that it was not entitled in the case. “ The court,” it is stated in the bill of exceptions, “ruled that it must appear in the affidavit in what case the witness was sworn. As the court was to reserve its decision, the defendant then informally filed all of its affidavits with the court, without reading them, which the court identified as affidavits used in the case and which the court considered in rendering its decision.” The judge denied and refused the injunction, and the plaintiffs excepted.

1. It was argued here that the refusal of the injunction was proper, because the plaintiffs had an adequate and complete remedy at law, and that, if the use of the whistle was a nuisance, it should have been abated by proceedings instituted under section 4762 of the Civil Code. That section provides that, if a nuisance complained of exists in a town or city, it may be abated and removed by order of the municipal authorities. Ordinarily this would have been the plaintiffs’ remedy (Broomhead v. Grant, 83 Ga. 451), but the pleadings and evidence in the present case show that this remedy was not open to the plaintiffs. They' alleged and proved that the town council was composed of five commissioners, and that, of these, one was a -part owner, of the defendant’s mill, another was a brother-in-law of such part owner, and a third had removed from the town and become a resident in a town in another county. They showed that they had made application to the town council for the abatement of the nuisance, and that the town council had refused to act. They showed that the majority of the council were disqualified, as above stated, from acting in the premises, that the minority could not legally act, and that the statutory remedy was, therefore, inadequate to their needs. None of this-was denied or contradicted by any evidence which the judge could properly have considered. We think that the plaintiffs showed reasons amply sufficient to justify a resort to some remedy other than that provided in section 4762 of the Civil Code. In the absence of the statutory remedy, a court of equity should take jurisdiction of a case like this. In the first place, the statutory remedy was not available or feasible under the circumstances of the case. In the next place, if the nuisance was not abated it would [791]*791continue, and would inflict on the plaintiffs injuries which could not be readily ascertained or adequately compensated in damages by a suit at law. In the third place, in order to recover damages for the results of a continuing nuisance of this kind, a multiplicity of suits would be necessary. Conceding for the time that the acts complained of constituted a nuisance, we think it clear that the case was one of which equity should take jurisdiction. In the case of Butler v. Thomasville, 74 Ga. 570, it was held, following Georgia etc. Co. v. Colquitt, 72 Ga. 172, that “If a nuisance causes special damage to an individual, in which the public do not participate, such special damage gives a right of action, and as an action may be brought for every day the nuisance 'continues, equity, which abhors a multiplicity of suits, will entertain jurisdiction, so as to do full and complete justice between the parties and terminate the litigation. . . More especially will this be done when the party which seeks to create the nuisance is the only tribunal which has the power to abate the nuisance.” The case of Kavanagh v. Railroad Co., 78 Ga. 271, arose upon an application to a court of equity to enjoin a nuisance. This court held that, while the nuisance was a public one, the plaintiff could maintain an action therefor if she showed special damage in which the public did not participate; and that “if the injury, from its nature, is not susceptible of being adequately compensated by damages at law, or is such as that, from its continuance, a permanent mischief must occasion a constantly recurring grievance, which can not be otherwise prevented, equity will enjoin.” Where there is no available statutory remedy for the abatement of a nuisance, the only effectual remedy is in a court of equity, “ and the jurisdiction is predicated upon the broad, ground of preventing irreparable injury, interminable litigation, a multiplicity of actions, and the protection of rights.” 2 Wood, Nuisances (3d ed.), § 777.

2. Not a single one of the many affidavits offered in evidence by the defendant was entitled in the court or case, and, as above stated, objection was made to them on that ground. While the judge appears on the hearing to have thought the objection a good one, he certifies that he considered the affidavits in deciding the case. Exception is taken to this, the plaintiffs claiming that the affidavits were inadmissible because they were not entitled in the case and did not show affirmatively that they were made to be used in [792]*792this particular case. We think the exception well taken. “An affidavit should generally be entitled in the court and cause in which it is filed, but, as the purpose of the title is to identify the suit, if this appears in another way, as by reference to other papers duly entitled, it will be sufficient.” 1 Enc. PI. & Pr. 311 (1, a).

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Bluebook (online)
52 L.R.A. 398, 38 S.E. 42, 112 Ga. 788, 1901 Ga. LEXIS 92, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hill-v-mcburney-oil-fertilizer-co-ga-1901.