Hyde v. M., D. & P. Ry. Co.

136 N.W. 92, 29 S.D. 220, 1912 S.D. LEXIS 158
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMay 7, 1912
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 136 N.W. 92 (Hyde v. M., D. & P. Ry. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hyde v. M., D. & P. Ry. Co., 136 N.W. 92, 29 S.D. 220, 1912 S.D. LEXIS 158 (S.D. 1912).

Opinions

WHITING, J.

This action was brought to recover damages which plaintiff alleged he had suffered through the acts of defendants. Upon the trial before the circuit court and jury, defendants objected to the introduction of any evidence under the complaint, basing their objection upon the ground that such complaint did not state facts constituting a cause of action. The objection was sustained, and verdict for defendants directed. Judgment having been rendered upon such verdict, plaintiff appealed to this court, and in his brief states: “There is but one question in this case. Plaintiff contends that he is entitled to recover for incidental and consequential damages. Defendant resists this contention, and claims that, inasmuch as the defendant constructed and are operating their line of railway upon their own land, the plaintiff, even though damaged, cannot recover.” The cause has been presented to this court, both by the briefs and oral arguments, as though it were an appeal from an order sustaining a demurrer to the complaint when such demurrer had been interposed before answer, and it will be SO' treated by this court.

The facts which such demurrer would admit are, in substance, as follows: Plaintiff is the owner of numerous lots in a row of blocks running east and west within, but at the extreme southern end of, the city of Aberdeen. There is no highway on the south side of such.blocks, but there is a street along the north side thereof, and there are streets between such blocks, [227]*227which last-mentioned streets originally extended, without interruption, to the north through said city. The defendants acquired the row of blocks next north of the row where plaintiffs property is situate, and, entering said city from the southeast with their right of way, defendants entered upon such -row of blocks acquired by them, and used the same for a railroad right of way running westerly across the south end of such city. Defendants used no part of the street adjoining plaintiff’s property on the north, but did cross all the streets running north from plaintiff’s property, and -closed two of such streets where the same crossed their right of way. There were at least two streets east of and parallel to, and two streets west of and parallel to, those closed, which were not closed by such right of way, and the street running east and west along the north side of plaintiff’s property connected with all of said open streets. It does not appear that there are any structures upon plaintiff’s property. The defendants have ■constructed a line of railroad, depot grounds, coal bins, water tanks, depot, and engine -house upon the row of blocks owned by them; their exact location as relates to the property of plaintiff not appearing.

[t] This is not an action asking equitable relief by way of injunction; and, while the -plaintiff, in one paragraph of his complaint, has set forth many sources of alleged injury, the only allegations of said complaint upon which he predicates his claim for money damages are those found in paragraph “XI” of such complaint. We must therefore disregard all such matters as are not. pleaded as grounds 'for the recovery of the judgment asked for. Paragraph “XI” of the complaint -reads as follows: “That the defendants are now operating -said -system of -railway and running trains -along the tracks of the same, and are using all of the space between Eleventh and Twelfth avenues as aforesaid as switch-yards and depot grounds; that First street -and Second street have been closed to travel by the defendants, and no crossings are maintained over and across the switchyards and depot grounds of the defendants at First and Second streets, and that by reason of the location, construction, operation, and maintenance by said railway company of said line of railway, and the closing and crossing [228]*228of said streets, as aforesaid, and -the continuous operation of trains over and across the streets aforesaid, north and east of the property of the plaintiff, and by reason of the smoke, dust, noise, and trembling of the earth occasioned by the operation of the trains of the defendants, and the location of the depot and roundhouse across or over the streets leading from plaintiff’s .property to the city proper, .the plaintiff has been damaged in the sum of fifteen thousand ($15,000) dollars. Wherefore, plaintiff demands judgment against the defendants for the sum of fifteen thousand ($15,-000) dollars, besides the costs and disbursements of this action.” It will thus be seen that plaintiff’s claim for damages is based upon the location, construction, maintenance, and operation of the line of road and switchwards, such operation causing smoke, dust, noise and trembling of the earth, and upon the closing- of the streets to the north of, but not adjacent to, plaintiff’s property.

[2] We shall not attempt to harmonize the views advanced in the almost numberless decisions wherein the questions presented by this appeal have been discussed. All that we shall strive to- do is to call attention to what we deem, certain basic propositions which iseem to have been frequently rejected or overlooked, and then determine the .principles that should control under the facts presented by the complaint. From the reading of appellant’s brief, it is apparent that he bases his right of recovery upon the use of the words “or damaged” in section 13, art. 6, of the Constitution of this state, which section reads: “Private property shall not be taken for public use, or damaged,‘without just compensation as determined by a jury, which shall be paid as soon as it can be ascertained and before possession is taken. * * *” From the reading of many of the decisions, it would seem that the courts have frequently held that the right of action to recover damages rested upon constitutional provisions similar to the above. Such holdings are certainly erroneous. We would cite the reader 'hereof to the excellent discussion found in a case from a state having no constitutional provision whatsoever, and would like to quote the opinion in full if space permitted. Staton v. Norfolk & Carolina R. Co., 111 N. C. 278, 16 S. E. 181, 17 L. R. A. 838. See, also, notes in 17 L. R. A. 838-842.

[229]*229The history of the right to recover for the taking or damaging property under the power of eminent domain like the history of such power itself, extends back long prior to our Constitutions, either federal or state. The power of eminent domain is an inherent right vested in sovereignty as a necessary attribute thereof, but long before the founding of the American Colonies it had become thoroughly established, as part of the English law, that it was unlawful to take the property'of an individual for even a public use without making due compensation therefor. The taking of private property without compensation must have been especially repugnant'to a people such as -those who founded our present government — the very corner stone of which is the equality of men before the law. We find that some of the courts have held that, even- where there was no constitutional inhibition, the Legislature had no power to take private property for public use without just compensation. See cases cited' in the Staton Case, supra. The framers of the federal Constitution did not even -think it necessary to place therein any guaranty of this right to recover damages, thus showing that this -right was fully recognized. The guaranty will be found in the fifth amendment.

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Bluebook (online)
136 N.W. 92, 29 S.D. 220, 1912 S.D. LEXIS 158, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hyde-v-m-d-p-ry-co-sd-1912.