In re Riverside Park Extension

27 Misc. 373, 58 N.Y.S. 963
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1899
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 27 Misc. 373 (In re Riverside Park Extension) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Riverside Park Extension, 27 Misc. 373, 58 N.Y.S. 963 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1899).

Opinion

Nash, J.

This is a proceeding, under chapter 152 of the Laws of 1894, known as the Riverside Park Extension Act, for the appraisal. of the lands, including land under water, laid out, appropriated ánd set apart by the terms of the act for the extension of Riverside park and other public uses. The •confirmation of the report of the commissioners is opposed by all of the landowners objecting, upon the ground that the valuations put upon their lands are inadequate and not a just compensation for the lands taken.

Upon the question of compensation to the landowners it was urged by them before' the commissioners, that, the just compensation which the Constitution guarantees to the owners of the lands taken by right of eminent domain requires a valuation, as of the present time, or if valued as of the date of the passage of the act, March 24, 1894, then with interest upon such valuation from that date, and the taxes since imposed upon the lands of the city, less the rentals received,. or the value of the use and occupation of the property to the owners for the same period.

It is conceded, as upon authority it must be field, that the valuation should be as of the time of the appropriation of the lands, viz., the date of the passage of the act.

The contention of the landowners now is that there must. be added interest and taxes, less rentals received, in order to give to them the compensation to which they are entitled. Many authorities are cited in support of this contention, which bear more or less directly upon the question, but I am of the opinion that I am concluded by the decision of the General Term in this department,. in a case precisely like the one at bar. Matter of Department of Public Parks, 53 Hun, 280.

There it was held that the cases in this state, which hold that the value to be taken by the commissioners in making their awards, was that existing at the time of the report were cases in which the land was not to be taken immediately, and to be paid for as soon as its Value could be ascertained; the distinction being that when the land is to be immediately applied to the public use, condemnation following upon the location, a different tule is applied from that application to those cases in which there is no immediate intention of acquiring the title.

The act then under consideration, chapter 522, Laws of 1884, as amended in 1888, laying out parks in New York city, appropriated the lands to be taken for public use as in the act now under con[375]*375sideration, and it was held that the lands were to be valued as of the date of the passage of the act, and that the owners were not entitled to interest upon the awards. The time which had elapsed between the date of the passage of the act and the date of confirmation was about the same there as here. The commissioners,' as appears from the case stated in their report, had considered and allowed for the delay since making the awards, and for taxes since imposed, but it was distinctly and clearly held, that, as stated in the opinion, both upon principle and authority, the owners were not entitled tor interest upon the awards, nor to an. allowance for taxes.

It is stated, in the opinion of the court, by Van Brunt, P. J., that one of the objections of the landowners was, that if the commissioners assessed the value of the land as of the date of the passage of the act, the owners of the land, although in possession of the same, and receiving the rents and profits thereof, should have been allowed interest upon the award from said date up to the payment of the amount awarded, and should also be allowed for the taxes paid during the same period. The opinion upon this question concludes:. “ The same principle is applicable to the question of taxes assessed upon the property during the time during which the owners have been in possession. They had the use and occupation of the property, and derived the profits therefrom, and, under a very familiar principle of law, were bound to keep down the annual taxes and incumbrances upon the property which were assessed thereon during the period of their enjoyment.”

It appears that the commissioners there took into consideration the delay there would be in realizing upon the awards, and made their estimates accordingly liberal, but the whole discussion of the question was as to whether interest upon valuations as of the date of the passage of the stated act was recoverable, and it was clearly and distinctly held that it was not.

The discussion of the question and the adoption of the rule as applicable to the case, were wholly unnecessary and gratuitous, if the commissioners eo nomine, or, in fact, had allowed interest and taxes upon valuations as of the date of the passage of the act.

It is expressly stated in the opinion, that “ the owners were not entitled to interest upon the awards nor to an allowance for taxes paid seems also to be settled upon principle and authority.”

The Messrs. Crimmins claim that they have not been allowed for sufficient land.

The original grant by the city, under which they hold their title, was made in 1865, and it conveyed to Peter B. Armory all [376]*376that certain lot of land and land under water in front of upland, belonging to the party of the second part; describing land extending from the original line of high water of the Hudson river, between Sixty-sixth and Ninety^seventh streets westerly to “ the bulkhead line, as established by the Harbor Commissioners in the Hudson River ”, known as the bulkhead line of 1857.

The grant contained a covenant ■ that the party of the second part “ shall and lawfully may, from time to time, and at all times hereafter fully have and enjoy, take afid receive and hold to his and their own proper use, all manner of wharfage, cranage, advantages or emoluments growing or accruing by or from that part of the exterior line of the said city lying on the westerly side of the- hereby granted premises fronting on the Hudson river.”

To which was added: “And it is further agreed by and between .the parties to these presents, and the true intent and meaning hereof is that the present grant and every word and thing in the same contained shall not be construed or -taken to be covenants of „ warranty, or of seisin of the said parties of the first part, or their successors, or to operate further than to pass the estate, right, title ' or interest they may have or may lawfully claim in the premises hereby granted-and conveyed by virtue of their several charters and the various acts of the legislature of the state of New York.”

The legislature by an act, passed in 1837 chap. 182) provided that Thirteenth avenue, as laid out on a map, dated March 10, 1837, and approved by the mayor, aldermen and commonalty of the city-of New York, should be “ the permanent exterior street or avenue in the said city along the easterly shore. of the North or Hudson river, between-the southerly line of Hammond street and the northerly line of One Hundred and Thirty-fifth street. ■

By act of congress, as it is stated, passed the 11th ■ of August, 1888, a new- bulkheád line was established, at a distance of about 350 feet westerly from Twelfth avenue. By this legislation the city gained the right to extend the line of solid filling 250 feet westerly from the bulkhead line of 1857, toward its westerly boundary, Thirteenth avenue, as laid out by the city on the map of 1837. The city had already obtained the right from the state (Laws of 1871, chap.

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Bluebook (online)
27 Misc. 373, 58 N.Y.S. 963, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-riverside-park-extension-nysupct-1899.