Indianapolis Railways, Inc. v. City of Indianapolis

98 N.E.2d 505, 229 Ind. 487, 1951 Ind. LEXIS 177
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 4, 1951
Docket28,698
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 98 N.E.2d 505 (Indianapolis Railways, Inc. v. City of Indianapolis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Indianapolis Railways, Inc. v. City of Indianapolis, 98 N.E.2d 505, 229 Ind. 487, 1951 Ind. LEXIS 177 (Ind. 1951).

Opinion

Jasper, J.

This is an action brought by appellee, City of Indianapolis, for a declaratory judgment, under § 3-1101, Burns’ 1946 Replacement, to have the trial court declare the rights of the parties under the grade separation statutes, §§ 48-3401 to 48-3410, inclusive, Burns’ 1950 Replacement (Acts 1923, ch. 152, p. 425, as amended by Acts 1933, ch. 25, p. 116), and §§ 55-1810 to 55-1812, inclusive,. Burns’ 1951 Replacement (Acts *489 1939, ch. 41, p. 167) ; and, by appellant’s answer in two paragraphs, to have §§ 48-3401 to 48-3410, inclusive, and § 55-1810, declared unconstitutional in their application to Indianapolis Railways, Incorporated, in this case.

All of the evidence was stipulated by the parties. The judgment of the trial court declared the rights of the parties, and that appellant is liable for 5 per cent, of the cost. The trial court held the statutes constitutional in their application to appellant. 1

Error is alleged in the overruling of the motion for a new trial.

The stipulated evidence reveals that appellee, The Indianapolis Union Railway Company, operates a steam railroad system, commonly known as the “Belt Railroad,” whose tracks cross Shelby Street, in Indianapolis, which street is not a part of the state highway system; that on June 26, 1925, the Board of Public Works of the City of Indianapolis adopted Track Elevation Resolution No. 19, which was confirmed on August 7, 1925, at which time appellant operated an electric street car line on Shelby Street over double street car tracks across the tracks of the steam railroad; that on September 17, 1945, appellant filed with the Board of Public Works and Sanitation of the City of Indianapolis its petition to discontinue electric street car service over Shelby Street, and to substitute motor bus service, which petition was approved by resolution. A petition was also filed with the Public Service Commission for discontinuance of street car service, and substitution of bus service, which petition was granted, and street car service was ordered abandoned upon substituting motor bus service. A Certificate of Public *490 Convenience and Necessity was issued by the Public Service Commission for the operation of motor busses over Shelby Street. On February 8, 1946, the Board of Public Works and Sanitation of the City of Indianapolis adopted a Supplemental Track Elevation Resolution numbered 19-C, modifying Track Elevation Resolution No. 19, to which appellant and appellee, The Indianapolis Union Railway Company, among others, were made parties. A hearing was set upon such Supplemental Resolution for March 6, 1946, and proper notices to all of the parties involved were issued, published, and served. On March 3, 1946, appellant placed in operation its motor busses, and on March 4, 1946, removed its street car rails, and took down its electric wires for more than two hundred feet on each side of the steam railroad tracks. On March 5, 1946, appellant filed a remonstrance and objections to the confirmation of Supplemental Track Resolution No. 19-C, for the reason that it had no tracks down, and that if it was apportioned 5 per cent, of the cost it would be unconstitutional. On March 6, 1946, the Board of Public Works and Sanitation, after a hearing, confirmed the Supplemental Track Elevation Resolution. The resolution, among other things, provided that appellant should participate in the cost of the grade separation at Shelby Street in accordance with the method and manner provided by law. No appeal was taken from the confirmation of such resolution. The grade separation was duly undertaken and completed. Appellant has refused to pay its 5 per cent, of the cost.

Appellant, by way of answer to the complaint, attacked collaterally the order of the Board of Public Works of the City of Indianapolis. In McEneney et al. v. The Town of Sullivan (1890), 125 Ind. 407, 410, 411, 412, 25 N. E. 540, 541, Judge Elliott, speaking for the court, said:

*491 “The attack made upon the proceedings of the corporate officers is a collateral one, and it is well settled that upon such an attack only defects or irregularities affecting the jurisdiction can be made available. Any other rule would break down the distinction between collateral and direct attacks and open the way to great wrongs and abuses. But upon this question the authorities are quite well agreed; indeed, the only phase of the question upon which there is diversity of opinion is as to what shall be considered jurisdictional facts. Our own cases uniformly hold that upon such an attack as the present only such questions as affect the jurisdiction can be considered.”

The court further said:

“The record shows that a petition was presented to the town trustees, and that they adjudged it to be sufficient. This was an adjudication upon a jurisdictional fact, and it is conclusive against a collateral attack. For many years and by many decisions it has been held by our court that the decision of an inferior tribunal upon jurisdictional facts is conclusive where the attack is collateral and not direct.”

This we feel to be the rule to be applied in the case before us.

Appellant contends that the Legislature never granted to the city the right to apportion costs in grade separations, and further contends that if the Board of Public Works did apportion the costs its action was void because the statutes of this state did not give the board jurisdiction to do so, and such action was therefore unconstitutional under section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and section 21 of article 1 of the Constitution of Indiana.

If the Legislature did confer the right to apportion the costs of construction, and they were apportioned, *492 then appellant would he bound by its failure to appeal from the order of the board. Section 48-3401, Burns’ 1950 Replacement, among other things, confers upon the Board of Public Works jurisdiction of the alteration, elevation, or depression of steam railroad tracks crossing any highway or highways in the City of Indianapolis; and further confers jurisdiction over steam railroads or electric railways whose tracks are affected by such proceedings after notice. Section 48-3402, Burns’ 1950 Replacement, provides for the apportionment of expenses, which must be considered with § 55-1810, Burns’ 1951 Replacement, which provides for the division of costs in grade separations, and will be later discussed. Section 48-3404, Burns’ 1950 Replacement, provides, among other things, for an appeal, as follows:

“. . . The action of the board as to the necessity and convenience of such improvement and of the extent or manner thereof, or plans and specifications thereof, and the allotment of the work thereof and apportionment of the cost thereof shall be final and conclusive upon all persons; Provided, That any person, firm or corporation deeming himself or itself aggrieved by such order of said board may appeal therefrom to the circuit or superior court of the county in ivhich such city is located within twenty (20) days from the entry of such order.

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Bluebook (online)
98 N.E.2d 505, 229 Ind. 487, 1951 Ind. LEXIS 177, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/indianapolis-railways-inc-v-city-of-indianapolis-ind-1951.