Ingle v. Bottoms

66 N.E. 160, 160 Ind. 73, 1903 Ind. LEXIS 44
Indiana Supreme Court·Decided February 6, 1903·No. No. 19,985·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinion

Monks, J.

Action by appellant against appellee. Tbe complaint was in two paragraphs. Tbe first was to enjoin appellee, lessor in a coal mining lease, from interfering with tbe construction of a railroad switch which appellant, as assignee of tbe lessee, in possession of tbe mine, was attempting or about to build upon tbe surface of tbe land near tbe pit-bead for tbe purpose of removing coal mined under tbe lease. Tbe second paragraph was for injunction, tbe same as tbe first, and also for specific performance. Appellee demurred to each paragraph of tbe complaint for want of facts, which demurrer was sustained. Appellant refusing to plead further, judgment was rendered against him.

Tbe errors assigned call in question tbe action of the court in sustaining tbe demurrer to each paragraph of tbe complaint.

[75] It is averred in the first paragraph of complaint that appellee, the lessor, owned forty acres of land, describing it; the execution of the lease on the 24th of August, 1898, the lease being set out in haec verba; that the lessee “entered upon said land under said lease, and constructed a mine thereon, and has since said time mined coal from said mine, and for the purpose of reaching said mine procured the Southern Railway Company to construct a switch from its main line to a point near said mine, so as to connect said mine with a railroad switch, which is necessary for it's proper operation;” that it has become necessary, in the operation of the mine by the appellant under the lease, to build the switch; that the route selected is upon the line of a watercourse which already cuts the defendant’s land in two, and the building of the switch will do the appellee and his land the least possible damage; that appellee is objecting to the extension of the switch, and will, if not enjoined, interfere with and obstruct the building of it, and annoy and obstruct the men whom the plaintiff is about to put immediately upon the work; that the appellant can not build the switch without great annoyance and hindrance and interference, and, unless appellee is enjoined from interfering with the building of the switch, appellant will be unable to build the same, to his great loss and damage and irreparable injury; that the appellant has performed all the terms and conditions imposed on the lessee in the lease. Prayer for temporary restraining order and perpetual injunction, and all other proper relief.

In the second paragraph, in addition to the facts set out in the first paragraph, it is averred that the Southern Railway Company has extended its switch upon appellant’s land to a point accessible to the pit-head of the mine on appellee’s land; that the railroad switch is built upon appellant’s land, — appellant owning the land on the west and north of the leased premises; that the pit-head is connected by a switch with the railroad switch already mentioned; [76] that it is impracticable for the appellant to build the switch extension upon his own land, for the reason that such a construction would involve a,crossing of a watercourse, and a long and expensive bridge and trestle, at a cost wholly disproportionate to the value of the same, and so expensive as to be impracticable; and that it has become necessary to extend the switch on appellee’s land so as to make room for cars handled in the ordinary course of business in the operation of said mine under the lease; that the route selected, as aforesaid, will carry the proposed extension over the surface not to exceed three acres of appellee’s land, the entire value of which does not exceed $25 per acre, and that the same will lie upon the bank of a watercourse, and does the least possible and very small damage to the appellee’s land; that appellant is entitled to the possession of the land for the purpose of extending said switch by the express terms of the lease and by necessary implication, in the proper operation of said mine, such extension being necessary to such operation; that appellee unlawfully excludes appellant from such possession, and further threatens to prevent such extension, and will, if not enjoined, interfere; that, unless he is enjoined from preventing the building of the switch upon the land sought to be occupied as aforesaid, appellant will be unable to build said extension, to his great loss and damage, and interference with and practically stopping the operation of the mine, the sale of coal, and employment of a large number of men, resulting in irreparable injury, for which appellant can not have as adequate rempdy at law as in equity; that appellant has title to the said surface for the purpose of extending said switch, as aforesaid, both by express grant and necessary implication from the lease; that appellee unlawfully excludes the appellant from the possession; that appellant, by his title through the assignment of said lease from Jackson, has entered into possession of the mine under the lease, and the appellant, as Jackson’s successor under the lease, has been [77] recognized by tbe appellee, who has dealt with appellant in and concerning tbe payment of royalty for tbe same from tbe appellant to tbe appellee, wbicb bas been done; that tbe lease bas become thereby a binding contract between tbe parties thereto, fully performed by appellant, and that it ought to be enforced as to tbe appellee, including the portion authorizing appellant to use tbe said surface for tbe extension of tbe switch as aforesaid. Appellant alleged other facts, but, as they do not affect tbe sufficiency of tbe other allegations of said paragraph, it is unnecessary to set them out.

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Ingle v. Bottoms, 66 N.E. 160, 160 Ind. 73, 1903 Ind. LEXIS 44 (Ind. 1903).

66 N.E. 160 (Ingle v. Bottoms) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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