Kansas City & Northern Connecting Railroad v. Shoemaker

61 S.W. 205, 160 Mo. 425, 1901 Mo. LEXIS 65
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedFebruary 26, 1901
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 61 S.W. 205 (Kansas City & Northern Connecting Railroad v. Shoemaker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kansas City & Northern Connecting Railroad v. Shoemaker, 61 S.W. 205, 160 Mo. 425, 1901 Mo. LEXIS 65 (Mo. 1901).

Opinion

GANTT, J.

On October 14, 1897, the plaintiff railroad company instituted a condemnation proceeding in the circuit court of Clinton county to condemn a right of way about three-fourths of a mile in length and containing 9.33 acres, through the farm of defendant Shoemaker. Commissioners were appointed, damages assessed and exceptions duly filed.

Upon proper application a change of venue was awarded to Clay county. At the March term, 1898, a jury trial was had and the defendant’s damages caused by the appropriation were assessed at $2,500. This appeal is from the judgment entered upon that verdict in the Olay Circuit Court.

There is but one assignment of error and that relates to the sufficiency of the first instruction given by the court for the defendant

In order, however, that the sufficiency of that instruction may be properly tested we deem it proper that the whole series should be considered with it, and the evidence in substance.

The plaintiff in its abstract of the record says:

“To sustain the issues on behalf of both defendant and plaintiff, evidence was introduced tending to prove the facts upon which the instructions in each behalf were predicated, and especially evidence tending to show the value of that part of defendant Shoemaker’s land which was taken, and the depreciation in the value of the residue thereof, and also the value.of the land before the right of way was taken, and what its value would be thereafter, there being a substantial conflict in the estimates of the witness on behalf of defendant, and plaintiff, respectively.”
“As indicating the theory on which defendant sought to show his damages, the following question was put to all or nearly all of his witnesses:
[429]*429“'Question: Now, Mr. Jones, taking into consideration the quantity of land taken, which is agreed to be 9.33 acres, the size and shape of the tracts into which the one tract is divided, as its market value may be affected by that division into those sizes and shapes, and the cuts and fills on that tract, and the difficulty, if any, of getting from one side to another by having to go to a railroad crossing to get over from one side to the other, what in your opinion would be the depreciation in value of the tract on account of those inconveniences ? Answer: I don’t know that I fully understand the question.
“ 'Question: The question is, taking into consideration all these elements that may affect the market value of the farm — the land taken, the division of the one tract into two, the cuts and fills, the inconveniences of getting from one side to the other, and all these matters that affect the market value of the land or depreciate its value, what in your judgment would be the amount of that depreciation to the entire tract ? Answer: I think the value of the land, which you said was about nine and one-third acres, I don’t know7 the exact amount, figure that at an average price, and the damages to the entire farm as a whole, I think it would run in the neighborhood of $2,800 or $2,850, perhaps.’ ”

Other witnesses in answer to the same question estimated the damages at a smaller sum.

At the close of all the evidence, the court instructed the jury, on behalf of defendant, Shoemaker, as follows:

“1. In estimating the damages to be allowed the defendant, the jury will take into consideration the amount and value of the land taken for the right of way, the size and shape of the two tracts into which the fann is divided by the location of the right of way through it, the cuts and fills, the inconvenience in getting from one part of the farm to another on account of the location of the railroad, any inconvenience in [430]*430getting to water, and will allow defendant such sum as will reasonably compensate him for tbe injury be bas sustained by tbe appropriation of tbe right of way through tbe farm.
“2. Tbe jury will make their estimate of damages as of tbe date when tbe commissioners acted, on the second day of November, 1897.
“3. In estimating tbe defendant’s damages, tbe jury will take into consideration tbe fact that tbe east 160 -acres of tbe farm is under lease, expiring March 1, 1899, and that tbe lessee under said lease is entitled to the possession of said 160 acres until said March 1, 1899.”

To the giving of which instructions in behalf of defendant Shoemaker, plaintiff, at tbe time excepted, and still excepts.

And on behalf of plaintiff tbe court instructed tbe jury as follows:

“1. Tbe court instructs tbe jury that under tbe law tbe railroad company will be liable hereafter to tbe defendant for any damages which be may sustain by reason of destruction of property by fire which may be set or caused by tbe trains of tbe railroad company in operating its line, and any such damages, if any be ever sustain, will be tbe proper subject-matter of future actions; but in determining tbe amount of compensation which you will allow tbe defendant in this action, you can not take into consideration nor allow any sum or amount whatever on account of exposure or liability of property to damage or destruction by fire caused or set by tbe trains in tbe operation of tbe road.
“2. Tbe court instructs tbe jury, that in arriving at your verdict and in estimating tbe amount of damages, if any, which you will allow tbe defendant, you should not take into consideration as an element of damage, any danger to life and limb, if any, which may arise from trains passing over tbe road.
[431]*431“3. The court instructs the jury that when you retire to your room to consider your verdict in this case, you have no right to determine the amount of your verdict by marking down the amount estimated by each juror and by addition ascertain the sum total and then dividing by twelve, the number of the jury, and that all verdicts arrived at in that manner are unlawful and illegal.
“4. The court instructs the jury that the phrase ‘market value,’ as used in these instructions, does not mean what the defendant holds the land at, nor what he asks for it, nor does it mean what the land may be worth to any particular person for any particular purpose, but said phrase does mean the fair selling value of the land in the market to be used for any of the purposes to which it is susceptible of being put, either in its present condition or any condition to which it is susceptible of being changed.
“5. The court instructs the jury that in arriving at your verdict and in estimating the amount of damages, if any, which you will allow the defendant, you should not take into consideration any damage, if any, which may arise from or be due to smoke or noise from trains passing over the road, or the ringing of bells or sounding of whistles.
“6. The court instructs the jury that in arriving at your verdict and in estimating the amount of damages, if any, which you will allow the defendant, you should not take into consideration any damage, if any, which may arise from the scaring, frightening or killing of animals while on the right of way, or the danger to person of the owner, his agents or servants, in crossing said railroad.
“7.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
61 S.W. 205, 160 Mo. 425, 1901 Mo. LEXIS 65, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kansas-city-northern-connecting-railroad-v-shoemaker-mo-1901.