Kempinski v. Tuthill Building Material Co.

255 Ill. App. 375, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 167
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJanuary 2, 1930
DocketGen. No. 33,405
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 255 Ill. App. 375 (Kempinski v. Tuthill Building Material Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kempinski v. Tuthill Building Material Co., 255 Ill. App. 375, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 167 (Ill. Ct. App. 1930).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Ryner

delivered the opinion of the court.

The plaintiffs, husband and wife, in the month of May, 1923, purchased, as joint tenants, a piece of real estate in the City of Chicago, .known, by street description, as 2114 West Sixty-third Street. It was improved with a two and one-half story brick building, which the plaintiffs and their family, occupied as a residence from the time they purchased the property until the time of the trial.

The building was about 25 years old and was located near the rear of the lot. Immediately back of it was a garage which abutted upon the alley. The house and lot faced south on Sixty-third Street. Directly across the street from plaintiffs’ property were flat buildings and west of the flat buildings were small stores and cottages. For a distance of about 150 feet directly east of plaintiffs’ property was unimproved land. Directly west was a vacant lot, then a store building, then an unpaved street, and, about 50 feet, west of the street, were the elevated tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. The elevation or embankment was occupied by a dozen or more tracks. There were two street-car tracks on Sixty-third Street. North of Sixty-third Street the railroad company had its switch and distributing yards, spreading out-to the east and the west.

Back of the alley, in the rear of plaintiff’s premises, and at a distance of about 60 feet, were sheds owned and occupied by the railroad company. In the same vicinity was a tile yard with some of the tile piled to the level of the second-story window of the building used by the owners of the tile. The railroad company distributed its cars by means of a “hump” on its tracks, located about 50 feet south of Sixty-third Street. The process employed was to back a train' up to the “hump,’ ’ when the cars to be distributed were released and, passing north over the “hump,” crossed the elevation over Sixty-third Street and moved, by their own momenta, to the various tracks.

In the fall of the year 1923 the defendant acquired the five lots just east of the plaintiffs’ premises. In the year 1924 it erected upon these lots a plant for the manufacture of bricklayer’s mortar. The building was about 140 feet long and 40 feet wide. It had a door and windows facing on Sixty-third Street. There were no windows on the west side. On the alley was a door and an entrance for bringing in lime with trucks. On the west side of the roof, near the middle of the building, was an opening through which sand was emptied into bins or hoppers located inside the building. Situated west of the building, and parallel with it, was a switch track upon which were operated cars to bring in the sand. West of the switch track was another track, on cement piers, upon which was operated a gasoline shovel and derrick. This track crossed the alley and went north, on an elevation, until it reached the top of the embankment of the Pennsylvania Railroad about 300 feet from the factory. In the operation of the plant, cars of sand were brought in by means of a switch engine and placed opposite the opening in the roof of the factory. By means of the derrick and shovel the sand was then elevated to the top of the building and dropped into the hoppers. Sand not thus disposed of was piled upon the defendant’s property.

The defendant constructed a brick wall along the west side of its property, extending from the sidewalk on Sixty-third Street north to the front of plaintiffs’ building. It was originally about eight feet high, but is now about five feet in height. Apparently, the top of the wall was broken off because of the pressure of the sand piled against it. From the front of the plaintiffs’ building, and north to the alley, the defendant constructed a retaining wall made of railroad ties laid against upright iron beams stuck into the ground.

On July 18, 1927, the plaintiffs instituted an action of trespass on the case against the defendant, in the superior court of Cook county. They filed a declaration consisting of six counts. In each count it was alleged that the plaintiffs were the owners of the property located at 2114 West Sixty-third Street,, giving the legal description, that the building was occupied by them as a residence, and that, about the building*, they maintained a garden and lawn. In each of the counts, except the sixth, the defendant was charged with maintaining* a nuisance, and each concluded with the charge that the nuisance, complained of, resulted in great annoyance and discomfort to the plaintiffs, the members of their family and their guests and that by reason of such nuisance “the premises, land, garden, lawn, home and residence of the plaintiffs were rendered incommodious, unhealthful and unfit for occupation and enjoyment for the purpose of a residence and a home, and were otherwise greatly and permanently injured. ’ ’ At the instance of the plaintiffs, each of the five counts was amended by striking out the concluding* words, “and were otherwise greatly and permanently injured. ’ The sixth count sounded in trespass for damages caused by the falling of the wall, constructed by the defendant, upon the plaintiffs’ property and garden.

The first count charged the defendant with maintaining a nuisance in the following respects:

1. The defendant’s factory was equipped with seven electric motors and a derrick and power shovel, operated by a gasoline engine, and the latter made much noise. The motors were operated day and night, at variable speeds and produced different intensities of sound and vibration.

2. The derrick and shovel were operated from early morning until late in the afternoon, and produced great and disturbing noises, vibrations and jars.

3. The defendant deposited, upon its property, large amounts of loose sand in piles many feet high, and that it permitted the sand to blow over, fall upon, and permeate the plaintiffs’ premises, including the building.

4. The piles of sand crowded against the plaintiffs ’ building, breaking the walls and windows.

5. Fumes and odors, as of burning lime, and black smoke or vapor escaped from the defendant’s factory and passed over and upon the property of the plaintiffs’ and into their residence and rooms.

The remaining counts averred, singly, the grievances complained of in the first count. To each count the defendant pleaded the general issue. A jury trial was had, resulting in a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs. Their damages were assessed at the sum of $1,750. Motions for a new trial and in arrest of judgment were overruled. Judgment was entered upon the verdict and the defendant appealed.

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Bluebook (online)
255 Ill. App. 375, 1930 Ill. App. LEXIS 167, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kempinski-v-tuthill-building-material-co-illappct-1930.