Koch v. Oklahoma Turnpike Authority

1953 OK 148, 257 P.2d 790, 208 Okla. 556, 1953 Okla. LEXIS 824
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 12, 1953
Docket35634
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 1953 OK 148 (Koch v. Oklahoma Turnpike Authority) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Koch v. Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, 1953 OK 148, 257 P.2d 790, 208 Okla. 556, 1953 Okla. LEXIS 824 (Okla. 1953).

Opinion

O’NEAL, J.

On the 30th day of July, 1951, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority filed its petition in the district court of Creek county, whereby it sought to condemn the fee-simple title to surface rights of 8.74 acres of land situated in Creek county for its use and benefit *557 in the construction of its turnpike and also a temporary easement of 1.47 acres for the purpose of opening a stream channel.

Notice of the filing of the petition and application for the appointment of commissioners in condemnation was issued and served on all defendants. The record shows that defendant, Linda Kay Koch, is a minor six years of age and that upon application of both plaintiff and defendant Lydia Koch, mother of the minor defendant, a guardian ad litem was appointed for the purpose of representing the minor defendant in the proceeding.

The guardian ad litem contends that no proper service of notice was had on the minor, Linda Kay Koch. We shall later discuss this question.

Commissioners in condemnation were appointed by the judge of the court on August 27, 1951, to appraise and assess the damages which defendants might sustain by reason of the taking of their land and the commissioners appraised the damages in the sum of $750.

On December 17, 1951, Linda Kay Koch, a minor, by her guardian ad litem, joined by the other defendants, filed a motion to vacate and set aside the award of the commissioners. Their motion is based on numerous grounds which they contend renders the appointment of the commissioners and the ap-praisement made by them void. The trial court denied the motion.

Defendants appeal and rely for reversal on four separate and distinct propositions: (a) notice of the application for the appointment of the commissioners was not properly served on the minor defendant, Linda Kay Koch; (b) the commissioners appointed to appraise and assess damages did not take the oath required by statute until after the appraisement was made; (c) no bona fide effort was made by plaintiff to acquire the property by purchase prior to the institution of condemnation proceedings; and (d) plaintiff was without authority to condemn a temporary easement.

We shall consider these propositions in the order made. With reference to the first proposition the sheriffs return shows that he served notice of the application for the appointment of commissioners on the minor defendant, Linda Kay Koch, by serving Mrs. George Koch, mother of the defendant, by delivering a true copy of the foregoing notice to her to which was attached a copy of the petition filed in said cause. The trial court at the hearing of the motion permitted the sheriff to amend his return and show service upon Linda Kay Koch, a minor six years of age, by leaving a copy of the notice at her usual place of residence with a member of her family, her mother, a person over fifteen years of age. The amendment of the return was allowed by the court upon the testimony of the deputy sheriff as to the manner in which the notice was served. The deputy sheriff, however, testified that he served but one copy of the notice; that he did not serve a copy thereof personally upon the minor defendant, Linda Kay Koch.

It is not seriously contended by defendants that the court was without authority to allow the sheriff’s return to be amended. It is their contention that the service on the minor defendant is void because she was not personally served with notice. It is argued that two notices should have been served by the sheriff, one personally upon the minor defendant and another upon her mother. In support of this contention they rely upon 12 O.S. 1951 §169, and authorities construing this section. It is the contention of plaintiff that this section is not applicable to the service of notice in condemnation proceedings; that 66 O.S. 1951 §53 is the applicable statute. This section provides in substance that notice of the application for the appointment of condemnation commissioners shall be served on the adverse party either by *558 personal service or by leaving a copy thereof at the usual place of residence with some member of his family over fifteen years of age.

It is argued by plaintiff that the section relied upon by defendants relates to the service of summons in a civil action; that a proceeding in condemnation is not a civil action but is a special proceeding; that the notice of appointment of commissioners in such proceeding is not governed by the section of the statute relied upon by the defendants but is governed by 66 O.S. 1951 §53, which is a special statute applicable to condemnation proceedings; that such special statute therefore must prevail over the general statute; that the service of the notice upon the minor defendant, Linda Kay Koch, was made in accordance with the provisions of §53-, supra, and is therefore a valid service. We think this contention correct.

In State ex rel. Department of Highways v. Zabloudil, 206 Okla. 286, 242 P. 2d 710, we held:

“Where there are two provisions of the statutes, one of which is special and particular and clearly includes the matter in controversy, and where the special statute covering the subject prescribes different rules and procedure from those in the general statute, it will be held that the special statute applies to the subject-matter, and that the general statute does not apply.

“Where, upon application for condemnation of land for highway purposes, the district judge makes an order, as provided by 66 O.S. 1941, §53, requiring service of notice of said proceedings to be had upon the defendants by publication in three consecutive weekly issues of a designated newspaper, such notice is not unreasonable and compliance therewith gives the court jurisdiction in the condemnation proceedings.”

In that case it appears that the State Department of Highways sought to condemn certain land for use in the construction of a highway. Some of the defendants were nonresidents. The trial court ordered that service by publication be made as provided by 66 O.S. 1951 §53. No proper affidavit was filed in order to obtain service by publication. It was there contended that the service for this reason was void. In passing on this contention the court said:

“ * * * There is no provision of the statute which requires an affidavit or any other form of proof of the facts before the district judge fixes the length and manner of publication of the notice. * * * The failure to file an affidavit for service by publication did not invalidate notice nor the order of condemnation and appointment of commissioners made in pursuance thereof.”

It is, of course, true as contended by defendants that service of notice or other process on a minor must be made in the manner provided by statute. However, where the applicable statute does not specifically provide the manner in which process shall be served upon a minor, service may be had upon him in the same manner as a service upon an adult. 43 C.J.S., Infants, §115b. In Baumgartner v. Guessfeld, 38 Mo. 36, the court said:

“All the points made by the plaintiffs in error may be best considered under two heads: 1st, that the service was illegal as to the infant defendants; and 2d, that the decree was for the plaintiff, when it should have been for the defendants.

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Bluebook (online)
1953 OK 148, 257 P.2d 790, 208 Okla. 556, 1953 Okla. LEXIS 824, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/koch-v-oklahoma-turnpike-authority-okla-1953.