Ledbetter v. Beach

421 S.W.2d 814, 220 Tenn. 623, 24 McCanless 623, 1967 Tenn. LEXIS 445
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 27, 1967
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 421 S.W.2d 814 (Ledbetter v. Beach) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ledbetter v. Beach, 421 S.W.2d 814, 220 Tenn. 623, 24 McCanless 623, 1967 Tenn. LEXIS 445 (Tenn. 1967).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Humphreys

delivered the opinion of the Court.

A demurrer was sustained to plaintiffs-in-error’s declaration, and they have appealed assigning errors.

By their declaration plaintiffs alleged that after they had bought a newly constructed residence in 1963, selected because of the residential nature of the entire area, and in contemplation of peaceful and quiet enjoyment of their home, commencing in December, 1965, a right-of-way for a highway was condemned within ten feet of their property line, being within 125 feet of the back of their house, and construction was begun thereon. That this construction was accompanied by the noise of heavy duty machinery, dirt and dust created by grading and levelling off of the road area, and the general impairment of the private use which the plaintiffs might other-Avise have made of their property to the rear of their house. It Avas alleged that plaintiffs expected upon the completion of the roadway to be subjected to noise of public traffic upon the highway and subject to the danger inherent in the presence of a public highway immediately adjoining the rear of their property. Further, that the private residential use of their property they intended when they bought it was greatly impaired by [625]*625the permanent and constant presence of the general public on the highway to the rear of their property line.

Specifically, plaintiffs averred, that the acquisition by defendant of realty for road purposes so close to their residence and the other property adjoining their residence is a restriction or interruption of the common or necessary use and enjoyment of their property and therefore constitutes a taking -within the meaning of Article I, sec. 21, of the Constitution of Tennessee, for which they are entitled to compensation under the statutes and Constitution of Tennessee. (Our emphasis)

Plaintiffs also averred that while the condemnor had a discretion as to the location of a public project, that “placing said highway upon or immediately adjacent to their own and sis other residences, which was intended as a residential area, instead of further away, where there was ample land available for the replacing of such highway,” was an abuse of this discretion.

They alleged that their property was worth $30,000.00 before the construction of the highway and that its present value, because of said construction, has been reduced to approximately $20,000.00 or even less. Accordingly, they sued for $10,000.00 as incidental damages.

A comprehensive demurrer, raising in detail basic legal grounds for dismissal of plaintiffs’ declaration was filed, as follows:

“Comes now the Defendant, "William O. Beach, in his official capacity as County Judge of Montgomery County, Tennessee, and demurs to the Plaintiffs’ declaration upon the following grounds:
1. The declaration shows on its face that no part of Plaintiffs’ property is taken or required for the [626]*626right-of-way for the highway and that the damages which Plaintiffs claim to suffer are not severance damages.
2. The damages which Plaintiffs claim to suffer are neither special nor peculiar as a result of the construction of the highway, but are the type and kind of damages which are common to highway construction and which are shared generally by all landowners whose properties lie within range of the proposed highway and its construction.
3. The declaration shows that the damages claimed by the Plaintiffs do not result from any special or peculiar effect which the proposed highway and its construction has upon Plaintiffs’ land, and the declaration also fails to show where there has been any physical disturbance of, any substantial interference with, or invasion of any right that will deprive the Plaintiffs of their use or enjoyment of their property.
4. The declaration shows that the type and kind of damages which Plaintiffs claim to suffer do not amount to a ‘taking’ within the meaning of any provision of the Tennessee State Constitution.
5. The selection of the right-of-way for the proposed highway by the public authorities in the manner and in the location as alleged in Plaintiffs ’ declaration constitutes neither common law or statutory negligence nor an abuse of discretion.
6. The declaration shows that the type and kind of damages which Plaintiffs claim to suffer are non-com-pensable.
Wherefore, the Defendant says that the declaration fails to state a cause of action, and he prays the judg[627]*627ment of tlie Court as to whether he should plead further.” Tr. pp. 9-10

As indicated, the trial judge sustained this demurrer, dismissing- plaintiffs’ suit and they have appealed and assigned the following errors:

“I. Plaintiifs-in-error aver that the trial court erred in sustaining the demurrer of the defendant on the ground that a severance of land is necessary to constitute a ‘taking’ of property (technical record, page 9, grounds number 1, 3 and 4).”
“II. Plaintiffs-in-error aver that the trial court erred in sustaining the demurrer of the defendant on the ground that plaintiffs’ damages were common and not compensable as a matter of law (technical record, page 9, grounds number 2, 3 and 6).”

Under these assignments of error plaintiffs make and rely on two propositions:

First, that there is a taking within the meaning of Article I, sec. 21, of the Constitution of Tennessee, prohibiting the taking of private property for public use without compensation, if, as a result of another taking, private property, none of which is taken, nor directly or immediately physically interfered with or affected by the taking, is diminished in value. Shelby County v. Dodson et al., 13 Tenn.App. 392 is cited as authority for this proposition.

The second proposition is that, even where there is no physical taking or severance of land, or direct interference with any rights therein, the question whether a property owner has suffered compensable damages peculiar to him, and not shared generally by landowners whose properties lie within the range of the public proj[628]*628ect, and so is entitled to a recovery, is a question of fact which, can be properly determined only by a jury. No case from this jurisdiction, or elsewhere, is cited in support of this contention.

Answering, the State contends that the act of locating’ a highway in close proximity to a landowner’s residence does not constitute a taking* within the meaning of our constitution or statutes: citing Lewisburg & N. R. Co. v. Hinds, 134 Tenn. 293, 183 S.W. 985, L.R.A.1916E, 420, and State v. Rascoe, 181 Tenn. 43, 178 S.W.2d 392.

Since in general terms the Constitution and statutes of Tennessee have been invoked as a basis for plaintiffs-in-error’s action it is proper that we examine these.

Article I, sec. 21, of the Constitution of Tennessee, which provides for compensation for the taking of property for public use reads as follows:

"Sec. 21. No man’s services or property taken without consent or compensation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
421 S.W.2d 814, 220 Tenn. 623, 24 McCanless 623, 1967 Tenn. LEXIS 445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ledbetter-v-beach-tenn-1967.