Lingo v. Burford

20 S.W. 459, 112 Mo. 149, 1892 Mo. LEXIS 204
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedNovember 14, 1892
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 20 S.W. 459 (Lingo v. Burford) 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
Lingo v. Burford, 20 S.W. 459, 112 Mo. 149, 1892 Mo. LEXIS 204 (Mo. 1892).

Opinion

Gantt, J.

This is a proceeding by injunction, commenced in the circuit court of Johnson county, by which the plaintiff sought to restrain the defendant Burford, as road overseer, from opening a public road over and through, lands of the plaintiff, under an order of the county court.

The material averments of the petition are that “no legal notice was ever given of. the presentation of a petition for such an order; that the county commissioner did not survey, view or mark out a roadway over said land or take relinquishments of right of way for same, or ask for such relinquishments, or make any report of his action as the law requires, and that plaintiff has never, in fact, relinquished the, right of way for a road over said land; that there has never been any assessment of damages to be done the land of the plaintiff by the establishment of said road; that the [153]*153pretended order of record establishing said road is void npon its face for want of jurisdiction to make the same.”

The plaintiff to sustain his case introduced the record of the proceedings in the county court.

The petition on its face alleged that the petitioners were freeholders of Ohilhowie and Post Oak townships, through which said proposed road ran; that it was signed by at least twelve freeholders of said township and it specified the proposed beginning, course and termination with not less than two points named on the direction. Revised Statutes, 1889, sec. 7796. It was presented and publicly read at the regular August term of the county court, 1887.

The record made by the county court at that term is as follows: “Now at this day is presented to the court the petition of A. J. Dunham et al., praying for the establishment of a public road, forty feet in width, in Ohilhowie and Post Oak townships, to run as follows: [Here follows a minute description of the route.] And the court having heard said petition publicly read, and it being proven to the satisfaction of the court that it is signed by at least twelve freeholders of Ohilhowie and Post Oak townships, three of whom are of the immediate neighborhood of said proposed road, and that due notice has been given according to law, and that said proposed road is of public utility and practicability, it is ordered that the county commissioner proceed to view, survey and mark out said road and report the practicability of said road, together with the distances and situation of the ground, the names of the parties granting the right of way and the estimated cost of building needed bridges at the next regular term of this court.”

At the next November term the county road commissioner filed his report, showing the land-owners [154]*154who had relinquished the right of way and those who-had not. Among those who had failed or refused to-relinquish he reported the plaintiff, H. J. Lingo, and that he claimed $100.

Thereupon the county court as required by section-7799, Revised Statutes, 1889, section 8, page 247, of Laws, 1887, by its order of record appointed three-disinterested freeholders to act as a jury, view the-premises and assess the damages of those who had failed or refused to relinquish the right of way. At the next February term the commissioners thus appointed made their report, in which they returned that they had viewed the premises and assessed the damages of' each tract of land separately, and the report as to the-plaintiff was as follows: “To H. J. Lingo at end northeast northeast, section 26, township .44, and range-26 — no damages.” t

Thereupon the court made the following order: “Now, at this day is taken up the report of the commissioners heretofore appointed to assess the damages resulting to the premises of L. P. Fisher, H. J. Lingo- and others, by reason of the establishment of a public-road petitioned for by A. J. Durham et al., from which the court finds that said commissioners have viewed-the premises of the parties aforesaid, and have allowed no damages, and no objections being filed to the verdict of said jury, and it appearing to the court that said proposed road is of sufficient utility to justify opening- and improving -the same for public travel, it is, therefore, ordered that a public road, forty feet in width, be-opened and run as follows,” describing the route particularly.

The circuit court granted a perpetual injunction-against the road overseer, from which- he appeals to this; court.

[155]*155I. The contention arises as to the jurisdiction of the county court to order the road opened. Plaintiff in error insists that the record recital of the county court “that due notice has been given according to law,” nothing further appearing, was sufficient in this collateral proceeding to show jurisdiction in that court, so far as it was essential to show noticé, whereas defendant in error maintains that the recital is insufficient.

That the county court was only authorized to entertain the proceeding to condemn plaintiff’s land for the road, upon notice given as required by the statute, section 7797, is not to be questioned, but it is a well-settled principle that where the jurisdiction of an inferior court depends upon a fact which said court is required to ascertain and settle by its decision, its decision is conclusive as against a collateral attack. Jackson v. State to use, 104 Ind. 516; In re Grove Street, 61 Cal. 438; People v. Hagar, 52 Cal. 171; Shawhan v. Loffer, 24 Iowa, 217; Porter v. Purdy, 29 N. Y. 106; Lewis on Eminent Domain, sec. 605; Black on Judgments, sec. 288; Elliott on Roads & Streets, 243; State ex rel. v. Smith, 105 Mo. 6.

The county court hai original exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine upon a proper petition and due notice, whether a new public road should be established over the route designated in the petition. The petition stated every fact necessary to give the court jurisdiction of the subject-matter. Twenty days’ notice of this application was required. The statute required “proof of notice having been given as required.” The county court was the tribunal authorized to hear and determine the sufficiency of the proof. It was not required by law to spread on its record the evidence by which it ascertained that notice had been given. It did find and spread on its record that “notice had been [156]*156given according to law.” This was a fact in pais to be established by evidence, and its power to proceed further in the case depended upon the giving or failure to give this notice. It judicially ascertained it was given, and we think that it is conclusive as against a collateral attack.

In Daugherty v. Brown, 91 Mo. 26, a case in all respects similar to this, this court held a recital, that “due legal notice had been giveu of the intended application,” was sufficient and affirmed the judgment of the circuit court refusing to enjoin the overseer from opening the road. The decision in that case is well sustained by authority elsewhere. Hendrick v. Whittemore, 105 Mass. 23; Borden v. State, 6 Eng. (Ark.) 519; Delaney v. Gault, 30 Pa. St. 63.

II. Again it is urged that the failure of the commissioner to have a conference with the plaintiff is fatal. The record is against the plaintiff. It recites that “Lingo failed to relinquish for the reason that he claims $100.” This makes a sufficient showing.

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Bluebook (online)
20 S.W. 459, 112 Mo. 149, 1892 Mo. LEXIS 204, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lingo-v-burford-mo-1892.