Lyon v. CASCADE COMMODITIES CORPORATION

496 P.2d 951, 94 Idaho 714, 1972 Ida. LEXIS 321
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedMay 12, 1972
Docket10955
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 496 P.2d 951 (Lyon v. CASCADE COMMODITIES CORPORATION) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lyon v. CASCADE COMMODITIES CORPORATION, 496 P.2d 951, 94 Idaho 714, 1972 Ida. LEXIS 321 (Idaho 1972).

Opinion

McFADDEN, Justice.

The defendants-appellants have appealed from the issuance by the district court of an amended temporary injunction, the effect of -which was to restrain the operation of the defendants’-appellants’. rendering plant. Respondents moved for a dismissal of the appeal on the ground that this was not an appealable order. This motion is denied. Unity Light & Power Co. v. City of Burley, 83 Idaho 285, 361 P.2d 788 (1961); see also Lawrence Warehouse Co. v. Rudio Lumber Co., 89 Idaho 389, 405 P.2d 634 (1965).

This litigation was commenced by the numerous plaintiffs-respondents who by their complaint sought injunctive relief against the operation by the appellants of a rendering plant. This plant allegedly caused obnoxious odors, vapors and stenches to permeate the atmosphere to the point that it interfered with the comfortable and convenient use by the respondents of their residences and homes. By their complaint the respondents sought not only permanent injunctive relief against the operation of appellants’ plant in such manner as to cause the dissemination of the odors and stenches, but also sought a preliminary injunction pending the trial of the case. The prayer of the complaint for preliminary injunction was supported by numerous affidavits of the respondents. An order to show cause why the preliminary injunction should not issue was entered, returnable on March 19, 1971.

At the time set for the order to show cause the parties appeared and the appellants by their counsel, stipulated with the respondents’ counsel as follows:

“It has been stipulated and agreed between the parties that the defendants are conducting a rendering business at the location complained of and that in the conduct of their business that an offensive odor is created.
*716 “It is further stipulated that the offensive odor has been offensive to the plaintiffs as per their Complaint.
“It is further stipulated that the offensive odor is a nuisance.
“It is further stipulated that it ought to be abated; that is, that the defendants ought to be required to cease and desist from creating an odor at their business which is offensive to the plaintiffs.
“The only issue to be resolved by the Court is when the order should become effective; that is, should it become effective immediately or should latitude be given to the plaintiff [sic].
“It is further stipulated that the first part of the prayer of the Order to Show Cause, that is, the prayer that the defendant should be restrained from operating the rendering plant, will not be pressed at this time, but that this shall be limited solely to the issue of when the odor ought to be abated.”

On the basis of this stipulation the court stated from the bench:

“Very well. Upon that stipulation of fact — I suspect also an admission — the Court would find that the odors which apparently do emanate from the place of business of the defendants do constitute a private nuisance and problem, a public nuisance due to the fact that there are numerous people involved. And as a nuisance, I suspect I do have the authority to abate it and grant at least temporary injunctive relief and I would do so.
“However, as I understand it, the parties wish to discuss or argue or bring to the Court’s attention the question of just when the enforcement of this injunction should begin?”

Thereafter the matter was argued to the district court, who then stated:

“An order may be entered in this action restraining the defendants and their employees from committing any acts in the operation of their business which would produce, as apparently it has, odors which would prevent any of the plaintiffs from the comfortable enjoyment of life or property.
“The Order should provide that this Order will be in full force and be effective on Monday, March 29, 1971.
“Inasmuch as the question of whether a nuisance does or does not exist has been resolved by the stipulation, the plaintiffs need not file any bond in order to make the Order enforceable.
“I think the wording should be carefully worked out so that there is no question that the restraining order restrains these people from producing odors, and doesn’t restrain them from doing business if they can do business without creating a continuing nuisance.”

On March 30, 1971, without entering any findings of fact or conclusions of law, the district court issued for the first time its temporary injunction, wherein the court ordered

“ * * * that the defendants and their employees are hereby restrained from committing any acts in the operation of their business which would produce odors that would prevent any plaintiffs from comfortable enjoyment of life or property.
“It is further ORDERED that this Order shall become effective on Monday, March 29, 1971, and shall remain in full force and effect until further Order of this Court.
“Plaintiffs and defendants have stipulated that a nuisance does exist and therefor, it is further ORDERED that plaintiffs are not required to file any bond.”

Following the hearing on March 19, the appellants commenced modification of the plant in an effort to contain the offensive odors caused by the processing of the carcasses.

On March 30 the respondents submitted affidavits to the court reciting that the appellants had again commenced operation of *717 the plant and that offensive and unbearable odors were again emanating from the plant. The court issued its order to show cause directing the appellants to appear before the court on April 12, 1971, to show cause why they should not be held in contempt for violating the order of March 19, apparently having reference to the court’s oral statement, and not to the written order issued March 30, 1971.

The order to show cause was continued until April 20, 1971, at which time the district court considered the affidavits of the plaintiffs filed on March 30, and amended affidavits filed April 20, 1971, together with testimony of the parties. At the close of the hearing the district court commented that there was no question but what the respondents had made an effort to control the problem by the installation of various types of equipment in the plant, but that the question remained whether the equipment was effective. The court stated that it found the respondents had been prevented from the peaceable enjoyment of their life and property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
496 P.2d 951, 94 Idaho 714, 1972 Ida. LEXIS 321, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lyon-v-cascade-commodities-corporation-idaho-1972.