Malherek v. City of Fargo

191 N.W. 951, 49 N.D. 522, 1922 N.D. LEXIS 83
North Dakota Supreme Court·Decided December 22, 1922·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinions

ChkistiaNsoN, J.

This action was brought to recover damages for injuries which plaintiff claims she sustained on the evening of January 11, 1921, as a result of an accumulation of ice on a sidewalk in the city of Fargo, in this state. The case came on for trial in the district court-of C'ass county, before a jury empaneled to try the same. Certain witnesses were sworn in behalf of the plaintiff, and at a certain point of the trial, the question arose as to whether the plaintiff had, or had not, established such knowledge on the part of an officer of the city, as to charge it with liability under chapter YO, Laws 1915, which reads as follows:

“All municipalities in the state of North Dakota shall be absolutely exempt from all liability to any person for damages for injuries suffered or sustained by reason of the accumulation of snow and ice upon sidewalks within such municipality, unless actual knowledge of the defective, unsafe, or dangerous condition of such sidewalk or crosswalk shall have been possessed by the mayor, board of city commissioners, police officer, or marshal, of such municipality forty-eight hours previous to such damage or injury, and such actual knowledge shall in no case be presumed from the fact of the existence of such condition, but in all cases the same shall be proved as an independent fact. In no event shall any municipality in this state be liable in damages for any injury occasioned through the mere slippery condition of such sidewalk or crosswalk due to the presence of frost or loose snow thereon.”

The evidence adduced by the plaintiff on this point consisted of the testimony of one Keefe, who was a member of the police force of the city of Fargo, at the time the plaintiff claims to have been injured, and of one. Loueks. According to the allegations in the complaint, the accident occurred on the “cement sidewalk on the north side of Second avenue north, in said defendant city at a point therein and thereon opposite to and south of that certain house known and designated as number 201, Fourth street north, in said city of Fargo, the said sidewalk being along the south side of the west 50 feet of lot numbered one in block numbered eleven of Keeney & Devitt’s Addition to the said city of Fargo.”

Keefe testified that he lived in the house immediately north of the house described in the complaint. That at the time of the accident and for some time prior thereto his hours of service on the police force [524]*524were from 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon until midnight. That in walking to and from his work he would walk in a westerly direction on the sidewalk on the north side of Second avenue, north, and that he generally took “a short cut” from his house to this sidewalk.

The following sketch visualizes the place of the alleged accident the house occupied by the policeman, and the route traveled by him in going to and from his work.

1 — Keefe’s Residence.

2 — House in front of which accident occurred.

3 — Sidewalk used by Keefe in going to his work.

4 — Sidewalk on which accident occurred.

5 — General course of route taken by Keefe as “short cut.”

[525]*525Keefe testified that he was familiar with the locality generally, and also familiar with the house in front of which the accident is said to have occurred. There is m> evidence, however, that Keefe had any knowledge of the existence of any accumulation of snow and ice on the sidewalk, nor is there any evidence that there was any accumulation of ice and snow thereon. As has already been stated, Keefe testified that in going to and from his work, he generally took a short cut from his house to the sidewalk running in a westerly direction, on the north side of 2d avenue north. The evidence does not disclose the exact point at which he reached the sidewalk when taking such “short cut.” The plaintiff introduced evidence tending to show that there was a heavy snow fall on the 31st day of December; the accident is said to have occurred on the 11th of January. There is no evidence to show that Keefe ever walked over the sidewalk in question, at any time intervening these dates. So far as the evidence here shows, Keefe walked from his house across 4th street to some point on the sidewalk running on the north side of Second avenue, south, and proceeded thereon in a westerly direction to his work; and, of course, in going to his work, his back would bo toward the place where the accident is said to have occurred. It is true, that in returning from his work, he would be facing in that direction, but as already stated, the evidence shows that he returned from his work after midnight. The testimony of Loucks is to the effect that he slipped and fell on the sidewalk the same day that the plaintiff was injured, and that he reported this fact to the city authorities that same day.

During the examination of the plaintiff, when she was asked some questions with reference to, or leading up to, the alleged accident, the attorney for the defendant objected on the ground, that the plaintiff should first show actual knowledge on the part of -the city, of the defective, or dangerous condition of the sidewalk, as required by the statute heretofore quoted. Upon this objection being made, the court clearly indicated that he did not believe this objection to be well taken; that the question of actual knowledge on the part of the city would not be material until the fact of the accident had been established. The city attorney, thereupon, reiterated his contention that the evidence relating to the accident or injury complained of, was immaterial until knowledge on the part of the city had been established. Plaintiff’s [526]*526counsel thereupon stated: “I tbinlc there is something in what Mr. Shure, defendant’s attorney, says, and there is no need to talce up time here. It is all a matter of the order of proof, and I will withdraw this witness just for the present.”

The plaintiff thereupon placed upon the stand, the witness Keefe, and next the witness Loucks. While the- witness Loucks was upon the stand, the court said:

“Mr. Loucks has testified that he went down about 11 o’clock, I believe, the day she claimed the accident happened and notified the city; now, that disposes of that proposition; now have you anything further, Mr. Crum, by anyone else upon the knowledge within the statutory time of the city ?”
Mr. Crum (plaintiff’s attorney) : “No.”
Mr. Crum: “I state this, the only evidence ive have as to the knowledge of the city, or of the policeman, is that this policeman ivalked there every day; and, Mr. Louclcs went down and notified them; that is dll the evidence ive have got."

The court thereupon directed the jury to retire. After jury had retired, the court said:

“The court must, to the best of its understanding, apply the law and interpret it as it understands the law to be. In my view of the law of this case there is not a sufficient basis here for proceeding with this case. In other -words, that under the statute of 1915, under the proof that has been put in on the part of the plaintiff, it is not sufficient to bring actual knowledge to the City of Fargo, through any of its officers from which it would have actual knowledge, and for that reason the court is of the opinion that there is no foundation for proceeding with the trial of the case further on its merits. What was your objection, Mr. Shure?”

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Malherek v. City of Fargo, 191 N.W. 951, 49 N.D. 522, 1922 N.D. LEXIS 83 (N.D. 1922).

191 N.W. 951 (Malherek v. City of Fargo) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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