McGregor v. Silver King Mining Co.

45 P. 1091, 14 Utah 47, 1896 Utah LEXIS 60
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 27, 1896
DocketNo. 620
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 45 P. 1091 (McGregor v. Silver King Mining Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McGregor v. Silver King Mining Co., 45 P. 1091, 14 Utah 47, 1896 Utah LEXIS 60 (Utah 1896).

Opinion

Per Curiam:

The plaintiff in this case alleges that he is the owner of certain mining claims named in the complaint; that on the 16th day of October, 1895, the defendant company entered, with a large force of men, upon the mining claims of plaintiff, dug a trench thereon for the purpose [50]*50of laying a pipe line in said trench across the surface of said claims, and threatened to maintain the same, which trespass, plaintiff claims, will ripen into an easement, canse a cloud upon plaintiff’s title, and a multiplicity of suits, unless enjoined; and asks a restraining order and judgment. The defendant files its answer, admitting that it entered upon the claims as aforesaid, and dug the trench and laid the pipe line across the .surface of said claims, which were rocky, barren, and of no value whatever, for the purpose of maintaining the same across said land of the plaintiff; denies the damage, trespass, force, irreparable -injury, and easement alleged; denies its intention to 'construct -said pipe line across said land of the plaintiff, which lies between the defendant’s water supply, in Thayne’s mine and tunnel, and its mining works below, except by virtue of condemnation proceed.ings -begun and concluded under section 2788, Gornp. Laws Utah 1888, as amended, wherein damages were awarded and tendered the plaintiff, which damages he refused to accept; and alleges that it had a right to construct said pipe line, in order to carry water, which was necessary to operate its .said mine, from Thayne’-s tunnel and mining claim, which it owned, to the defendant’® mine; that said water-supply was the only source of supply for water to its mine, and the same could not be operated without said water; that at, before, and since the time in question, it had owned, operated, and developed the Silver King Mines, and was then engaged in working, operating, and extracting ores t-hereform, and employed over 150 men for that purpose; that defendant is, and for many months last past has been, desirous of conducting said water by means of a pipe line from said source to its said Silver King mines; that owing to the topography of the country between said Thayne mining claim, and the tunnel [51]*51thereon, and the said Silver King mines, it is not practicable to construct a pipe line for the carrying iof said water from isaid Thayne tunnel to said Silver King Mines without .crossing the said mining claim® of the said plaintiff; that the surface, and the whole of the surface, of said mining claims of the said plaintiff is rocky and barren, and that a trench or a pipe line across said lands would not result in any damage to said plaintiff; that the defendant, being unable to obtain the consent of said plaintiff to construct said trench and pipe line over and aero®® said lands of said plaintiff by offering to- pay full compensation to said plaintiff for ¡said right of way for -such trench and pipe line over -said lands of -said plaintiff, and for all injury that might be done thereto-, proceeded, under the provisions o-f an act of the legislature aforesaid, to construct the -same; that the plaintiff will suffer no irreparable or -other damage by the running of -said pipe line; that the defendant is solvent, and able to -pay any -sum plaintiff may recover as damages; and that the plaintiff has a remedy at law. Upon the hearing the court' granted an interlocutory injunction enjoining the defendant from digging of said trench, and from laying a pipe line therein, and from continuing to- maintain any trench or pipe line up-on said McGregor consolidated group of mines. From this order this appeal is taken.

Defendant assigns as error the making ¡of said order, and that the proofs d-o- not establish facts which constitute any ground of equitable relief, and because all the equities -of the bill were denied in the answer, and a complete defense affirmatively interpo-sed under the statutes of Utah in relation to eminent domain. The plaintiff takes issue upon this contention, and claims that section 2788, Gomp. Laws Utah 1888, a® amended, under which the condemnation proceeding's were had, is uncon[52]*52stitutional, and tibe condemnation sought was not for ipublic use, and was not necessary. In this somewhat •collateral proceeding, we are not disposed to discuss the constitutional question here presented, as the result must upon other questions. The foundation of the jurisdiction of a court of equity to issue injunctions to restrain trespasses is the probability of irreparable injury, the inadequacy of pecuniary compensation, and the prevention of a multiplicity of suits, where the rights of numerous. persons are involved. It is not sufficient that the complaint alleges that the injury would be irreparable, when that is the ground of equitable relief. But the plaintiff, in addition thereto, .should affirmatively show by its 'Complaint why it would be so, or allege facts which will justify that reasonable conclusion; otherwise the extraordinary remedy by injunction should not be allowed. The allegation in the complaint that the defendant may or will acquire an easement in the land proposed to be covered by the, pipe line, under the circumstances in this case, is sufficiently answered by the fact that no such easement or servitude could be acquired, except by 'consent or acquiescence of the plaintiff, and in any event forms no basis for injunctive relief pending the final hearing. Washb. Easem. (4th Ed.) §§ 86, 110, 111; Thorn v. Sweeney, 12 Nev. 251. And the digging of a trench and pipe line across plaintiff’s lots, which are alleged to be rocky, barren, vacant, and comparatively valueless, is not such an irreparable injury as to justify this extraordinary remedy by injunction, when taken in 'connection with all the other facts in the case. Ordinarily, this remedy by injunction will mot be exercised when the right of the complainant is doubtful, and has not been settled at law. Even when it has been settled an injunction will not be granted when the remedy at law is adequate. Waldron v. Marsh, 5 Cal. 120; Real [53]*53Del Monte Consol. Gold & Silver Min. Co. v. Pond Gold & Silver Min. Co., 23 Cal. 83; Thorn v. Sweeney, 12 Nev. 251.

But when the title is not disputed, or has been settled by an action at law, and the plaintiff is shown to be liable to irreparable injury by continued acts of trespass, or such acts will result in the destruction of his property, then the fact that the defendant is willing and able to pay for the damage is immaterial, for in such a case there is no means of determining whether the value would compensate the plaintiff for its destruction. While this is so in such cases, yet if no appreciable injury will arise by the acts done or threatened to be continued,it does not follow that the same rule prevails, as a matter of course, in cases where the title or right is in 'dispute. Injunctions are not usually granted to- restrain a trespass, merely because it is such, without showing the property itself trespassed upon has some peculiar value that could not admit of due recompense, or that it would be destroyed by repeated or continuous acts of trespass.

This alleged threatened continuation of the trespass by continuing the pipe line over the plaintiff’s land is therefore the principal ground upon which the injunction may have 'been granted. All the allegations in the complaint are denied, so far as they are material, except the ownership of the claims in question, and the trespass alleged is attempted to be justified upon proceedings taken under the statute for condemnation.

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Bluebook (online)
45 P. 1091, 14 Utah 47, 1896 Utah LEXIS 60, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcgregor-v-silver-king-mining-co-utah-1896.