Nakina Realty Co. v. City of Milwaukee

25 N.W.2d 257, 249 Wis. 355, 1946 Wisc. LEXIS 318
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 12, 1946
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 25 N.W.2d 257 (Nakina Realty Co. v. City of Milwaukee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nakina Realty Co. v. City of Milwaukee, 25 N.W.2d 257, 249 Wis. 355, 1946 Wisc. LEXIS 318 (Wis. 1946).

Opinions

Rosenbeeey, C. J.

The following is an abbreviated statement of facts admitted, which was read to the jury:

Prior to March 29', 1926, East Kilbourn avenue, then called Biddle street, from what is now North Prospect avenue to the Milwaukee river was eighty feet wide between the street or property lines; and West Kilbourn avenue, then called Cedar street, from the Milwaukee river to North Sixth street, was eighty feet wide, and from North Sixth street to North Ninth street was seventy feet wide. There was no bridge across the river connecting Biddle street with Cedar street.

*357 On June 21, 1926, the common council of the city by resolution directed the condemnation of property along the south side of Cedar street needed to widen said Cedar street from North Sixth street to the river an additional fifty feet, and of property along the north side of Biddle street from the river to North Broadway an additional fifty feet, to make the street one hundred thirty feet wide between street lines.

The city acquired such additional fifty feet and constructed a substantial bridge over the river connecting Cedar and Biddle streets, which was opened for public use on June 15, 1929, with a roadway sixty feet in width.

On March 15, 1937, the common council of the city by resolution adopted a plan for the completion of the widening of East and West Kilbourn avenues between North Ninth street and North Prospect avenue. At that time between North Sixth street and North Broadway said East and West Kilbourn avenues were one hundred thirty feet wide between their street lines; from North Sixth to North Ninth streets it was seventy feet wide'and from North Broadway to North Prospect it was eighty feet wide. Under said plan West Kil-bourn avenue was widened by the acquisition by the city on or before November 3,1940, of property needed on both the north and south sides thereof to a width between its street lines, of 361.44 feet at the west line of North Sixth street and 378.72 feet at the east line of North Ninth street; and East Kilbourn avenue was widened by the acquisition by the city on or before November 3, 1940, of the property needed on the north side thereof to a width between its street lines of one hundred thirty feet at the east line of North Broadway to the west line of North Jackson street; one hundred forty feet from the east line of North Jackson street to the west line of North Van Burén street; one hundred fifty-one feet at the east line of North Van Burén street to two hundred feet at the east line of North Cass street; two hundred feet from the latter line to the middle of the block between North Marshall and North Astor streets, and from the latter point to North Prospect *358 avenue, to a width of three hundred twenty feet by acquiring land on both the north and south sides of East Kilbourn avenue between said points.

The enlarged strip has been in public use since August 11, 1941. An assessment of benefits was made for the improvement of the above-described streets by the common council on October 21,1940. Notice of the confirmation of the assessment was given October 23, 1940, and the city, on November 3, 1940, became the owner of the land theretofore not acquired to complete the widening.

The amount assessed against the property of Nakina on account of improvement was $11,400. The land against which the assessment was made was described as lot 3, block 55, plat of the town of Milwaukee, etc., consisting of one hundred fifty feet on West Kilbourn avenue and fifty feet deep on North Fourth street.

Before any widening of what is now West Kilbourn avenue was made, the north line of Nakina’s property was fifty feet south of the then Cedar street. Nakina owned lot 3 and lot 2, which was to the north of lot 3. Lot 2 was taken for the widening of Cedar street and is now a part of West Kilbourn avenue. The assessment, the amount of which is in issue in this case, was made for the widening of East and West Kil-bourn avenue between North Ninth street and ¡North Prospect avenue and the construction of the bridge across the Milwaukee river at East and West Kilbourn avenue. In this connection it should be borne in mind that the benefits derived from the widening of Biddle street and Cedar street and the construction of the bridge connecting Cedar and Biddle streets are not involved in this proceeding.

Sec. 10, ch. 275, Laws of 1931 (as amended by ch. 179, Laws of 1937), is the section under which the appeal in this case is taken. Sec. 10 (2) provides:

‘‘The appeals shall be tried as ordinary issues of fact are tried in said circuit court, the form of the issue being subject to the direction of the court. . . .”

*359 The case was tried to a jury. The following question was submitted to the jury:

“By what fair and reasonable amount, if any, did the completed widening of Kilbourn avenue between North Ninth street and Juneau Park and the construction of the bridge across the Milwaukee river at said Kilbourn avenue, specially benefit, or increase on October 21, 1940, the fair market value of appellant’s property described as [description] ?”

To ¡this question the jury answered: “None.”

After the rendition of the verdict Nakina by its attorneys requested the court to make findings of fact and conclusions of law in accordance with the requested findings of fact and conclusions submitted to the court by Nakina. This was done for the purpose of removing any doubt as to the purely advisory character of the verdict of the jury. In response to the request of Nakina, the court made the following finding of fact:

“The completed widening of Kilbourn avenue between North Ninth street and Juneau Park . . . and the construction of the bridge across the Milwaukee river at said Kilbourn avenue, did not specially benefit or increase the fair market value of appellant’s property described as lot No. 3, block No. 55, plat of the town of Milwaukee,” and as conclusions of law, the court found:
“The Nakina Realty Company is entitled to . . . judgment in its favor adjudging and determining that said widening of Kilbourn avenue and the construction of said bridge has not created any special benefit to the above-described property.”

As already stated, judgment was duly entered.

The city’s brief states that twelve questions are involved. We shall not separately treat all of these questions. Question 11 is as follows :

“Is the verdict contrary to law, contrary to the evidence, perverse and the result of bias, and should a new trial have been granted by the trial court?”

*360 While counsel concludes the brief with the statement that the judgment should be reversed because the verdict is contrary to law, contrary to the evidence, perverse and the result of bias, that question is not argued. We have examined the evidence received in this case and it is considered that the evidence abundantly sustains the verdict of the jury and the findings of the trial court.

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Bluebook (online)
25 N.W.2d 257, 249 Wis. 355, 1946 Wisc. LEXIS 318, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nakina-realty-co-v-city-of-milwaukee-wis-1946.