Ornstein v. Chesapeake & Ohio Rd

36 N.E.2d 521, 26 Ohio Law. Abs. 78, 11 Ohio Op. 129, 1937 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 893
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 2, 1937
DocketNo 2754
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 36 N.E.2d 521 (Ornstein v. Chesapeake & Ohio Rd) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ornstein v. Chesapeake & Ohio Rd, 36 N.E.2d 521, 26 Ohio Law. Abs. 78, 11 Ohio Op. 129, 1937 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 893 (Ohio Ct. App. 1937).

Opinion

OPINION

By BARNES, PJ.

The above entitled cause is now being determined on proceedings in error from the judgment of the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County, Ohio.

The cause originated in the Probate Court of Franklin County, Ohio, in December, 1929, through petition filed by the Hock'ing Valley Railroad Company against defendants et al, seeking to appropriate the Omslein property for railroad purposes, through the right of eminent domain.

The Ornsteins resisted the action of the Railroad Company in its attempted appropriaiion at every step of the proceedings.

The first step was the determination of preliminary questions involving the right of the railroad company, under its petition, to appropriate.

After a long-drawn-out hearing, the Probate Court found in favor of the Railroad Company and proceeded to the next step, looking to the empaneling of a jury to determine the value of the premises.

The Ornsteins procured a stay of the proceedings and attempted to secure a reversal of the Probate Court on the preliminary questions, through error proceedings. to the Common Pleas Court, Court of Appeals, Ohio Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court.

The proceeding's in error were dismissed in each and all of the courts on the ground that the findings of the Probate Court on the preliminary questions were not final orders. The trial to the jury was not had until 1935. On February 27, 1935, the jury returned its verdict fixing the compensation to be paid for the Ornstein lot, the sum of $72,000.00. Motion for new trial was duly filed, the same being- overruled October 5, 1935. Within thirty days following the overruling of motion for new trial and entry of final decree, the railroad company paid into court the full amount of the award and costs. In December, 1935, the Ornsteins made demand for payment to them oí the $72,000.00 and on December 13th the full amount of the award was paid to them. On December 30th following, the Ornsteins filed their petition in error in the Court of Common- Pleas of Franklin County, Ohio. The proceedings in error were immediately perfected through the filing- of the original papers and the bill of exceptions. The Common Pleas Court on November 30, 1936, affirmed the judgment of the Probate Court.

Notice of appeal to the Court of Appeals on questions of law was filed December 19, 1936.

The Ornsteins are seeking to have reviewed every order, finding and judgment of the Probate Court from the time the original petition for appropriation was filed in December, 1929, until the final entry affirming the award.

Counsel for the Railroad Company make the claim that the Ornsteins, through the acceptance of the $72,000.00 award are estopped to raise any question through their present appeal other than such as touches the question of the adequacy of the award. It seems to be conceded that the appellants do have a right to pros; cute error to the amount of the award notwithstanding the application for and acceptance of the full sum of $72,000.00. This is the construction given to §11064 GC and cogent sections of the General Code. The Common Pleas Court in its opinion touching the scope of the error proceedings very exhaustively and learnedly presents the two theories touching the question of the right to have the preliminiary questions reviewed.

We think the reviewing court in his discussion of the question and citation of authorities presents the strongest case in favor of denial of review on the preliminary questions. However, the court was of the opinion that the case of New York and Harlem Railroad Company, 98 N. Y., page 12, authorized the review of the preliminary questions. The co-urt then proceeded to examine all the claimed errors attending the preliminary questions and found no errors therein.

It is our judgment that the appellants by applying for and accepting the $72,000.00 award are estopped from raising any questions of error pertaining to the preliminary questions. In the case of Chicago Western Railroad v Kemper, 257 Missouri, 624, (166 [81]*81SW 291) will be found a very complete and satisfactory discussion of this question and a determination that the review is limited to the amount of award. The question is analyzed under a rule oí reason and in our judgment, is unanswerable. Many cases are cited from other jurisdictions supporting the view. Aside from the decisions in other jurisdictions, we think that careful study of the previsions of the General Code together with the decisions of our Supreme Court construing certain provisions, leave no doubt as to the proper rule to be adopted.

Under the provisions of §11065, GC, the condemning corporation upon payment of the amount of the award into court has the right to enter upon and appropriate the property notwithstanding the pendency of the proceedings in error. In the case of Meily v Zurmehly, 23 Oh St 627, syllabus, we find the following:

“Where a railroad corporation proceeded before a Probate Judge ' v * for the assessment of compensation to the owner of the land appropriated to its use, and a final judgment was rendered by the judge in favor of the owner of the property against the corporation, for the amount assessed by the verdict oí the jury, and the corporation paid the amount of such judgment into court and entered into possession of the land, and then filed its petition in error tc reverse the judgment of the Probate Court, and requested the judge to retain the money so paid into court until the final disposition of the proceedings in error; Held, that it was the duty of the probate judge, on the demand of the party in whose favor the judgment was rendered, to ' pay over to him the amount of such judgment, notwithstanding the pendency ox the proceedings in error and the objection of the corporation; and his failure to do so is a breach of his official bond.”

Also, see the case of Wagner v Railway Company, 38 Oh St 32, at page 36 of the opinion. Johnson, J., speaking for the court relative to the rights under appropriation uses the following language:

“Again the rights of the parties are mutual whenever the corporation is entitled to take the land its former owner is equally entitled to the money. The right to the money accrues eo instanti with the right to take the land, otherwise compensation will not first oe made. The deposit of money in court is in legal effect for the landowner’s use and belongs to him as soon as the land becomes the property of the corporation. * * *
“This ,s so notwithstanding either party may prosecute error to reverse the judgment. The final judgment of the Probate Court completes the appropriation for the purposes of transferring title but leaves the pariies to litigate over the question of compensation.” (Emphasis ours).

Had the Ornsteins desired to present the question of claimed error to the ruling of the Probate Court on the preliminary questions, they could have done so by declining to accept the- amount of the award.

Through the application for and acceptance of the amount of the award, absolute title passes to the railroad company. The only question under the peculiar provisions of the statute which remains to be reviewed is the question of the sufficiency of the amount. §11062, GC, provides in detail the duty of the court in the event a new trial is ordered.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
36 N.E.2d 521, 26 Ohio Law. Abs. 78, 11 Ohio Op. 129, 1937 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 893, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ornstein-v-chesapeake-ohio-rd-ohioctapp-1937.