People Ex Rel. Dep't of Pub. Works v. Clausen

248 Cal. App. 2d 770, 57 Cal. Rptr. 227, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 1689
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 27, 1967
DocketDocket Nos. 22789, 23142
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 248 Cal. App. 2d 770 (People Ex Rel. Dep't of Pub. Works v. Clausen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People Ex Rel. Dep't of Pub. Works v. Clausen, 248 Cal. App. 2d 770, 57 Cal. Rptr. 227, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 1689 (Cal. Ct. App. 1967).

Opinion

MOLINARI, P. J.

On this appeal two cases have been consolidated. In one (1 Civ. 22789) defendant and cross-complainant, Henry C. Clausen, appeals from (1) the order of the trial court granting the motion of plaintiff and cross-defendant, The People of the State of California (hereinafter referred to as State), to strike Clausen’s amended cross-complaint and sustaining State’s demurrer to said amended cross-complaint without leave to amend, (2) the judgment dismissing said amended cross-complaint as to State, and (3) the judgment dismissing Clausen’s amended cross-complaint as against cross-defendant, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (hereinafter referred to as Electric). In the other (1 Civ. 23142) Clausen appeals from the judgment dismissing bis amended cross-complaint as against cross-defendant, Pacific *773 Telephone & Telegraph Company (hereinafter referred to as Telephone).

The Record

On August 8, 1963 State filed a complaint in eminent domain to condemn for highway purposes twelve parcels of land situated in Santa Clara County and involving ownerships or claims of interest by various named defendants. Among those parcels were Parcels 2A and 2B, described by metes and bounds and in terms of their aggregate area designated as 2.598 acres, as to which Clausen was named as the owner. An answer to the complaint and a eross-eomplaint against State were filed by Clausen on February 20, 1964. The gist of the allegations of the eross-eomplaint was that State, acting by and through the Department of Public Works, its agents and employees, had trespassed upon Parcels 2A and 2B. State demurred generally to the eross-eomplaint and moved to strike it. On July 7, 1964 the trial court denied the motion to strike but sustained the demurrer with leave to amend.

On August 19, 1964 Clausen, without obtaining leave of court, filed an amended cross-complaint, naming as cross-defendants State, Electric and Telephone. As a first cause of action therein Clausen alleged that he was the owner of 10.56 acres of property situated in Santa Clara County, this property being described in terms of metes and bounds; that subsequent to the commencement of the condemnation action Electric and Telephone entered upon Clausen’s land without the latter’s consent and dug holes and erected telephone, telegraph and electric power poles and power lines on Clausen’s property; and that these acts on the part of Electric and Telephone caused damages to Clausen’s property, interfered with his enjoyment, use and possession of his property, and constituted a wilful and intentional trespass thereon. As a second cause of action Clausen alleged that the acts of Electric and Telephone were done at the request of State and under its authority, direction, control, and permission. Clausen further alleged that he had duly filed a claim against State, which claim had been denied.

On September 3, 1964 State demurred generally and specially to the amended eross-eomplaint and moved to strike it on the grounds that Clausen had not obtained permission of the court before he filed his amended eross-eomplaint and that the amended cross-complaint did not have the required *774 subject-matter relationship to the complaint. Clausen responded by noticing a motion for an order permitting him to file the amended cross-complaint nunc pro tunc. On October 8, 1964 the trial court sustained the demurrer without leave to amend on the grounds that “the defendant may not cross-complain against the State in an eminent domain action but is required to set forth all of his damages in his answer,” and that the amended cross-complaint stated no cause of action against State. In addition, the trial court granted State’s motion to strike the amended cross-complaint on the ground that Clausen had not obtained permission of the court to file the cross-complaint against State or to bring in new parties. 1 Judgment having been entered dismissing Clausen’s cross-complaint as against State, Clausen, by two separate notices of appeal, appealed from both the order made on October 8, 1964 and the judgment of dismissal. 2

On November 10, 1964 Electric obtained a judgment dismissing the proceedings as to it without prejudice based upon the order of October 8, 1964 striking Clausen’s amended cross-complaint. Prom that judgment Clausen filed a notice of appeal on November 13, 1964. On December 3, 1964 Telephone demurred to Clausen’s amended cross-complaint and moved to strike it on the same grounds as appeared in State’s motion. The demurrer was overruled but the motion to strike was granted on the ground that Clausen had sought to bring in a new party and to set up a new cause of action against it without prior permission of the court. A judgment striking and dismissing the amended cross-complaint having been entered on July 19, 1965 pursuant to said order, Clausen filed a notice of appeal from that judgment on July 29, 1965.

Meanwhile the action, insofar as it related to State’s complaint against Clausen for condemnation, proceeded to trial and resulted in a jury verdict which, according to the trial court’s findings of fact, determined Clausen’s damages as follows: $26,539.20 as the value of Parcel 2A; $1.00 as the value of Parcel 2B; and $12,000 as severance damages accru *775 ing to the remainder of the property of which Parcels 2A and 2B are a part, by reason of its severance from the parcels sought to be condemned and the construction of the improvement in the manner proposed by State. On the basis of this finding the trial court, by way of a conclusion of law, stated that the payment into court of $38,540.20 by State “is in full payment for the property so taken as set forth in the complaint together with any and all improvements thereon pertaining to the realty, and for all damages from the taking of said property and the construction of the improvement in the manner proposed by plaintiff, and for the use and occupancy of said property by plaintiff under the order for possession herein.” 3 On June 2, 1965 a judgment was entered; however, Clausen did not move for a new trial or appeal from this judgment, which has become final.

Questions Presented

1. Are the orders and judgments involved in this appeal appealable ?

2. Did the trial court err in sustaining State’s demurrer to Clausen’s amended cross-complaint ?

3. Did the trial court err in granting State’s motion to strike Clausen’s amended cross-complaint and in dismissing his amended cross-complaint as against Pacific and Telephone ?

4. Is Clausen precluded from having us determine the merits of his appeal either because he was not prejudiced by the order and various judgments of dismissal or because the appeals are moot ?

Appealability of Orders and Judgments

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Caglia Environmental v. City of Selma CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2026
Folke v. Carrington Mortgage Services CA2/1
California Court of Appeal, 2024
Saenz v. City of San Bernardino CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2023
Saint Andrews Equities v. Ausweger CA2/2
California Court of Appeal, 2023
Westbrook v. Chen CA6
California Court of Appeal, 2022
Avila v. Holsomback CA4/2
California Court of Appeal, 2020
Hodges v. County of Placer
California Court of Appeal, 2019
Hedwall v. PCMV
California Court of Appeal, 2018
Hedwall v. PCMV, LLC
California Court of Appeal, 2018
Hedwall v. PCMV, LLC
231 Cal. Rptr. 3d 560 (California Court of Appeals, 5th District, 2018)
Mechanic v. Bank of America CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2016
Ruballos v. Ruballos CA2/8
California Court of Appeal, 2016
Crawford v. Elegant Angel CA2/4
California Court of Appeal, 2016
DeBert v. San Lorenzo Valley Water Dist. CA6
California Court of Appeal, 2015
Sanai v. The Irvine Co. CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2015
Pena v. Navarro CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2014
Khalkhali v. Cal. Coastal Commission CA2/2
California Court of Appeal, 2014
Lanning v. Kramer CA2/7
California Court of Appeal, 2013
Community Water Coalition v. Santa Cruz County Local Agency Formation Commission
200 Cal. App. 4th 1317 (California Court of Appeal, 2011)
Harris v. WACHOVIA MORTGAGE, FSB
185 Cal. App. 4th 1018 (California Court of Appeal, 2010)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
248 Cal. App. 2d 770, 57 Cal. Rptr. 227, 1967 Cal. App. LEXIS 1689, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-ex-rel-dept-of-pub-works-v-clausen-calctapp-1967.