Standard Oil Co. v. Joint Board of Supervisors

94 N.W.2d 312, 250 Iowa 952, 1959 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 465
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJanuary 13, 1959
DocketNo. 49582
StatusPublished

This text of 94 N.W.2d 312 (Standard Oil Co. v. Joint Board of Supervisors) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Standard Oil Co. v. Joint Board of Supervisors, 94 N.W.2d 312, 250 Iowa 952, 1959 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 465 (iowa 1959).

Opinion

Oliver, J.

This is an. 'action, at law, commenced in district court under sections 455.92 t’o 455.104, Code of Iowa 1954 (1958), as an appeal by plaintiff, Standard Oil Company (Indiana), a pipe-line company, from an award made toy defendant, The Joint Board of Supervisors of Harrison and Monona Counties, Iowa, sitting* as the governing board of Little Sioux Inter-county Drainage District of Harrison and Monona Counties. This award, in the amount of $10,526.81, which plaintiff 'alleged was inadequate, was for compensation for the expense of relocating its pipe line, made necessary by change® made by the district in the channel of the Little Sioux River which was, at that place, moved about one thousand feet to the north.

In addition to denying certain allegations of the petition, defendant’s 'answer alleged:

“That defendant states that the allowance of compensation of $10,526.81 Was made mistakenly and erroneously as the defendant at that time did not know that the plaintiff on March 6, 1941, made application to the Board of Trustees of the Monona-H'arrison Drainage District for right and privilege to construct said pipe line across and under the Little Sioux River and the Monon'a-Harrison Drainage Ditch, agreeing that it would be liable for any future changes in the location of said pipe line made necessary to1 conform with any future changes of the channel; and that 'based upon said application the right and privilege to construct said pipe line was (granted by the Board of Trustees of the Monoria-Harrison Drainage District; that copies of said application and resolution are attached hereto, marked ‘Exhibit A’ and ‘Exhibit B’ and made a part of this Answer.
“That on the 5th day of February, 19!57, the defendant duly passed a Resolution cancelling, annulling and setting aside the said -allowance of $10,526.81 for the reasons above stated. * * *
“That by reason of the facts recited herein the defendant is hot obligated to the plaintiff in -any sum whatsoever arising out of the rearranging and relocation of plaintiff’s pipe line across the Little Sioux River 'as described in the plaintiff’® Petition.”

Later, defendant amended its Answer by adding thereto':

“That on May 29, 1941, plaintiff presented to the Board of Trustees of the Monona-Harrison Drainage District a petition [955]*955to- amend the 'original permit to it dated March. 6, 1941, above referred i» and set out ¡as ‘Exhibit B’, starting therein that in event said Board of Trustees should find it necessary ¡to change the location of the Little Sioux River in order to ^provide better outlet and in the interest bf public safety, usefulness and utility of Said -drainage project it wlould make such -changes as might be necessary to its pipe-line crossing thereof without expense to said Board. That a copy of said petition is attached hereto marked ‘Exhibit D’ and made a part of tbis Answer.
“That bn May 29, 1941, the Board of Trustees of the Monona-Harrison Drainage District adopted a resolution approving the request ¡set out in ‘Exhibit D’. That a copy of said resolution is attached hereto, marked ‘Exhibit E’, and made a part hereof.
“That the Little Sioux River is a part of the ■ drainage system of the Monona-Harrison District. That the Board of Trustees of the Mononla-Harrison Drainage District have from time to time- cleaned out, straightened, built levees and done other work on the Little Sionx River attempting to- increase the drainage efficiency of that River; that these attempts covering a period ¡of approximately fifty years were insufficient to- properly drain the lands in the- Monona-Harrison Drainage District and give adequate flotod protection.
“That (the Little -Sioux Intercounty Drainage District was established June 23, 1955, for the purpose of cooperating with the United States Government in the adoption of ‘Plan O’ of the United States Corps ¡of Engineers, which plan it had been determined would adequately solve the drainage and flood problems of this area. That the Little Sioux Tntorcounty Drainage District covers 'and includes all of ¡the lands in ¡the MomtomaHarrison Drainage District; and in the adoption of ‘Plan O’ said District has assumed jurisdiction over the Little Sioux River, and the improvement contemplated by ‘Plan O’ is now in the process -of co-nstruotiton. That such construction has necessitated changing the location of the Little Sioux River, and it has ¡caused the plaintiff to- make changes in its pipe-line crossing of said River.
“That the Little Sio-ux Intercounty Drainage District is a successor to the Monona-Harrison Drainage District 'as ¡to juris[956]*956diction for drainage rand flood control involved in the little Sioux River, and ithe prior obligations and commitments of the plaintiff to the Board of Trustees of the MonomarH'arrison Drainage District regarding its pipe-line crossing of .the Little Sioux River inure to the benefit of the Little Sioux Intercounty Drainage District.”

Exhibits A, B, D and E, attached to the Answer and Amendment to Answer, are as follows:

“Exhibit A.
“To the Honorable Board of Trustees of the Monona-Harrison Drainage District No. 1 of Monona and Harrison County, Iowa.
“Petition kor Permit to Cross Monona-IIarrison Drainage District and Little Sioux River with a Pipeline
“Your petitioner, Standard Oil Company, an Indiana Corporation, respectfully represents, and shows to your Honorable Board that it is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Iowa; that it has a temporary permit from the State Commerce Commission to construct a six-inch pipe line across and under the main canal or ditch of the Monona-IIarrison Drainage District at a point in the SW quarter of the SE quarter of Section 11-82-45 in Harrison County and also to cross 'and go under the Little Sioux River at a point in the SE quarter of Section 23-8.1-45 in Harrison County, for the purpose of pumping and transporting crude oil, gas and/or the products of crude oil; and that in constructing, operating and maintaining said pipe line for the aforesaid purposes, your petitioner proposes to construct a line 'three feet below the original grade of said main canal in. the Monona-IIarrison Drainage District a,t said described, point.
“That your petitioner covenants and agrees as a condition in obtaining a permit from your Board to make such pipe-line crossing of said main canal of the Monona-Harrison Drainage District and 'across the Little Sioux River that the Standard Oil Company of Indiana, its successors, grantees and assigns, and legal representatives will compensate your Board for any and all damages that may be occasioned by reason of the [957]

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Related

Johnson v. Monona-Harrison Drainage District
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Bluebook (online)
94 N.W.2d 312, 250 Iowa 952, 1959 Iowa Sup. LEXIS 465, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/standard-oil-co-v-joint-board-of-supervisors-iowa-1959.