State ex rel. City of St. Paul v. Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Co.

89 N.W. 1, 85 Minn. 416, 1902 Minn. LEXIS 415
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedFebruary 14, 1902
DocketNos. 12,834-(195)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 89 N.W. 1 (State ex rel. City of St. Paul v. Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. City of St. Paul v. Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Co., 89 N.W. 1, 85 Minn. 416, 1902 Minn. LEXIS 415 (Mich. 1902).

Opinion

LEWIS, J.

In 1869 the St. Paul, Stillwater & Taylor’s Falls Railroad Company was incorporated to build, a railroad from St. Paul to Still-water, and in 1871 commenced proceedings of condemnation to acquire a right of way one hundred feet in width through the land in question, and during the same year the roadbed was graded [418]*418and the track laid. Commissioners were duly appointed to assess damages to the property condemned, and on September 18, 1871, they filed their report and award, from which the owner appealed to the district court, wherefrom it was subsequently removed to the United States circuit court, where on June 29, 1876, judgment was duly rendered in favor of the owner for damages, and granting to the railroad company its right of way, and on September 15, 1877, the judgment was paid. In 1872 the then owner of the property platted the same, dedicating to the public the Edgerton street involved in this case. In 18S0 the defendant railway company succeeded to all interests, rights, and property, real and personal, of the St. Paul, Stillwater & Taylor’s Falls Railroad Company, and in 1886 commenced condemnation proceedings to acquire certain property for the purpose of widening its right of way through a portion of the land described in such plat; but the proceedings were dropped, and the land was acquired by deed dated July 27, 1886. This additional territory was taken possession of by defendant, who occupied it with its tracks, extending ;hem across Edgerton street for a considerable distance beyond the first acquired right of way of one hundred feet; and in the year 1887-1888 defendant built a bridge on Edgerton street, over and across its grounds and railroad, under the following agreement and understanding with relator: That if defendant .would build the bridge proper, according to plans and specifications prepared by relator, the city would build the approaches thereto, and thereafter maintain and keep it in repair at its own expense.

Relator commenced this proceeding to compel the defendant company to repair the roadway and sidewalks of the bridge. Judgment was entered in defendant’s favor, and relator appealed to this court upon various propositions, of which the following are essential to consider: Does the title in defendant company to the one hundred-foot strip of right of way date from the filing of the award' by the commissioners in 1871? Did the filing of the plat in 1872 by the then owner of the land, and the subsequent acquisition of the additional right of way, have the effect of dedicating to the public the street in question, so that whatever rights the railroad company may have acquired by such condemnation proceedings be[419]*419came subject thereto? If the right acquired by defendant under the original condemnation proceedings was prior to that acquired by the public id the street by virtue of the aforesaid plat, then may the city repudiate the contract under which the bridge was constructed, and require the- defendant company to maintain it over the original one hundred feet? If the city is bound by the contract, and cannot require defendant to maintain or repair the bridge over the one hundred feet first acquired, what are the relative rights and powers of the relator and defendant company with reference to that part of the bridge constructed over defendant’s right of way and tracks outside of the first one hundred feet?

1. The trial court found that the condemnation proceedings commenced in 1871 to secure the original right of way were in all respects regular and in accordance with the statutes then in force, and the finding is supported by the evidence. From the evidence and finding of the court it appears that defendant’s predecessor built its railway track upon the primary right of way strip through Stinson’s property in 1871, which was one year prior to the filing of the plat and consequent dedication to the public of Edgerton street. And although the award was appealed from by the owner, the cause removed to the United States court, and the final award not paid until some years later, yet the title to this original one hundred feet related back to, and dated from, the filing of the commissioners’ award, September 18, 1871. Upon principle and authority, the taking occurred at that date. Whit-acre v. St. Paul & S. C. R. Co., 24 Minn. 311.

2. The filing of the plat in 1872 did not have the effect of dedicating to the public a street across defendant’s theretofore acquired right of way. The railroad tracks were then upon the ground, apd defendant’s predecessor in actual possession, all of which was recognized by the owner, for the streets, blocks, and lots were laid out. accordingly; and relator acquired no rights in the streets except by virtue of the plat. The city was not a necessary party to the condemnation proceedings, because it held no interest in the premises when they were commenced, and the mere fact that the plat was- filed pending those proceedings did not [420]*420entitle it to be made a party. Whatever rights were granted by the plat were subject to existing conditions, and the grantee of the owner could have no greater right by virtue of a conveyance or dedication than the owner himself had. Defendant is not estopped from denying the existence of the street across the one hundred-foot strip from the" fact that in 1886 it purchased property which was described in the deed according to the plat; for while bound by the plat, so far as it affected the purchase made with reference to it, there is no possible ground for an argument that defendant waived its title and prior right to that strip of land by such subsequent purchase. While true that the plat does not show this strip extending across Edgerton street, the defendant was not in any way connected with or bound by the plat; nor could such representations affect the previous owner, who was in actual possession; hence every element of estoppel is lacking.

3. It is claimed by appellant that the court’s finding regarding the construction of the bridge under an agreement with the city is not supported by the evidence, and that error was committed in receiving certain testimony bearing upon the nature of the contract and its adoption by the city. The view we take of this case renders it unnecessary to determine whether error was committed as assigned, or whether the city ever legally entered into such a contract. The record and findings show conclusively that the bridge was constructed in pursuance of an understanding between defendant and the city’s representatives that relator would maintain and keep it in repair, and relator' makes no material claim that defendant voluntarily and of its own motion built this bridge, regardless of the city’s proposition thereafter to maintain it.

It is immaterial whether the action taken by relator with reference to the construction and maintenance of the bridge was legal or not. We are only concerned with the obligations and responsibilities assumed by defendant at the time it entered into such an arrangement and constructed the bridge. The proposition is simply this: It being conceded that the defendant company could not be compelled to build a bridge over its original one hundred [421]*421feet, the mere fact that it did so at the request and inducement of relator could in no way take from defendant those rights in the street which it originally held.

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Related

Drake v. City of St. Paul
65 F.2d 119 (Eighth Circuit, 1933)
City of St. Paul v. Minnesota Transfer Railway Co.
193 N.W. 175 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1923)
City of St. Paul v. Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Co.
166 N.W. 335 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1918)
State ex rel. City of St. Paul v. Great Northern Railway Co.
158 N.W. 972 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1916)
State ex rel. Board of County Commissioners v. McKellar
99 N.W. 807 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1904)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
89 N.W. 1, 85 Minn. 416, 1902 Minn. LEXIS 415, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-city-of-st-paul-v-chicago-st-paul-minneapolis-omaha-minn-1902.