State Ex Rel. State Highway Commission v. Park

15 S.W.2d 785, 322 Mo. 293, 1929 Mo. LEXIS 606
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedMarch 16, 1929
StatusPublished

This text of 15 S.W.2d 785 (State Ex Rel. State Highway Commission v. Park) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. State Highway Commission v. Park, 15 S.W.2d 785, 322 Mo. 293, 1929 Mo. LEXIS 606 (Mo. 1929).

Opinion

ATWOOD, J.

This is an original proceeding in mandamus instituted at the relation of the State Highway Commission to compel Honorable Guy B. Park, Judge of the Circuit Court of Holt County, to assume full jurisdiction of a condemnation suit which it has brought in said court, and to appoint commissioners therein to assess damages that would be sustained by the owners of two tracts of land therein described on account of the taking of materials therefrom to construct and maintain a state highway designated by law, said lands being along and adjacent to said state highway. Our alternative writ was issued, service waived and return filed.

From relator’s petition it appears that in the condemnation proceeding plaintiff sought to acquire for state highway right-of-way two tracts of land belonging to defendant John G. Fries and two tracts of land belonging to defendant Joseph D. Morris; that plaintiff also sought to acquire the right to extract and remove earth from two other tracts of land belonging to said defendants and necessary for the purpose of grading and maintaining the roadway and approaches to a bridge on said highway; that upon presentation of motion by defendants challenging the court’s jurisdiction of the parties and subject-matter in that proceeding the court refused and still refuses to appoint commissioners to view or to proceed further to condemn the two parcels of land last above mentioned, stating ‘ ‘ that it is the opinion of the court that said third parcels are being condemned for borrow *296 pit purposes and only for acquiring the dirt therefrom, and that same cannot be condemned under provisions of Article 2, Chapter 13, Bevised Statutes 1919, and that land condemned for borrow pit purposes for acquiring of dirt only, as petitioned for in this case, must be condemned under the procedure provided b^ Section 9877, Bevised Statutes 1919, and that the Circuit Court of Holt County has no jurisdiction in this cause to condemn land for such purposes;” that said motion was overruled as to the land sought to be condemned for right of way purposes and commissioners were appointed to assess damages and benefits which the owners would sustain thereby.

Bespondent’s return to our alternative writ, among other things, denies that he has authority to entertain a petition by relator for the condemnation of lands for borrow pit purposes only; denies that the acquisition of said borrow pits is a necessity; denies that plaintiff in said condemnation suit ever attempted to agree with defendants as to the value of said lands for borrow pit purposes; and denies that relator herein has no other adequate remedy.

From the petition filed in the condemnation proceeding and set forth in relator’s abstract of the record it appears that the suit is brought under the provisions of an act of the General Assembly approved August 4, 1921, found at page 131 of the Laws of Missouri of 1921, 1st Ex. Sess., which, among other things, empowers the State Highway Commission to acquire right-of-way and road building materials necessary for the location and construction of state highways by purchase, lease or exercise of the right of eminent domain.

The right to acquire materials as well as right-of-way by exercise of the power of eminent domain is well recognized. In Lewis on Eminent Domain (3 Ed.) Section 411, it is said: “All kinds of property, and every variety and degree of interest in property may be taken under the power of eminent domain.” In Nichols on Eminent Domain (2 Ed.) page 66, note 5'5, it is held that the right to excavate material for constructing public works may be condemned; and Cooley’s work on Constitutional Limitations (8 Ed.) pages 1113, 1114, holds that under the right of eminent domain, timber, stone and gravel may be acquired with which to make or improve the public ways. The General Assembly thus had power to provide that road building materials as well as right of way might be acquired by exercise of the right of eminent domain, and it did so provide in Section 21 of said act known as the Centennial Road Law, page 141, Laws of Missouri 1921, 1st Ex. Sess., which is as follows (italics ours) :

“Whenever the construction or location of any state highway, or part thereof, or the obtaining of right of way, or road-building materials for the construction or maintenance of such roads shall require that private property be taken or damaged; or where a change of gradient, a detour, or an elimination of grade crossing is to be *297 effected; oi’ where the proper and economical location of a highway requires the changing of the channel of any stream, or the right of way to any deposit of road building material; or any water supply; or any water-power sites and lands to be used in connection therewith, which may be necessary for the proper and economical construction and maintenance of said roads, then the commission, in the name of the State of Missouri, shall have the right to purchase or lease the necessary land, or the right of way to any deposit of road material; water supply, or any water-power sites and lands to be used in connection therewith, or materials from the owner thereof, and if compensation therefor cannot be agreed upon, just compensation may be ascertained and the property acquired and paid for in the manner as provided by laiv for the exercise of the right of eminent doma/in by railroad corporations in this State, and in determining the damages or compensation to be paid the owner thereof, the court or jury shall take into consideration the benefits to be derived by the owner as well as the damages sustained thereby.” Whether it be necessary to take land itself or only certain materials therefrom it is obvious that in either casei the taking is an exercise of the right of eminent domain, and the above section plainly states that it shall be done “in the manner as provided by law for the exercise of the right of eminent domain by railroad corporations in this State.”

Section 9850, Revised Statutes 1919, relates to general and additional powers of railroad companies, and the only provision pertinent to the issue here made is the third clause which empowers a railroad corporation “to lay out its road, not exceeding one hundred feet in width, and to construct the same; and, for the purpose of cuttings and embankments, to take as much more land as may be necessary for the proper construction and security of the road, and to cut down any standing trees that may be in danger of falling on the road, making compensation therefor as provided in this chapter and Article II of Chapter 13, for lands taken for the use of the company.” But, the procedure here in question relates to the mere taking of materials and not the land itself, and while Article II of Chapter 13, Revised Statutes 1919, relates generally to condemnation proceedings by corporations, yet it is apparent from the portion of Section 9850' above quoted that the procedure for the taking of land itself and not for the mere taking of materials therefrom is referable to it.

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Bluebook (online)
15 S.W.2d 785, 322 Mo. 293, 1929 Mo. LEXIS 606, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-state-highway-commission-v-park-mo-1929.