State v. 7.536 ACRES

431 P.2d 897, 1967 Alas. LEXIS 149
CourtAlaska Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 20, 1967
Docket796
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 431 P.2d 897 (State v. 7.536 ACRES) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alaska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. 7.536 ACRES, 431 P.2d 897, 1967 Alas. LEXIS 149 (Ala. 1967).

Opinion

OPINION

Before NESBETT, C. J, and DIMOND and RABINO WITZ, JJ.

NESBETT, Chief Justice.

Appellant State commenced condemnation proceedings against land belonging to appellees for highway construction. The court appointed a master to “ascertain and assess just compensation” for the land. After hearings, the master found that just compensation should be in the amount of $87,963.00. Appellant had deposited only $11,398.80 with the court upon filing its declaration of taking.

Appellant was served with notice of the filing of the master’s report on April 27, 1966. On April 28th appellant moved the court for an order directing the master to clarify his report and staying the time for appeal from the master’s report until filing of the requested clarification. Appellant’s motion was granted on April 29, 1966.

On May 9, 1966, the court clerk mailed notice that the master’s clarification of findings had been filed on May 6, 1966. On June 15, 1966, appellant, pursuant to Civil Rule 72(h) (5), filed a notice of appeal from the master’s report. On June 24, 1966, appellees moved to dismiss the appeal on the ground that it was not timely filed pursuant to Civil Rule 72(h) (4). 1 Ap-pellees also moved for the entry of judgment based on the master’s report on the ground that appellant’s failure to file a timely notice of appeal amounted to an acceptance of the master’s report.

On July 7, 1966, appellant filed an “Application to the Court for Action Upon the Master’s Report” which asked for the entry of an order rejecting the master’s report and the clarification because the findings were clearly erroneous in that they were based, in part, upon an unwarranted theory of law. On July 7, 1966, appellant also filed objections to the master’s report pursuant to Civil Rule 53(d) (2). On October 11, 1966, appellant filed a motion “To Set Aside Master’s Award and Setting Case for Trial, or In the Alternative, Remanding to the Master with Instructions and Preservation of Plaintiff’s Right to Appeal Pursuant to Rule 72(h) (4)”.

On October 26, 1966, the trial judge denied all of appellant’s pending motions and granted judgment to the appellees based on the report of the master.

The first issue to be considered is appellant’s claim that the trial court erred in granting judgment to the appellees without requiring that the master’s report be fur- *899 tlier clarified so that it could be intelligently reviewed.

The effect of the entry of judgment was to foreclose appellant’s right of appeal from the clarified master’s report. Civil Rule 72(h) (4) requires that the appeal be taken within 10 days after the filing of the master’s report. 2 The master’s clarified report was filed on May 6, 1966, hut appellant’s notice of appeal was not filed until June 15, 1966, some 40 days later.

Appellant’s argument is that because the master’s clarification failed to clearly delineate the basis for each item of the award, it failed to comply with the court’s order for clarification and therefore, the 10 day period for taking an appeal did not commence to run.

The clarified master’s report separated the fair market value of the larger parcel of land of 117 acres into cultivated land at a stated unit price per acre; into ■ uncultivated land at a stated unit price per acre; gravel deposit at a stated unit price per acre; square footage of lawn at a unit price per square foot and the value of improvements. The values of the various types of land taken were set out, based on the unit prices, and damages to the remainder of the land from pond-flooding and loss of sign were calculated.

Appellant appears to argue that Civil Rule 53(d) (2) is applicable with respect to the master’s clarified report and that the trial court erred in not declaring it to be clearly erroneous. 3

Appellant relies upon Civil Rule 72(a) which states that:

The procedure for the condemnation of property under the power of eminent domain shall be governed by these rules, except as otherwise provided in this rule.

and Civil Rule 72(h) which provides for the appointment of a master to determine the value of the property 4 and upon certain federal authorities.

The federal case authorities cited by appellant construing Rule 71A of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are not applicable because of certain basic differences between Alaska’s Rule 72(h) and its federal counterpart, 71 A(h). Under the federal rules a jury trial on the issue of just compensation is not an absolute right. A party cannot appeal from a commission’s award and receive a jury trial. Under Alaska’s Rule 72(h) (4) an appeal may be taken from the master’s report and under the provisions of AS 09.55.320 appellant may receive a trial de novo before a jury. 5

*900 Federal Rule 71 A(h) provides in part that the commission’s finding's and report:

* * * shall have the effect, and be dealt with by the court in accordance with the practice, prescribed in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Rule S3. (Fedei’al Rule 53(e) (2) is identical to Alaska’s Rule 53(d) (2)).

There is no similar provision in Alaska’s Rule 72(h). These differences conclusively show that it was not intended that Civil Rule 53(d) (2) and (3) have any application in eminent domain proceedings. It follows that the proper and only method of attacking a master’s report is by way of appeal and trial de novo before a jury unless a jury trial is waived.

Appellant argues that its objections to the master’s report pointed out at least 6 aspects of the report which needed further clarification before the report could be intelligently reviewed.

We do not consider appellant’s point to be well taken. Appellant’s objections to the master’s report were not filed until July 7, 1966, some 62 days after the filing of the master’s report. It appears that the master’s report was submitted in the format requested by appellant on forms supplied by appellant. If the clarified report in fact failed to comply with the court’s order or for any reason required further clarification, appellant should have timely moved for an appropriate order and stay of the running of the time for appeal, as it did with respect to the master’s original report. We find no error with respect to this point on appeal.

Appellant next argues that the court erred in denying appellant’s motion to set aside the master’s report on the ground that the award was excessive.

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Bluebook (online)
431 P.2d 897, 1967 Alas. LEXIS 149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-7536-acres-alaska-1967.