State v. Wilson

439 S.W.2d 134, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 1964
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 6, 1969
Docket413
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 439 S.W.2d 134 (State v. Wilson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Wilson, 439 S.W.2d 134, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 1964 (Tex. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

DUNAGAN, Chief Justice.

This is a condemnation case. This appeal is from a judgment of the County Court of Gregg County, Texas. Proceedings were instituted by the State of Texas and the City of Longview as condemnors, against Joyce Wilson and husband, D. R. Wilson, owners of the property, and J. W. Bardwell, the holder of a vendor’s lien against the property, as condemnees. The condemnation proceedings were brought to acquire fee simple title to a triangular-shaped tract of land containing 31 square feet from condemnees in connection with the construction of a state highway. The strip taken was off the northeast corner of a lot 150 by 150 feet owned by appellees and which is located in the City of Long-view.

*136 Trial was before a jury and verdict was returned awarding condemnees $75.00 for the strip of land condemned and $1,490.00 for damages to the remainder of appellees’ land. Judgment of the County Court based on the findings of the jury was entered in the sum of $1,565.00. After a hearing thereon, condemnors’ amended motion for new trial was overruled, hence this appeal.

In answer to Special Issue No. 1, the jury found the market value of the condemned land to be $75.00. In answer to Special Issue No. 2, it was found that the remainder of appellees’ property had a market value of $14,900.00 immediately before the taking. In answer to Special Issue No. 3, the jury found that the market value of the remaining tract immediately after the taking was $13,410.00.

Condemnors do not complain of the jury’s finding as to the value of the strip taken.

By numerous Points of Error, con-demnors complain of the legal and factual sufficiency of the evidence to support the “verdict.” From their argument under these points, however, we understand the complaint to be directed principally as legal and factual sufficiency of the evidence to support Special Issue No. 3. 1

The condemnors contend that the damages to the market value of the remainder as shown by the evidence are not com-pensable because such damages are in common with the community in general and are not peculiar to their property. Therefore, the jury’s verdict is not supported by probative evidence.

Condemnees concede that they are not entitled to compensation for damages to the remainder of their property after the severance of the portion taken, if such damages are in common with the community generally. However, they argue that the damages to the market value of the remainder as shown by the evidence are not in common with the community in general and are peculiar to their property.

The measure of damages in a condemnation suit is fixed by the statute of eminent domain. Article 3265, Vernon’s Tex.Civ.St.; Texas Electric Service Company v. Campbell, 161 Tex. 77, 336 S.W.2d 742, 746 (1960). This article, in part, provides:

“3. When only a portion of a tract or parcel of a person’s real estate is condemned, the commissioners shall estimate the injuries sustained and the benefits received thereby by the owner; whether the remaining portion is increased or diminished in value by reason of such condemnation, and the extent of such increase or diminution and shall assess the damages accordingly.
“4. In estimating either the injuries or benefits, as provided in the preceding article, such injuries or benefits which the owner sustains or receives in common with the community generally and which are not peculiar to him and connected with his ownership, use and enjoyment, of the particular parcel of land, shall not be considered by the commissioners in making their estimate.”

Article 3265 makes it clear that in a condemnation case where a portion of the land is taken, in arriving at the damages to the remainder of the land, the benefits and injuries which the owner receives and sustains in common with the com- *137 munity generally and not peculiar to that tract should not he taken into consideration. Parker County v. Jackson, 5 Tex.Civ.App. 36, 23 S.W. 924, 926 (1893, n. w. h.); State v. Carpenter, 126 Tex. 604, 89 S.W.2d 194, 201, 979 (Tex.Com.App., 1936, holding approved). See Rayburn, Texas Law of Condemnation, Sec. 139, p. 423.

The question to be determined by this court is whether there is any evidence, at least sufficient evidence, of damage to the market value of the remainder of con-demnees’ property, excluding any decrease in such value, that was in common with the community in general and not peculiar to the remaining portion of their property to support the jury’s answer to Special Issue No. 3. We have concluded that the answer is no.

Condemnees’ property fronts on Doyle Street. The Wilson house located thereon is 43 feet from Doyle Street and approximately 50 feet from the right-of-way line of the highway. It is a brick house consisting of 6-'i/2 rooms.

Immediately prior to the construction of the highway, there was situated to the East of the Wilson property two brick houses and on the other side a frame one, all of which were removed to make way for the highway. Across the street were three frame houses, one partially brick, which were likewise removed. The removal of these houses was not caused by the taking of the small strip off the corner of the Wilson property, but was caused by the taking of the property of other owners by the condemnors in securing right-of-way for the highway. D. R. Wilson testified that “on the same side of our street the third house down is brick and across the street from us the second house down the street is brick and then the fourth house down the street is brick.” These houses were not removed.

The condemnees contended in the trial court and so contend in this court that the removal of the brick houses in the vicinity of the Wilson property and the increased flow of traffic caused by the construction of the highway has so changed the characteristics of the neighborhood that the market value of the remainder of the Wilson property has been decreased.

The condemnees called to the witness stand only two value witnesses, B. R. Comer and John Brogdon. Mr. Comer testified that the value of the remainder immediately before the taking was $19,500.50 and immediately after the taking, the value was $12,825.00. Mr. Brogdon’s testimony was that the value immediately before the taking was $15,950.00 and immediately after the taking, $11,950.00. Condemnors also offered only two value witnesses, W. A. Locy and Robert Coffey. They testified that the value of the remainder was the same immediately after the taking that it was immediately before the taking.

Condemnees’ value witnesses’ reason for their opinion that the market value of the remainder after the taking was diminished was that as a result of the houses near the Wilson property being removed to make way for the highway, it had changed the characteristics of the neighborhood and with the increased traffic, it was not as livable a neighborhood as before.

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Bluebook (online)
439 S.W.2d 134, 1969 Tex. App. LEXIS 1964, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-wilson-texapp-1969.