Stilwell v. Buffalo Riding Academy

4 N.Y.S. 414, 21 Abb. N. Cas. 472
New York Supreme Court·Decided July 15, 1888·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

Daniels, J.

The injunction was issued on a verified complaint of the plaintiffs and an affidavit setting forth that the building in question had been constructed in part of wood, in violation of the charter and ordinances of the city of Buffalo, and was designed for the keeping of horses therein, and the storage of hay, feed, and bedding for them, and that stalls had been constructed therein for 46 horses. The plaintiffs are the separate owners of three parcels of land fronting upon Utica street, and distant 90 feet easterly from the building of the defendant. It is apprehended by them, and the affidavits as well as the complaint tend to establish the fact that the apprehension may be well founded, that their dwellings upon these parcels of land may be endangered by fire in consequence of the defendant’s building having been erected partly of wood, and from the storage of combustible material therein; and that the occupancy of their dwellings may be rendered unwholesome and uncomfortable by the odors emitted from the defendant’s building, so far as it may be occupied as a stable for the horses owned and used by members of the club.

Upon this latter ground the papers were sufficient to entitle the plaintiffs to an injunction restraining such a use of the defendants’ building as would probably result in this annoyance and disturbance to the occupants of their respective dwellings; for, in judgment of law, whatever maybe obnoxious or offensive to the senses, either of sight, hearing, or smell, or which will render the enjoyment of life or property unwholesome or uncomfortable, is a nuisance, and a building erected upon the lands of another will not be permitted to be applied or used for any occupation or purpose resulting in the establishment of such a nuisance. Upon this subject the general principle of law has frequently been invoked, and uniformly applied, that the owner of adjacent property must so use it as not to be productive of injurious results of this description to the occupants of other property in the same vicinity. But the law does not attempt to protect persons in the occupancy and enjoyment of property from all annoyance or disturbances from exterior sources; and those which necessarily arise from closely-settled occupancy of cities or villages fall within this description. But where a building is erected and used which is productive of special annoyance and disturbance to others residing in .the vicinity, or is injurious to the health or comfort of such occupants, there the law denominates it to be a nuisance, and will restrain the unlawful use of it by an injunction, as well as remunerate the party specially injured by awarding damages commensurate to the extent of the injury. But to erect and use a building for the stabling of horses, or even the business of a livery stable, is not, in judgment of law, considered in and of itself a nuisance liable to be restrained in this manner. This was held in Dargan v. Waddell, 9 Ired. 244. But it was held in Coker v. Birge, 10 Ga. 336, that a livery stable within 65 feet of an hotel, as it actually resulted in annoyance to the occupants of the lat[416] ter building, should be regarded and held to be a nuisance, and restrained from the pursuit of that business by an injunction. That, however, was an extreme case, not justifying the continuance of this injunction; for the affidavits produced on behalf of the defendant tend to establish the fact that this particular building will be used, as it is proposed to be by the defendant, without causing disturbance, annoyance, or unwholesome odors to any of the occupants of adjacent property. And the affidavits upon this subject are so direct and complete as to overcome the general statement contained in the affidavits made on behalf of the plaintiffs that the use of this building in the manner in. which it is proposed to be used may result in a nuisance to these occupants. As the proof in the case stands, this cannot be said to be established as a matter of fact, and until it shall be established an injunction cannot be maintained on this part of the case to restrain the defendant in the use and enjoyment of this property.

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Stilwell v. Buffalo Riding Academy, 4 N.Y.S. 414, 21 Abb. N. Cas. 472 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1888).

4 N.Y.S. 414 (Stilwell v. Buffalo Riding Academy) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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