Teass v. City of St. Albans

19 L.R.A. 802, 17 S.E. 400, 38 W. Va. 1, 1893 W. Va. LEXIS 39
West Virginia Supreme Court·Decided March 22, 1893·Published·Cited by 40 cases

Opinion

Holt, Judue:

This was an injunction brought in the Circuit Court of Kanawha county by plaintifl, Teass, against, the city of St. Albans, to restrain defendant from moving back or [4] tearing down plaintiff’s dwelling-house, claimed by the city to be built about four feet into and on one of its Streets. The ex parte injunction was granted 24tli February, 1892, and on final hearing on April 30, 3892, the injunction was dissolved, and this appeal was granted plaintiff’.

The allegations of plaintiff’s bill are, in substance, as follows:

Plaintiff, T. A. Teass, is the owner of a lot on the corner of A. street and Smith street, in the city of St. Albans, fronting on A street seventy seven feet, on which is a valuable dwelling-house, built in 1880 or 1881, more than ten years before the institution of this suit; and plaintiff and those under whom he claims have had continuous adverse possession of the dwelling-house and lot for more than ten years, claiming the same as their own under the various deeds and title papers mentioned. The dwelling-house and the lot on which the same is situate, as now fenced and used, are not in part on A street and in no wise obstruct the public use of the street in question. The council of the city of St. Albans, under its charter, has no legal right to enter upon his premises, and take or remove his dwelling-house or fences, without first having the same condemned pursuant to the statute. And, although the cily council claims that plaintiff and other owners of the lots are occupying parts of the street, they can only recover the same by proper legal proceedings, when their claim is hot admitted but denied by plaintiff and the other owners of the lots.

Plaintiff then charges that the city council have ordered defendant Ed. Wilson, the street-commissioner, to enter upon his premises to remove his fences and his dwelling-house from its present location under the pretended claim that the same are occupying a part of A street of said city; that the street-commissioner claiming to be acting under the orders of the council did with a number of men in the employ of the city enter upon plaintiff’s premises on the 23d day Of February, 1892, without his consent, pulled down his fence on A street, and is now claiming the right, and declaring the intent, to proceed to execute the order of [5] the city council, and remove bis dwelling-house from its present position under the pretended claim that it is partly in A street; — that such actings and doings are unlawful;— that the injury to -him would be irreparable, and not com-pensable in damages.

The prayer is that the city of St. Albans, the council thereof, the street-commissioner, Wilson, who are made parties defendant, and all agents and employes of the city, be enjoined and restrained from removing plaintiffs dwelling-house, or otherwise interfering in any manner with his said property or any part thereof, situate ou said A street, until the further order of the court, and for general relief.

On February 24, 1892, the Circuit Court judge in vacation awarded the injunction prayed for until further order on bond, as required, being given. The bond was given, and summons issued to answer the bill. In term time on April 6, 1892, the defendants appeared by counsel and moved the court to dissolve'the injunction; and, it appearing that plaintiff had duo notice of the motion, it was sot down to be heard on April 8, 1892. The defendants at the same time filed their demurrer to the bill and also their joint aud several answer ; aud the demurrer was set down for argument, and plaintiff replied generally to the answer.

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Teass v. City of St. Albans, 19 L.R.A. 802, 17 S.E. 400, 38 W. Va. 1, 1893 W. Va. LEXIS 39 (W. Va. 1893).

19 L.R.A. 802 (Teass v. City of St. Albans) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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