Toledo v. Nitz

13 Ohio C.C. Dec. 350, 3 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 532, 1902 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 207
CourtLucas Circuit Court
DecidedFebruary 1, 1902
StatusPublished

This text of 13 Ohio C.C. Dec. 350 (Toledo v. Nitz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Lucas Circuit Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Toledo v. Nitz, 13 Ohio C.C. Dec. 350, 3 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 532, 1902 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 207 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1902).

Opinion

HULL, J.

This case was before this court at a former term, Nitz then being the plaintiff in error. The case is reported in 12 Circ. Dec. 357 (22 R. 454). As the facts were quite fully stated in that opinion, it will not be necessary to go into them very fully now. The case was reversed at that time, chiefly on the ground of error in the charge of the court, the judgment below having been in favor of the city. The case was after-wards tried in the court of common pleas, and a verdict returned in favor of Nitz and judgment entered upon that verdict. It is to reverse this judgment that the city of Toledo filed a petition in error in this court.

Nitz brought his action to recover for personal injuries, caused, as he claimed, by the negligence of the city of Toledo, and recovered a verdict for $6,350. A judgment was entered in his favor for that amount. The plaintiff’s injury was sustained at what is known as the “ Market Space,” in Superior street, in the city of Toledo, lying between Monroe and Washington streets. There is here a platform some twenty-two feet [352]*352wide, in the middle of the street, and which runs from Monroe to Wash" ington street, except a space in the middle about fifteen feet wide, where there was a wagon scale that was used for market purposes. The platform, which was used for niarket purposes was entirely open at the sides and at the ends, so that people might walk on it at any time, either day or night, if they saw fit. The privilege of the use of the scales was let by the city to private individuals. On the day of Nitz’ injury the scales had been taken out by order of the city, a new lease having been made to another party than the one who had been renting and conducting the scales theretofore. This left an excavation from four to five feet deep; that is, from four to five feet below the level of the street, and from seven to eight feet below the level of the market space platform. Early in the evening Nitz was walking along, either on Superior street proper, west of the market space platform, as he claims, or upon the ■ platform itself, as some of the witnesses testified he was doing, and having no knowledge that the scales had been removed, as he claims, he fell into this excavation, and three of his ribs were broken, according to the testimony of a physician who attended him, and others, including his own testimony. In consequence of his injuries he was confined to his house for many months. The testimony of his own physician shows that his injury produced pneumonia, which lasted for several weeks, and perhaps some months, and that he has since that time been unable to perform manual labor, in fact, not able to leave his house but very little of the time.

The claims of the plaintiff in error are that the verdict is against the weight of the evidence, and that the court erred in its charge to the ■ jury.

When the case was here before, we held that the fact that the city itself ordered these scales to be moved, and that such removal of the scales caused the excavation, was in fact an order by the city for the excavation to.be made, and that it was not necessary to show any further notice to the city or its authorities; that the city having ordered the excavation to be made, that would be notice and knowledge. And we held then, as we do now, that no guards had been placed about this excavation by the city, either by way of rails or lights. There is some testimony tending to show that there was some earth on the west side of the opening; some rubbish, perhaps, that had been thrown out when the scales were removed. The testimony of the plaintiff is that there was very little of this, not enough to attract attention. Whatever was there, it was because it happened to have been thrown out of this excavation, but was not put there by the city for the purpose of notifying [353]*353anyone that tbe scales bad been removed or tbat tbére was an excavation into wbicb one might fall.

Nitz claims tbat be was walking along Superior street, just west of tbe market platform, and tbat when be came to tbe opening in tbe plat, form where tbe scales bad been, be walked across Superior street at that point, with tbe intention of walking through on tbe scales t© tbe other side of Superior street, and then going east through an alley to St. Clair street. Tbe evidence shows that there was a sidewalk extending from tbe west side of Superior street up to tbe scale opening, and tbat on tbe east side of tbe platform was a building occupied as a city prison and police court, and alongside that was tbe alley; and tbe evidence shows tbat the scales located in this place, were and bad been used for a very long period of time as a street, people passing back and forth, both on foot 'and in vehicles day and night. We think the jury were warranted in finding that tbe scales and platform were to be regarded as a street, and that one using them was entitled to tbat protection wbicb tbe law gives him in using a street of a municipal corporation.

Upon this trial of tbe case no evidence was offered to show tbat the market platform itself, extending from Monroe to Washington streets, was used as a part of tbe street by people generally in traveling back and forth. Tbat brings us to tbe first claim of counsel for plaintiff in error, to-wit: tbat the weight of tbe evidence is that Nitz was talking on tbe platform and fell off tbat into tbe scale excavation, and was not walking on tbe street, as be claims; and it is claimed tbat if be was walking on tbe platform, there being no evidence that tbat was or had been used as a street, and fell from that into this e-xcavation, tbat he could not recover. There was nothing said to the jury in tbe charge of tbe court upon this question. No special attention seems to have been given to it by counsel on either side at tbe trial, and no request was made along that line.

It is claimed that Nitz is within tbe rule laid down by tbe Supreme Court in certain cases, tbat á traveler cannot recover against a municipál corporation where be is out of tbe limits of tbe highway, and has gone onto other property of tbe city for purposes of his own and is thus injured, as in Kelley v. Columbus, 41 Ohio St. 263, where a person was walking along tbe street, and left tbe highway, and went onto a vacant piece of property near tbe city ball for purposes of bis own, and was injured by reason of tbe condition of this lot upon which be walked. The Supreme Court held that be could not complain.

Along this line is also Dayton v. Taylor, 62 Ohio St. 11 (56 N. E. Rep. 480), where a person walked across'tbe street inside tbe curb in á [354]*354diagonal direction, and slipped into a catch basin, and it was held that in leaving the sidewalk he assumed the risks which lay in the path which he thus chose. In Kelly v. Columbus, supra, the traveler went outside the street entirely, upon a piece of ground that was not used for street purposes; in Dayton v. Taylor, supra, the traveler walked across the street in a manner not contemplated and was injured.

It is claimed that Nitz is within the principle of these two cases, and that, if he was walking upon the market platform, there being no evidence that that was Used as a street, and fell from that into the excavation, he cannot recover.

Some three or four witnesses, perhaps, testified that he was walking on the platform. Nitz himself claimed that he was walking on the street, where he fell into the excavation.

In our judgment this case may be distinguished from Kelly v. Columbus, and Dayton v. Taylor, supra.

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Bluebook (online)
13 Ohio C.C. Dec. 350, 3 Ohio C.C. (n.s.) 532, 1902 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 207, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/toledo-v-nitz-ohcirctlucas-1902.