United States v. 116.00 Acres of Land

227 F. Supp. 100, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7983
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Arkansas
DecidedMarch 9, 1964
DocketCiv. A. No. 474
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 227 F. Supp. 100 (United States v. 116.00 Acres of Land) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. 116.00 Acres of Land, 227 F. Supp. 100, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7983 (W.D. Ark. 1964).

Opinion

JOHN E. MILLER, Chief Judge.

On August 2, 1962, plaintiff filed its complaint to condemn and acquire title to the following tracts of land:

The fee simple title to Tract No. 1323, containing approximately 25 acres in the NE^4 of the SE% of Sec. 34, T 19 N, R 29 W, in Benton County, Arkansas. Earnest Wiseley and wife, Naomi Wiseley, owners.

The following tracts of land owned by Elzie McElhaney and wife, Opal McElhaney:

The fee simple title to Tract 1324-1, being the SW% of the NWy4 and that part of the NW% of the SWyi lying north of the bluff, said bluff being on the south side of White River, all in Sec. 35, and part of the SEy4 of the NE^ of Sec. 34, T 19 N, R 29 W, in Benton County, Arkansas, containing 75.5 acres, more or less.
The fee simple title to Tract 1324-2, being part of the NW% of the SE14 of the NE% of Sec. 34, T 19 N, R 29 W, containing 0.94 acre, more or less.

Perpetual fiowage easements on:

Tract No. 1324E-1, containing 1.0 acre, more or less.
Tract No. 1324E-2, containing 0.25 acre, more or less.
Tract No. 1324E-3, containing 0.25 acre, more or less.

The declaration of taking was filed August 2, 1962, and on the same date order was entered requiring the owners and all persons in possession or control of the property to surrender possession thereof to the plaintiff within five days from the date of the service of a copy of the order.

On September 17,1963, Commissioners were appointed as provided by Rule 71A(h), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

A pretrial conference was conducted by the Commission at the City Auditorium in Rogers, Arkansas, on October 28, 1963, at which time the landowners and the White River Sand & Gravel Company, Inc., a lessee, appeared in person and by their attorneys. The case was set for hearing November 25, 1963, and continued for three days. During the course of the hearing 19 witnesses testified and 18 exhibits were introduced on behalf of. the Government and 20 by the landowners and lessee.

During the course of the hearing it was announced by the parties in interest that the Government and Mr. and Mrs. McElhaney had reached an agreement with respect to the interest acquired in Tracts Nos. 1324-1, 1324-2, 1324E-1, 1324E-2 and 1324E-3, leaving insofar as those tracts were concerned only the question of just compensation of the leasehold estate of the White River Sand & Gravel Company, Inc., in said tracts.

The report of the Commission was filed on December 5, 1963. ,

White River Sand & Gravel Company, Inc., filed objections to the report on December 14, 1963. Earnest Wiseley filed objections to the report on December 17, 1963, and the plaintiff filed its response to the objections on January 9, 1964.

On December 18, 1963, following the filing of the objections to the report, the court addressed a letter to the attorneys for the landowner, Wiseley, and for the lessee, White River Sand & Gravel Company, Inc. In that letter the court stated:

“I have not examined the report and have only casually read the objections, but I shall give consideration to the report and objections as soon as the business of the court will permit, unless you should desire to procure and submit to me a transcript of the testimony taken at the [102]*102hearing. In the event you desire to submit a transcript of the testimony for use by me in considering the objections and exceptions to the report, I shall thank you to advise as soon as you may reasonably do so.”

On December 23, 1963, the attorneys for Wiseley advised that they were investigating the cost of obtaining a transcript of the testimony and would consult with' the attorneys for White River Sand & Gravel Company, Inc., and decide whether to furnish a transcript of the testimony. On January 16, 1964, the attorneys for the White River Sand & Gravel Company, Inc., advised that the parties had been unable to agree to submit to the court a transcript of the testimony. They further stated:

“ * * * We, therefore, request that you give consideration to the report and objections thereto in your review of the case at your convenience.
“Insofar as White River Sand & Gravel Company, Inc., owners of the leasehold interest is concerned, we do not desire to request oral argument unless requested by the Court. It is our understanding that the attorneys for the landowners have requested an opportunity for oral argument and we, of course, have no objections to their presenting oral argument to the Court. However, we have taken a position in behalf of White River Sand & Gravel Company, Inc., that unless the transcript of the testimony is furnished to the Court or unless the Court requests oral argument, we do not wish to present oral argument in behalf of our client unless a transcript of the testimony is available to the Court.”

On January 20, 1964, the attorneys for Wiseley by letter advised the court as follows:

“Reference is made to your letter of December 18 and Mr. McAllister’s letter of January 16. Since the parties have been unable to agree on furnishing the funds for supplying the quite expensive transcript, the landowner, Mr. Wiseley, joins the lessee, the White River Sand & Gravel Company, in its request that you give consideration to the report, the objections, the Government’s response and the enclosed reply, at your convenience.
“The request of the landowner for an opportunity for oral argument is hereby withdrawn, the enclosed ‘Reply to Government’s Response’ being submitted in lieu thereof.”

Accompanying the letter was the reply of Wiseley to the Government’s response to the objections filed to the report.

Prior to the correspondence above quoted, the court had been called upon in other cases to determine whether it should order at the request of the landowners a transcript of the testimony introduced at the hearing. After considering the question, the court decided that it had no right or authority to order a transcript of the record furnished at the expense of the Government. Attorneys representing landowners were generally advised of such ruling, but nevertheless the court felt in this ease that the landowners and the lessee should have an opportunity to procure and furnish a transcript for use by the court in considering the report of the Commission and the objections thereto.

In the objections to the report of the Commission, the response of the Government, and the reply thereto by Wiseley, the attorneys have included arguments and citations of authorities in support of their respective contentions. In other words, the objections, the response and the reply thereto are, in fact, briefs and arguments.

Tract No. 1323, Wiseley, consisting of 25 or 26 acres is situate in a bend of White River about seven miles from Rogers, Arkansas. The White River runs through the southern portion of the tract against a high bluff. North of the tract there is another bluff or escarpment, as described by the geologist who testified. Most of the tract is below mean sea [103]

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Bluebook (online)
227 F. Supp. 100, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7983, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-11600-acres-of-land-arwd-1964.