United States v. 12.75 Acres of Land in Sullivan

95 F. Supp. 998, 1951 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2722
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Tennessee
DecidedJanuary 11, 1951
DocketNo. 248
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 95 F. Supp. 998 (United States v. 12.75 Acres of Land in Sullivan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. 12.75 Acres of Land in Sullivan, 95 F. Supp. 998, 1951 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2722 (E.D. Tenn. 1951).

Opinion

ROBERT L. TAYLOR, District Judge.

This is a proceeding in the exercise by the Government of its power of eminent domain whereby was taken a tract of land on which was located a quantity of sand, the property here in litigation. Following the first trial and a partial retrial, this Court entered an award based upon the replacement value of the sand. The Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the cause [1000]*1000for a new trial on the ground that “the judgment rendered in the district court is not grounded upon a sufficient recognition of the rule that the determination of market value, where the property taken has a market value, must be applied in the adjudication of just compensation for land taken by the United States by right of eminent domain.” United States v. Pennsylvania-Dixie Cement Corporation, 6 Cir., 178 F.2d 195, 200. Over objection by the Government, the Cement Corporation has been permitted to amend its answer in order to aver that the deposit of sand had no market value but had a use value to the Cement Corporation of $1.50 per ton, delivered at its cement mill.

The Court of Appeals also observed in its opinion: “Viewing the evidence in entirety, it appears to us that the case was not tried on either side, or by the district judge, in such manner as to present a satisfactory record as to market value.” In order to meet the situation there pointed out, the parties have stipulated most of the facts, as follows:

“I. That the document next below set forth is true and genuine and in all respects what it purports to be:
“ ‘This Agreement made this 24th day of June, 1940, by and between Brick Realty Corporation, a Delaware Corporation authorized to do business in the State of Tennessee, hereinafter called “First Party”; and Pennsylvania-Dixie Cement Corporation, a Delaware Corporation authorized to do business in the State of Tennessee, hereinafter called “Second Party.”
“ ‘Witnesseth:
“ ‘That for and in consideration of the sum of One Dollar ($1.00) and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of all of which is hereby acknowledged, First Party hereby grants to Second Party, the right, for and during the period of ten (10) years from the date hereof, to enter upon the tract of land hereinafter described and to remove therefrom sand in such quantities as Second Party may desire.
“ ‘The tract of land upon which said rights are granted is situate in Sullivan County, Tennessee,- lying between Cherokee Substation and Holston River, and is more particularly described as follows:
“ ‘Beginning at a point in the middle of an old road distant south fifty degrees twenty-two minutes west (50 deg. 22') one hundred sixty-five (165.00) feet from the southwest corner post of the property of the Cherokee substation; thence by a deflection angle of no degrees thirty-seven minutes (0 deg. 37') to the left fifty-six and seventy-five hundredths (56.75) feet to a point; thence by an interior angle of ninety degrees no minutes (90 deg. 00') and south forty degrees fifteen minutes east (40 deg. 15') one thousand one hundred and fifty (1.150.00) feet to a point; thence by a deflection angle of ninety degrees (90 deg. 00') to the left one hundred thirteen and five tenths (113.50) feet to a point; thence by a deflection angle of ninety degrees to the left one thousand one hundred and fifty (1.150.00) feet to a point; thence by a deflection angle of ninety degrees to the left fifty-six and seventy-five hundredths (56.75) feet to the point of Beginning, containing three acres, more or less.
“ ‘The rights of Second Party hereunder shall be exclusive in the sense that First Party will not grant to anyone else the privilege of removing sand from said tract of land during the period hereof, but First Party reserves to itself, its successors and assigns, the right during said period to go upon and use said tract of land for any purpose it may desire, but without unreasonable interference with the rights of said Second Party hereunder.
“ ‘In Witness Whereof, the said Brick Realty Corporation has caused these presents to be executed in its corporate name and on its behalf by its President, and its corporate seal to be hereunto affixed, attested by its Secretary, this the day and year first above written.
“ ‘Brick Realty Corporation, by (signed) J. Fred Johnson, President.
“ ‘Attest:
(Signed) Glen Bruce Secretary.’
“II. That each of the following statements is true:
[1001]*1001“1. That for about thirty years prior to the time of the condemnation of the lands described in the record in this case as Tract No. A-5, the Cement Corporation had been and was then the owner of and engaged in the business of operating a large cement mill and works for the manufacture of Portland Cement in Kingsport, Tennessee.
“2. That on June 24, 1940, and at the time of the execution and delivery of the document hereinbefore set forth, the Brick Realty Corporation named and described in said document, being seized as tenant in severalty in fee simple of Tract No. A-5, executed and delivered the document here-inbefore set forth.
“3, That the tract of land described by metes and bounds in the document herein-before set forth is a member, part and parcel of Tract No. A-5.
“4. That the only interest in or claim to Tract No. A-5 which the Cement Corporation had, at the time Tract No. A-5 was condemned and taken by the Government, in and to Tract No. A-5 was such interest in or claim to Tract No. A-5 as was passed to and vested in the Cement Corporation under, 'by virtue of or as a result of the document hereinbefore set forth.
“5. That the tract of land described by metes and bounds in the document hereinbe-fore set forth was located about one-half of a mile from the cement mill of the Cement Corporation in Kingsport, Tennessee.
“6. That the tract of land described by-metes and bounds in the document herein-before set forth contained a deposit of sand which had substantial silica content rendering it suitable and usable in the manufacture of Portland Cement, but which was contaminated with dirt and other organic matter to such an extent that it was not suitable in brick work, plastering, concrete woi'k or any other use except the manufacture of Portland Cement.
“7. That between June 24, 1940 and the time the Government condemned Tract No. A-5 in the latter part of 1942, the Cement Corporation removed from the deposit of sand in the tract of land described by metes and bounds in said document, 12,724 tons of sand for use in its cement mill in the manufacture of Portland Cement.
“8. That at the time the Government condemned Tract No. A-5 in the latter part of 1942, there remained in the deposit of sand on the tract described by metes and bounds in the document hereinbefore set forth 12,313 tons of sand.
“9. That during the period of time from June 24, 1940, until the Government condemned Tract No.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
95 F. Supp. 998, 1951 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2722, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-1275-acres-of-land-in-sullivan-tned-1951.