United States v. Thurston

4 D. Haw. 33
CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedMarch 6, 1913
StatusPublished

This text of 4 D. Haw. 33 (United States v. Thurston) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Thurston, 4 D. Haw. 33 (D. Haw. 1913).

Opinion

Dole, J.

After verdict had been rendered in the two trials in the case of United States v. L. A. Thurston, et al., to-wit, the one in which the Austin Estate and the Hawaiian Office Supply Company were respondents, and the one in which the Austin Estate was respondent, counsel for the Austin Estate, represented by Herbert Austin, Walter Austin and Edith Austin, moved that the court in making up its decree should allow and decree interest on the awards in favor of the Austins in such trials from the date of the beginning of the proceedings in this case, to-wit, December 23, 1910. Counsel for the government opposed such motion and referred the court to the following cases in support of his contention:

In Bauman v. Ross, 167 U. S. 548, 598, the act under which, suit was brought, 27 Stat. 532, c. 197 (1893), is silent as to interest pending the proceedings. Such silence is no obstacle to the rule of the Constitution for “just compensation” if that rule requires payment of such interest. The case of Shoemaker v. United States, 147 U. S. 282, 320-321, is not applicable here, inasmuch as the court in ruling against the claim of interest pending proceedings, said, “The inconveniences to’ which he [the owner] was subjected by the delay are presumed to be considered and allowed for in fixing the amount of compensation;” whereas in the present case the jury were instructed as follows: “In determining damages or compensation, you are not to award interest or to make any allowance for interest, but your duty is to determine the value of. the lessors’ interest at the date of the commencement of these procedings.” It is therefore clear that the respondents did not have the benefit of the presumption recognized in the Shoemaker [35]*35case. The case of Town of Hingham v. United States, 161 Fed. 295, 299-300, cites the Bauman case with some misgiving and, referring to the Massachusetts law in conformity with which the case was brought, as allowing interest where loss of use of land or trouble or expense is shown, refused interest as no basis for it was produced. This case does not offer much assistance to the solution of the question in the present case. The case of Kerr v. South Park Commissioners, 117 U. S. 379, 382-383, has nothing to say about interest except upon accounts paid in and upon the balance remaining to be paid to the claimant. The case of United States v. Town of Nahant, 153 Fed. 520, is indecisive on this question. In the case of United States v. Sargent, 162 Fed. 81, 84, the United States proceeded under the provisions of the local law of Minnesota for the condemnation of a site for post office. This law allowed interest on such awards from same date not made clear by the decision; the court did not not base its decision on such law, but conformed to it as a “fair and reasonable method” of reaching the amount of “just compensation” due the owner.

The district attorney argues that the Hawaiian statute on eminent domain, which is silent as to the payment of interest on the award from the time with reference to which the award is made to the time of payment, forbids the allowance of interest for such period, but that the only interest that the respondents are entitled to is that which is provided in such local statute, i. e., that if payment shall be delayed more than thirty days after final judgment then interest shall be allowed at the rate of seven per cent, per annum.

The act of August 1, 1888, 25 Stat. 357, c. 728, provides that “the practice, pleadings, forms and modes of proceeding in causes arising under the provisions of this act shall conform, as near as may be, to the practice, pleadings, forms and proceedings existing at the time in like causes in the courts of record of the State within which such circuit or [36]*36district courts are held, any rule of the court to the contrary notwithstanding.” This is section 2 of the statute, the title of which is “An act to authorize condemnation of land for sites of public buildings, and for other purposes.” Whether such reference to the practice, pleadings, forms and proceedings of local courts in such cases includes the matter of interest, is a question which the court in the case of United States v. Sargent, supra, at page 84, declined to decide, but acted in harmony therewith as a fair and reasonable method of reaching the “just compensation” required by the Constitution.

[2] Even if a court should consider that the act of 1888 meant to include the requirement in the local statute for payment of interest, as covered by the words practice, pleadings, forms and proceedings, yet if, following our local statute and refusing to pay interest should deprive land owners in proceedings under condemnation, of a part of the “just compensation” which the Constituion assures them, then the statutes must give way. As both the Hawaiian law and the United States law are silent, on the subject of interest upon an award from the time with reference to which the property is appraised to the time of payment, there seems to be no obstacle to carrying out the requirements of the Constitution as to “just compensation” if interest on such award is called for. Nudd v. Burrows, 91 U. S. 426, 441-442.

“Where damages are assessed for property to be after-wards taken, the award or verdict should include interest from the time with reference to which the damages are estimated, to be reduced by the value of the use of the property to the owner while he continues to have such use * * * This is just to the owner. But he should not have more than is just, and justice to the party condemning requires that the value of the possession to the owner should be deducted from the interest.” 2 Lewis on Eminent Domain, 3d ed., sec. 742, pp. 1320-1321.
“While the assessed value, if paid at the date taken for the assessment, might be just compensation,, it certainly would not be, if payment be delayed, as might happen in [37]*37many cases, and as did happen in this case, till several years after that time. This difference is the same as between a sale for cash and a sale on time.” Warren v. R. R. Co., 21 Minn. 424, 427.

[1] The circumstances in this case are peculiar. The larger and more valuable part of the premises is held under an old lease at a rental which the evidence taken in the case would clearly show to be proximately about between one-tenth and one-twelfth of the rents that the property would receive at the present time if unincumbered. This lease had eight years and four months to run from the date when proceedings were begun, December 23, 1910. Over two years have elapsed from then to the time of the verdict of the jury.

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Related

NUDD v. Burrows, Assignee
91 U.S. 426 (Supreme Court, 1875)
Kerr v. South Park Commissioners
117 U.S. 379 (Supreme Court, 1886)
Shoemaker v. United States
147 U.S. 282 (Supreme Court, 1893)
Bauman v. Ross
167 U.S. 548 (Supreme Court, 1897)
Warren v. First Division of St. Paul & Pacific Railroad
21 Minn. 424 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1875)
United States v. Town of Nahant
153 F. 520 (First Circuit, 1907)
Town of Hingham v. United States
161 F. 295 (First Circuit, 1908)
United States v. Sargent
162 F. 81 (Eighth Circuit, 1908)

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Bluebook (online)
4 D. Haw. 33, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-thurston-hid-1913.