Vacation of South Fayette Township Road

50 Pa. D. & C. 26, 1943 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 116
CourtAllegheny County Court of Quarter Sessions
DecidedDecember 23, 1943
Docketno. 3
StatusPublished

This text of 50 Pa. D. & C. 26 (Vacation of South Fayette Township Road) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Allegheny County Court of Quarter Sessions primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vacation of South Fayette Township Road, 50 Pa. D. & C. 26, 1943 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 116 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1943).

Opinion

Soffel, J.,

This case is before the court on exceptions and petition for review in re vacation of a portion of public road known as State Highway Route 02034 and 397, situated entirely within the bounds of South Fayette Township, a first class township of Allegheny County.

The- facts are these: The Department of Highways of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania relocated a State highway extending through South Fayette Township, a first class township. Situated entirely within the bounds of South Fayette Township is the public road, known as State Highway Route 02034 and 397, portions of which thereafter came under consideration for vacation. The only abutting property owner is the American Cyanamid & Chemical Corporation, except that the Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railroad Company and the Pennsylvania Railroad Company have respective rights of way over a portion of the same.

Upon petition of the aforementioned abutting property owner and the two railroads, to which was attached a release discharging South Fayette Township from any and all damage which would or might accrue to petitioners or any one or ones thereof as a result of the vacation of the hereinbefore-stated road, the Board of Commissioners of South Fayette Township fixed July 1, 1943, at 8:00 p.m., Eastern War Time, on the [28]*28second floor of the Municipal Building at Treveskyn, Cuddy Post Office, South Fayette Township, Allegheny County, Pa., as the time and place for public hearing relative to the subject matter and prayers of the petition.

Notice of the hearing was duly given in accordance with section 2007 of The First Class Township Law of June 24, 1931, P. L. 1206, and was served upon the abutting property owners, and at the time and place aforementioned on July 1, 1943, witnesses were summoned and examined by the board and by the parties interested, and all parties appearing were heard by the board. After such hearing and upon due consideration of the matter, the board of commissioners on July 15, 1943, by a vote of five to one, decided it was necessary for the public convenience to vacate and the board of commissioners did vacate the portion of the public road aforementioned and enacted an ordinance to such effect. The ordinance was duly advertised in accordance with section 1502, cl. 1, of The First Class Township Law and the roadway posted in accordance with section 2011 of The First Class Township Law. A report of the commissioners, together with a draft or survey of the road, was filed at the above number and term, in accordance with section 2008 of The First Class Township Law.

Various citizens or freeholders of the township, within 30 days after the filing of the aforementioned report and draft, filed exceptions to this report, together with a petition for review. A bond in the amount of $500 was filed to indemnify the board for all costs incurred in the proceedings.

The exceptions attack the report because it allegedly contains nothing from which a finding of fact or of law can be drawn concluding that the road vacated was not necessary to the public convenience; the testimony fails to sustain such finding; the board acted not upon the evidence before it but because of personal interest; and, finally, the vacation of the road is a detriment to the public.

[29]*29Exceptants h^ve not taken or filed depositions supporting the allegations of fact contained in the exceptions.

At the argument on said exceptions and petition for review the following questions of law were raised:

1. From the ordinance of township commissioners of the first class vacating a road, is there a right of appeal by exceptions to a report or petition for review?

2. Is the report of the township commissioners in the proper form?

3. Have the township commissioners abused their discretion and been guilty of gross misconduct in the instant proceedings?

4. Is inconvenience in travel the real basis of complaint in the petition, and if so, is it sufficient to justify a review?

A determination of these questions requires a consideration of The First Class Township Law of June 24, 1931, P. L. 1206, 53 PS §19092-2005 to -2009, inclusive. The Act of 1931, being the code for townships of the first class, was preceded first by the Act of June 7,1901, P. L. 510, which was repealed by The General Township Act of July 14, 1917, P. L. 840, which, in turn, was repealed by the present township code. An examination of these codes reveals that there is, no effective difference in their wording so far as the questions raised in the present argument are concerned.

The relevant sections of The First Class Township Law of June 24, 1931, are these:

Section 2005, art. XX: “The board of township commissioners may enact, ordain, survey, lay out, open, widen, straighten, vacate, and relay all roads, streets, lanes and alleys, and parts thereof, which are wholly within the township, upon the petition of a majority in interest of the owners of property or properties through whose land such road, street, lane or alley passes, or upon whose land it abuts, or without peti[30]*30tion of the owners of abutting property if, in the judgment of the board of commissioners, it is necessary for the public convenience.”

Section 2007, art. XX: “The board of commissioners shall give ten days’ notice to the property owners affected thereby of the time and place when and where all parties interested may meet and be heard. Witnesses may be summoned and examined by the board and by the parties interested at such meeting or any adjournment thereof.”

Section 2008, art. XX: “After such hearing and a consideration of the matter, should the board of commissioners, or a majority thereof, decide in favor of exercising the power so conferred,, they shall make written report, together with a draft or survey of the road, street, lane or alley, fixing the width thereof and noting the improvements along the line thereof, and the names of the owners of property through which the same shall pass or whereon it shall abut. Such report and draft shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the court of quarter sessions.”

Section 2009, art. XX: “Any citizen or freeholder of the township may, within thirty days after the filing of the report of the board of commissioners, upon entering in the court sufficient surety to indemnify the board for all costs incurred in the proceedings, file exceptions to the report, together with a petition for a review.”

By section 2010 and succeeding sections the matter of the appointment of viewers, the posting of notices, and various other matters tending to deal with the construction or improvement of a new highway are considered.

Section 1907 gives only abutting property owners the right to claim damages in vacation proceedings. It provides as follows:

“The right to damages against townships is given to all owners or tenants of lands, property, or mate[31]*31rial abutting on, or through which pass, roads, streets, lanes, or alleys, injured by the laying out, opening, widening, vacating, extending, or grading of such roads, streets, lanes, or alleys, or the changing of the grades or lines thereof, by such townships; the construction and the vacation by such townships of bridges and piers, abutments, and approaches therefor; and the construction by such townships of sewers over, upon, or through such lands or property.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Bethlehem Municipal Water Authority Case
18 A.2d 468 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1940)
Franconia Township Road
78 Pa. 316 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1875)
Daughters of the American Revolution v. Schenley
54 A. 366 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1903)
Howell v. Morrisville Borough
61 A. 932 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1905)
St. David's Church v. Sayen
90 A. 638 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1914)
Herrington v. Booth
97 A. 178 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1916)
Herrington's Petition
109 A. 791 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1920)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
50 Pa. D. & C. 26, 1943 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 116, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vacation-of-south-fayette-township-road-paqtrsessallegh-1943.