Vana v. Grain Belt Supply Co.

18 N.W.2d 669, 146 Neb. 132, 1945 Neb. LEXIS 67
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedMay 18, 1945
DocketNo. 31903
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 18 N.W.2d 669 (Vana v. Grain Belt Supply Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vana v. Grain Belt Supply Co., 18 N.W.2d 669, 146 Neb. 132, 1945 Neb. LEXIS 67 (Neb. 1945).

Opinion

Simmons, C. J.

In this action plaintiff seeks to recover damages for permanent injuries to his health, resulting from the pollution of a stream. Defendants plead as a defense a settlement, the dismissal with prejudice of certain litigation, and favorable decisions in other litigation. Plaintiff by reply admitted the correctness of the court proceedings and the settlement agreement. The defendants moved for judgment on the pleadings. The trial court sustained the motion and dismissed the plaintiff’s cause. Plaintiff appeals. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.

In this action, the defendants are the Grain Belt Supply Company, a corporation, hereinafter called the corporation; Robert W. Young, who appears to be the president of the corporation; Reuben B. Miller, who appears to be or to have been an employee of the corporation; and “Mrs. Miller”, identified in the answer as Louise Miller.

This court has adopted the rule that “A motion for judgment on the pleadings requires a consideration of what may be found in all the pleadings as the ultimate facts.” McMillan v. Chadron State Bank, 115 Neb. 767, 214 N. W. 931. See, also, Hamaker v. Patrick, 123 Neb. 809, 244 N. W. 420.

For an understanding of the overall factual situation, the property involved and the general controversy between the plaintiff and the corporation, reference is made, out of chronological order, to the decision in Vana v. Grain Belt Supply Co., 143 Neb. 118, 8 N. W. 2d 837, and 143 Neb. 125, 10 N. W. 2d 474.

Plaintiff’s amended petition herein was filed on October 27, 1943. In it he alleged ownership of and residence upon the same land as was involved in the litigation in the cited case. He alleged that defendants had operated and maintained a rendering works on their land until January 30, 1941; and that before and since September 11, 1940, they had maintained thereon a hog feeding lot. Plaintiff further [134]*134alleged that a fresh water stream ran through defendants’ premises and then upon and through the land of the plaintiff; that in the operation of the rendering plant from 1935 “to the present time”, defendants had caused large amounts of decaying animal matter and various kinds of refuse to be dumped, washed and drained into the stream; that this matter was teeming with actively motile bacteria and protozoan parasites; that defendants thereby had rendered the stream unwholesome, impure, and unfit for human or animal consumption, and had caused the stream to be contaminated, its banks filled with bacteria communicable to human beings directly and through animals, and dangerous to the health of human beings and animals.

Plaintiff further alleged that he was employed as a clerk in a packing company; that prior to the times mentioned in his petition, he had enjoyed robust health; that since 1935, when he moved upon his present premises, he has become increasingly ill from the effects of the organisms transmitted to him through livestock in milk and meat, as a direct result of which and due to his becoming infiltrated with bacteria of all kinds received from the pollution of the stream, he has been unable to pursue his occupation efficiently and to enjoy his former good health; that on June 9, 1941, he had a tonsillectomy and lost time from his work due to infection caused by said organisms; that on July 7, 1941, he had an appendectomy and as a result lost time from his work due to disease from the same sources; that as a further result of these infections, he has lost weight, and much of the use of his right arm, his eyesight has been impaired and he is generally debilitated; that he has been informed and believes that his system has carried an excessive amount of harmful bacteria consisting of streptococcus and bacillus colon, which cause great pain and suffering, inconvenience and weakness; and that as a direct result of such pollution of the stream and infections resulting therefrom, his life has been endangered, he will be permanently injured and his health will be permanently impaired, all to his damage in the amount of $50,000, for which he prays judgment.

[135]*135The only allegations of the answer of defendants which need be set out here are those having to do with the prior litigation and settlement. Plaintiff, by reply, admitted the correctness of the pleadings and judgments set out in the answer. These matters accordingly are recited in their chronological order.

On April 25, 1940, the county attorney of Sarpy county filed a petition in the name of the state in the district court for Sarpy county. The defendants named therein included the corporation, Young and Mr. Miller. In that action an injunction was sought against the operation of the rendering works on the ground that it was making the stream and air unwholesome and impure, and constituted a nuisance. Issues were made, trial had, and on September 11, 1940, decree was entered enjoining the defendants from operating the rendering plant in its then condition, and the injunction was to continue until the nuisance was abated. Defendants prosecuted an appeal to this court.

On October 5, 1940, the plaintiff filed an action in the district court for Douglas county against the corporation, Young and Miller. In this action there was a second plaintiff, Rose M. Vana, identified in the record as the wife of plaintiff. Plaintiffs alleged the operation and maintenance of the rendering plant and hog feeding lot, the offensive odors injurious to their health' and property, the pollution of the stream for many years, the accumulation of refuse filled with maggots and bacteria to such an extent that the contamination would continue for some time, even though the nuisance be abated, permanent damage to their property, and illness of plaintiffs and their family because of the odors. They prayed for the recovery of damages.

Thereafter on November 30, 1940, a written agreement was entered into between the two Vanas as parties of the first part, and the corporation, Young and Miller as parties of the second part. This agreement recited the ownership of the two tracts of land, the operation of the rendering works and hog feeding lot by the corporation, the pendency of the damage action, and the desire of the corporation to [136]*136secure its dismissal with prejudice, and the desire of the parties to settle all matters of controversy, including the damage action. It further stated that the Vanas had no objection to the operation of the feed lot on the premises, but desired the discontinuance of the operation of the rendering works.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
18 N.W.2d 669, 146 Neb. 132, 1945 Neb. LEXIS 67, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vana-v-grain-belt-supply-co-neb-1945.