Vroman v. United States

177 F. Supp. 257, 147 Ct. Cl. 285, 1959 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 120
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedOctober 7, 1959
DocketNo. 396-57
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 177 F. Supp. 257 (Vroman v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Vroman v. United States, 177 F. Supp. 257, 147 Ct. Cl. 285, 1959 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 120 (cc 1959).

Opinion

Faht, Oireuit Judge,

sitting by designation, delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an action by a wife and her husband for just compensation claimed to be due by the United States for the taking of avigation easements over their land, consisting of two contiguous twenty acre tracts, referred to as the East and West tracts.1 The land lies directly across a highway from the northeast-southwest runway of a military airfield in Yuma County, Arizona, operated by the United States Air Force.

Defendant acquiesces in the Commissioner’s finding and conclusion that an avigation easement was taken over the East tract and that plaintiffs are entitled to compensation therefor. The subject of the amount due is discussed at the end of this opinion.

[287]*287As to the West tract defendant, contrary to the views of the Commissioner, disputes plaintiffs’ right to recovery, even assuming an avigation easement was taken over that tract as well. Defendant’s position is that when plaintiffs acquired the claim for compensation arising out of the taking of this easement the six years statute of limitations, 28 U.S.C. § 2501 (Supp. V, 1958), had run against the claim, depriving this court of jurisdiction under settled law. Berry v. United States, 130 C. Cls. 33, 35, 126 F. Supp. 190, 192. Notwithstanding the equities in favor of plaintiffs, pointed out by the Commissioner, we are obliged to sustain the position of the defendant regarding the West tract for the reasons now explained.

The Commissioner concluded that defendant’s jet aircraft first started flying from the reactivated airfield in September 1951 with intent to continue to fly over the land at will, and that accordingly the taking then occurred. Plaintiffs contend the taking occurred in November 1951. The difference in these dates, insofar as the question of limitations is concerned, is immaterial; for plaintiffs did not acquire any claim for compensation for the taking within a period of six years from November 1951. The tract had been acquired on December 20, 1929, by Moses and Priscilla Belsley, the parents of plaintiff Veta B. Vroman. On November 19, 1954, Priscilla died intestate and her interests passed to Moses by operation of law. On January 25,1955, Moses, then about 83 years of age, executed a deed of the tract to his daughter, plaintiff Veta B. Vroman. The deed was duly recorded. The facts indicate that this conveyance might have been one of convenience only, for until Moses died December 30,1957, the daughter, although holding record title, really managed the land for her father. She began to exercise the full rights of owner only when he died leaving her as his sole heir and testamentary devisee and legatee. But even were she the real owner by reason of the 1955 deed, plaintiffs’ case would not be helped; for the deed did not carry with it a claim or right of action for compensation for the taking which occurred while the tract was owned by her mother and father. As the Commissioner correctly ruled, the interest in the claim “was a chose in action separate and [288]*288apart from the ownership of that parcel of land. United States v. Dow, [357 U.S. 17] * * *; Ferrell v. United States, 49 C. Cls. 222, 224 (1914); see Highland Park, Inc. v. United States, 161 F. Supp. 597, 600 (C. Cls., 1958).” [142 C. Cls.269] Plaintiffs’ claim for compensation for the taking of the easement over the West tract must accordingly be dismissed. This is so notwithstanding plaintiffs filed their action in this court in August 1957, within six years of the taking," for at that time they had no right of action and acquired none over which this court can assume jurisdiction when the father died more than six years after the United States took the easement during the time of the ownership of the land by him and his wife Priscilla. Berry v. United States, supra.

Plaintiffs are entitled to recover for the taking by the United States of an avigation easement over the East tract of their land just compensation in the amount of $2,500.00, with interest thereon at four percent per annum from September 1, 1951 to date of payment as part of just compensation, and judgment will be entered to that effect.

It is so ordered.

Laramore, Judge; Madden, Judge; Whitaker, Judge, and Jones, Chief Judge, concur.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The court, having considered the evidence, the briefs and argument of counsel, and the report of Trial Commissioner Mastín G. White, makes the following findings of fact:

1. The plaintiffs, Gerald T. Vroman and Veta B. Vroman, are husband and wife, having been married since July 17, 1926. They are citizens of the United States and residents of the State of California.

2. On December 20, 1929, the plaintiffs acquired a parcel of land described as the east half of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 2, T. 9 S., R. 23 W., Gila and Salt River meridian, Yuma County, Arizona. The ownership of this parcel, consisting of approximately 20 acres, has been held by the plaintiffs continuously since the date mentioned. It is owned by the plaintiffs as community property.

[289]*2893. (a) On December 20, 1929, Moses Belsley and Ms wife, Priscilla Belsley, acquired as community property a parcel of land contiguous to that mentioned in finding 2. The parcel acquired by the Belsleys is described as the west half of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 2, T. 9 S., R. 23 W., Gila and Salt River meridian, Yuma County, Arizona. It consists of approximately 20 acres.

(b) Moses and Priscilla Belsley were residents of the State of California. They were the parents of the plaintiff Veta B. Vroman.

4. Priscilla Belsley died intestate on November 19, 1954. Up until the time of her death, the land mentioned in finding 3(a) was still owned by Moses Belsley and Priscilla Belsley as community property.

5. As of the date of Priscilla Belsley’s death, the only surviving child of Moses Belsley and Priscilla Belsley was the plaintiff Veta B. Vroman. Although other children had been bom to Moses Belsley and Priscilla Belsley, those children had died in infancy, leaving no issue.

6. Moses Belsley did not remarry after the death of Priscilla Belsley.

7. On January 25, 1955, Moses Belsley executed a deed conveying the W^SW^SE^ of sec. 2, T. 9 S., R. 23 W., Gila and Salt River meridian, to the plaintiff Veta B. Vroman as her sole and separate property. This deed was duly recorded. No money or other consideration was paid by Mrs. Vroman to Mr. Belsley for the property.

8. Moses Belsley signed a will on February 18,1955. The will, which had been prepared by an attorney in accordance with Mr. Belsley’s instructions and which was signed by Mr. Belsley with the necessary formalities, stated (among other things) that:

I hereby give, devise and bequeath all my property, real or personal, of whatever hind or character and wheresoever located, to my daughter, Veta B. Vroman.

9. Moses Belsley died on December 30, 1957. He left no wife, and his sole surviving child was the plaintiff Veta B. Vroman. (See findings 4-6.)

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Bluebook (online)
177 F. Supp. 257, 147 Ct. Cl. 285, 1959 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 120, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vroman-v-united-states-cc-1959.