Wilder v. City of Cincinnati

26 Ohio St. (N.S.) 284
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1875
StatusPublished

This text of 26 Ohio St. (N.S.) 284 (Wilder v. City of Cincinnati) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilder v. City of Cincinnati, 26 Ohio St. (N.S.) 284 (Ohio 1875).

Opinion

Gilmore, J.

In the case now before us, and that of Erasmus Gest v. The City of Cincinnati et al., decided at the present term {ante, 275), some of the questions presented in each are substantially the same. They are both actions in the court below to recover assessments for the improvement of Eighth street, under the same ordinances- and contract. So far as the questions are similar, the rulings in Gest’s case are here approved and followed.

There are, however, questions in this case, arising upon facts admitted and the special verdict of the jury, not presented or decided in Gest’s case, which will now be considered. A preliminary statement is necessary to a proper understanding of the questions.

In 1872, West Eighth street was improved by grading the same to the established grade from McLean avenue westward to the plank-road, the city having previously taken the necessary steps to charge the expense thereof upon the abutting property. The city advertised and contracted for the work, and it was done in two sections, i. e., one section from McLean avenue to Millcreek bridge; the-other from this bridge to the plank-road. The property of Geo. R. Wilder fronts 211,8^ feet on one side, at the western terminus. The whole distance from McLean avenue to-[286]*286the plank-roacl is 4,392^ feet; tire distance from McLean avenue to Millcreek bridge is 1,502 feet ; the distance from said bridge to Evans street is 912 feet; from Evans street to Price’s north line, 1,872-|- feet; and from Price’s north line to the plank-road, being the part assessed in this case, 211 feet.

The ordinance to improve the street from the avenue to the plank-road excepts therefrom “ all that portion between Evans street and Price’s north line.” This'excepted portion runs through the lands of R. E. Price, who dedicated the lands for Eighth street through his premises (1,872J feet), and in consideration that the city would accept the dedication and improve the street, bound himself to improve the street through his lands at his own expense, according to the plan and grade established. He had done about half the work when the action against Wilder was commenced, and forty-nine-fiftieths of it was completed at the time of the trial.

Prom this it will be seen that more than one-third of the whole distance from McLean avenue to the plank-road was ■excepted from the ordinances and contracts, and that Wilder’s property alone, lying west of the excepted part, was improved and assessed under them.

The resolution to make the improvement contains the following provision :

2. The property abutting on the improvement to be assessed to the amount of twenty-five per cent, of the value of the said property after the improvement shall have been made.”

The ordinance and proceedings followed the resolution. The property of Wilder was found, and on the trial was admitted, to be of the value of sixty dollars per front foot, and was assessed fifteen dollars per front foot for the improvement. By reason of the defective advertisement for bids, which were inserted in only one English and one German newspaper, instead of two English newspapers, the assessment made as above stated was irregular, and the plaintiff below was entitled to recover, under section 550 of the [287]*287municipal code, only the amount properly chargeable against Wilder’s property on account of the improvement.

To assist in the proper ascertainment of this amount, the jury, under the instructions of the court, returned a special verdict, finding certain facts which, so far as they relate to the questions here, are as follows:

“1. What, at fair and reasonable prices for labor and materials, ought the whole improvement to have cost, from Millereek west to the plank-road, per front foot? Ans. $11.25.

“ 2. What, at fair and reasonable prices, ought the whole improvement from McLean avenue to the plank-road to have cost per front foot ? Ans. $19.50.

“ 3. What ought the whole improvement from McLean avenue to the plank-road, omitting that in front of Price’s property, to have cost per front foot ? Ans. $34,

“ 4. How much per front foot ought the improvement from Millereek west to the plank-road, omitting that in front of Price’s property, to have cost ? Ans. $25.

“ 5. What was the actual value of said real estate per front foot ? Ans. $60.

“ 6. What was the cost of the improvement actually made in front of defendant’s property, exclusive of the drain or culvert ? Ans. $1,715.50.

“ 7. What was such cost, including the drain or culvert ? Ans. $2,296.76.

“ 13. What amount is properly chargeable for principal .and what for interest to the defendant’s property, and from what date does the interest, if any, run ? Ans. For principal, $2,381.75. For interest, $281.72. Date, from February 6, 1873, to January 4, 1875.”

A motion for a new trial made by Wilder was overruled, and judgment entered for plaintiff for the amount found by the jury, in answer to the thirteenth interrogatory, to all of which Wilder excepted.

On error the District Court affirmed the Common Pleas, and this is a motion for leave to file a petition in error to reverse the District Court.

[288]*288Under the errors assigned, the plaintiff in error makes two claims.

The first is as follows: “We claim that it was incompetent for the counsel or the court to jump over the omitted part of the street, and hitch Wilder’s property on a section a third of a mile distant.”

The case of Arnold v. The City of Cambridge, 106 Mass. 352, is the only authority cited in support of this claim. This was an action to recover back an assessment (paid under protest), on the ground that the mayor and aldermen could not include the completion of “the sidewalks,on the northerly side of Main street, from West Boston Bridge to its junction with Harvard street, in Ward One, and thence on the northerly side of Harvard street to Harvard square,” in the same order and assessment. The court said: “ Harvard street and Main street are two entirely distinct and separate highways, which, although they unite at one point, yet form two lines of travel nearly parallel to each other for about two miles. We do not think that the statute was intended to give the mayor and aldermen the power to include sidewalks in two different streets in one single assessment.” And the assessment was hold to be illegal, because each street should be considered separately, and with a view touts own special circumstances, in making assessments on abutters for improvements.

The case before us is not similar, and therefore the case cited is not applicable. Hero a single street only was to be improved between designated points. An intermediate portion, between the designated termini, under contract with the land-owner, was to be contemporaneously improved according to the established grade, without expense to the city. It was deemed necessary to make the improvement the entire distance named, and the fact that a portion of it would be made without expense to the city, or other abutters, would not render the improvement less valuable to the public or the abutters upon it. Under these circumstances, we think, it was competent for the city, in the ordinance- and contracts for the improvement, to except the inter[289]

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Related

Arnold v. City of Cambridge
106 Mass. 352 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1871)

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Bluebook (online)
26 Ohio St. (N.S.) 284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilder-v-city-of-cincinnati-ohio-1875.