88 Neb. 352 | Neb. | 1911
Action by a lot OAvner in the village of ElniAVOod to recover the value of the grass or hay groAvn on a .street of the village adjacent to his lots and appropriated by the village trustees to the usé of the corporation.
It appears that in the month of July, 1886, the owners of the land on which the village of Elmwood is situated duly caused the same to be surveyed and platted, and the plat acknoAvledged in the manner provided by sections 8980, 8981, Ann. St. 1909. After such acknowledgment they dnly filed the plat for record as therein provided, and thus dedicated the streets, alleys and public grounds, as shoAArn in said plat, to the public use as and for the Anllage of Elmwood; that thereupon said village Avas organized and has existed and exercised the poAvers and duties of a municipal corporation from thence to the present time; that the plaintilf had purchased, and at the time of the
The plaintiff invokes the common-law rule in support of his contention that he was entitled to recover the value of the grass or hay growing in the village street (the natural production of the soil) appropriated by the defendants, and cites authorities from many of the states where that rule prevails. In 2 Dillon, Municipal Corporations (4th ed.) sec. 663, it is said: “Where the public acquires only the use, and the fee remains in the original proprietor or abutter, the latter is considered to be the owner of the soil for all purposes not inconsistent with the public rights, and may maintain actions accordingly.” In this state, however, a different rule prevails. Section 8982, Ann. St. 1909, provides: “The acknowledgment and recording of such plat is equivalent to a deed in fee simple of such portion of the premises platted as is on such plat set apart for streets or other public use, or as is thereon dedicated to charitable, religious, or educational purposes.” The law of Iowa on this subject is identical with
In 2 Dillon, Municipal Corporations (4th ed.l sec. 664, it is said: “Where, however, the fee or legal title passes from the original proprietor, as in some states it is declared it shall, in statutory dedications, and in cases where land is acquired for streets and public purposes by the exercise of the right of eminent domain, such proprietor or the adjoining owner cannot maintain an action for injuries to the soil, or ejectment, but he nevertheless has a remedy for any special injury to his rights by the unauthorized acts of others.” In City of Wahoo v. Nethaway, 73 Neb. 54, in speaking of the statute above quoted, this court said: “It would seem that there is in this state much reason for holding that incorporated cities should, in actions relating to their streets, be subject to the operation of the statute of limitations. They own in fee simple the streets, alleys and other public places within their corporate limits. See Comp. St. 1899, ch. 14, art. I, secs. 104, 106. They may maintain ejectment to recover possession of them; they may, speaking generally, vacate them either in whole or in part. The right is even given to sell and dispose of them, and apply the money derived from the sale to any legitimate municipal purpose. See Comp. St. 1899, ch. 14, art. I, sec. 77. In other words, municipal corporations are invested with a sort of proprietary interest in this class of property, and may be required, therefore, to guard it with the same
We wish it to be thoroughly understood, however, that by this holding the plaintiff is not to be deprived of any of his rights to the use and occupation of the streets, or any of the equitable or incidental rights that accrue to him by reason of his abutting ownership. Neither do we follow the rule announced in City of Des Moines v. Hall, 24 Ia. 234, to the extent of holding that the city would be entitled to minerals, if any should be found, underlying the surface of its streets. It is sufficient for the disposition of this case to declare that the plaintiff cannot maintain this action to recover the value of the hay growing upon the street adjacent to his lots.
It is contended by counsel for the plaintiff that by the language of the dedication of the plat the original owners retained the title to the streets, and only dedicated the same to the public use. The acknowledgment of the plat seems to be in the ordinary and usual form. It reads as follows: “We, the undersigned owners and proprietors of the land included in the accompanying plat of Elm-wood, Cass county, Nebraska, do hereby approve of the division of the grounds into lots, and ratify the said plat:
We are therefore of opinion that the judgment of the district court was right, and, for the foregoing reasons, it is
Affirmed.