42 Ind. App. 580 | Ind. Ct. App. | 1908
The questions to be determined in this appeal arise out of the following state of facts shown by the pleadings and the agreed statement of facts appearing in the record: Certain road supervisors of the appellant township, without formal demand upon the owners of the land, or notice to them of an intention to make such appropriation, entered upon the lands of the appellee and his assignors, and took therefrom stone and gravel of the aggregate value of $166.44, as assessed by the court, and appropriated the same to the making of proper and necessary repairs of the adjacent highways in said township. The entry was made and the stone and gravel taken with the knowledge, and presumably' with the consent, of the owners of the land. Suitable material to make such repairs could not be found upon the highways in the township. No assessment was made by the supervisor and two disinterested persons of the damages done in the taking of such stone and gravel, as required by §6830 Burns 1901, Acts 1883, p. 62, §16, the provisions of which were practically reenacted in the highway act of 1905 (Acts 1905, pp. 521, 572, §106, §7775 Burns 1908), but the supervisor gave to the owners of the land orders on the township trustee for the value of the stone and gravel, as fixed by the supervisor himself, and accepted by the landowners. The appellee was the trustee of the township at the time. The other owners of land affected presented their orders to ■ him and demanded payment. The orders were not paid because of a lack of funds in the hands of the trustee to be used for such purpose. A demand for an appropriation of funds of the township, to be used in the payment of said claims, -was thereafter made in due form by the tras
Appellant contends that no liability on the part of the township exists, for two reasons: (1) That the only remedy of the landowner for damages on account of the appropriation of road material from his premises by a road supervisor is the one given by the statute; (2) that the supervisor had no power to create a liability against the township without the authority of the township advisory board. In response to the first point made by appellant against said claim, appellee contends that, inasmuch as the township received the benefit of the material, and is using it on its highways, the law will not permit it to refuse payment to the owner; that it was not appellee’s duty to give notice and make demand, and cause the assessment to be made by the supervisor and two disinterested persons; that such duty belonged to the appellant’s officer, for whose acts and omissions it is sought to hold the appellant responsible. It is argued that to admit of appellant’s defense on this ground Avould be permitting the appellant to take advantage of its OAvn neglect of duty, its 0AArn wrong, and, having received the benefit of appellee’s property, it is liable on the quantum meruit for its value.
In response to the second point made by appellant against the claim, it is insisted that the township reform law does not apply to the case.
The judgment of the court below is reversed, with instructions, to sustain appellant's demurrer to the complaint.