134 Mich. 311 | Mich. | 1903
The bill was filed in this case to enjoin defendant from laying out and constructing a new drain on complainant’s lands, on the ground that the petition gave him no jurisdiction to act, because the statute (chapter 3, § 1, of the drain laws), as amended in 1899 (Pub. Acts 1899, Act No. 272), requires five of the ten freeholders who signed the application to be owners of land liable to an assessment for benefits in the construction of said drain, while only four of the signers were so liable, and because there was no drain or watercourse on thedand of complainant, where defendant was seeking to lay one out. Defendant in his answer claims the petition asked him to deepen and widen an existing drain, and was governed by section 4379, 2 Comp. Laws, which requires for the deepening and widening of an existing drain that the petition need be signed. by only five freeholders, one or
1. Because the bill does not state a cause of action.
2. Because the probate court was the forum to ascertain complainant’s damages, if any.
3. Because, if complainant suffered damage, the same should be ascertained in the statutory method.
4. Because the commissioner had not made his final order upon the drain, nor in any way signified his intention of entering complainant’s premises.
The court heard the cáse upon the merits, and found from the evidence that no drain and no natural watercourse existed across complainant’s land on the line described in the petition under which the commissioner was acting, and, as five or more of the petitioners did not own land liable to an assessment for benefits, he was acting without authority, and a decree was granted as asked for by the complainant. From this decree defendant has appealed.
We think the disposition of one question should dispose of the case, and that question is, Should the chancery court take jurisdiction under the facts disclosed by the record? All that had been done by the drain commissioner when the bill was filed was to receive a petition asking for the deepening and widening of a drain, after which he examined the proposed improvement, and made his first order of determination, as provided by section 4320, 2 Comp. Laws. The bill does not allege, nor the proofs show, he had committed or threatened any act of trespass. Doubtless his next step would have been to make application to the probate court for the appointment
Decree is reversed, and bill of complaint dismissed.