118 Iowa 366 | Iowa | 1902
Sometime in the fall of the year 1889 the Union Pacific Railway Company commenced the construction of the roadbed in question. At that time the ownership of the land on which the railway was constructed, together with other lands in what is known as the “East Omaha Bottom,” was in dispute. The Union Pacific Company, the East Omaha Land Company, and the Nebraska Perry Company, and Anthony W. Street, its trustee, claimed ownership of portions of the land lying in that bottom; the boundaries of the respective tracks being unknown, and in dispute. Soon after the Union Pacific Company commenced the construction of its road, Street, trustee, commenced action for the purpose of enjoining the railway company from constructing its road over the land now in dispute, claiming that the same was owned by the Nebraska Ferry Company. At the same time an action was pending in the federal courts of Nebraska, in which Street was complainant, and the East Omaha Land Company and others were defendants, the purpose of which was to determine the boundary lines of the several tracts of land, and to quiet title thereto - in the respective claimants. These ■suits were settled by an agreement signed by all the parties, in which the Union Pacific Company was named as party of the first part, the East Omaha Land Company as second, and the Nebraska Ferry .Company as third party. The material parts of that agreement are as follows: “Whereas, divers controversies and disputes have sprung-up between the parties hereto, touching the title to the premises hereinafter described, and a certain bill in equity is pending in the United States circuit court for the district of Nebraska between the said Anthony W. Street, plaintiff, and the East Omaha Land Co., defendant, for the quieting of the title to certain of the said lands in the said plaintiff; and another action is pending in the district court of the state of Iowa, for the county of Pottawattamie
As the controlling points in the case turn upon the effect to be given this deed, we here set out the material parts thereof. After reciting the general facts set forth in the instrument of settlement, it recites: “That the said party of the first part (Union Pacific Railway Co.) in consideration of the sum of one dollar, to it in hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, and in further consideration of the premises aforesaid, has granted, bargained, sold, remised, and quitclaimed, and by these presents does grant, bargain, sell, remise, and quitclaim, unto the said party of the second part, his heirs and assigns, forever, the following described real estate: [Being land in controversy herein and other lands]; together with all and singular the hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto
The value of the roadbed and embankment is stipulated to be $4,903.45. Defendant contends that it acquired title to the roadbed and embankment in the manner above indicated, and that damages for the land itself should be assessed as of the date of the commencement of the condemnation proceedings, or at any rate not before March, 1894, when it took possession of the property; while plaintiffs contend that it holds title to the roadbed and embankment, as well as the land occupied thereby, in virtue of the deed from the Union Pacific Railway Company to its immediate grantors; and that damages should be
There is no doubt of the general rule, relied upon by appellee, that one may erect improvements on the land of another which do not become a part of the real estate; and, were it not for the deed made by the Union Pacific Company, we would be inclined to agree with them in their conclusion that this embankment belonged to the Union Pacific Company, or its grantees, and that plaintiffs are not entitled to compensation therefor; but in the face of this solemn instrument it does not lie in the mouth' of that company or its grantees to say that it had no title to the lands, and, therefore, that the improvements thereon did not pass by the deed. When a railroad company enters upon the land of another, builds a roadbed, places ties and rails thereon, they as a general rule, in the absence of abandonment to the owner, belong to the company constructing the same, or to its grantees or assignees, and the landowner cannot, in condemnation proceedings, have the
Suggestion is made by counsel that the Union Pacific Company and its grantees have always claimed to own the embankment in question. This is not verified by the