51 N.Y.S. 290 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1898
.In the year 1831 the New York and Harlem Railroad Company was chartered with power to build a railroad commencing at Twenty-third street in the city of New York, and extending northerly. Before that time, and pursuant to the law of 1807 (Chap. 115), as amended in 1813 (2 R. L. [1813] 408, § 177), Fourth avenue ■had been laid out on Manhattan Island as one of the streets of the city of New York, although it was not opened as a street for many years afterwards. As located and built, the track of the Harlem railroad extended along Fourth avenue, occupying a space about twenty-four feet wide ' in the center of the street. At that time, and for many years afterwards, the tracks of the road lay upon the surface of the-ground in front of land now owned by the plaintiff; That part of Fourth avenue which was afterwards called and is now known as Park avenue, was opened as a street in
The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company is the lessee of the New York and Harlem railroad, and has for a
The plaintiff complains that during the progress of the work the tenants were seriously incommoded by the noise caused by handling the iron on the street and on the viaduct as it was building, and also by smoke' and steam from the engines used in the construction of the viaduct, and by the interruption of the' light caused by that structure as it grew towards completion, and also by the smoke and steam escaping from the engines of the defendants as they were, operated in the cut, which, instead of going straight up into the air as it had formerly done, was turned aside by the viaduct and the temporary structure erected above the street against and into -the buildings, to the great annoyance and discomfort of the tenants. The complaint then contains an allegation that, by reason of all these facts, the plaintiff had been damaged in. loss of rentals and the •destruction of his easements of light, air and access in the public street, to the extent of $7,000 per annum,
• The complaint contains further allegations to the effect that, by reason of the wrongful and unlawful acts and "trespasses of the
This viaduct was a part of the work of raising the grade of the Harlem railroad along Park avenue in the city of New York to and beyond the Llarlem river as provided for by chapter 339 of the Laws of 1892. The provisions of that statute have already been considered by us in the case of Taylor v. The New York & Harlem R. R. Co. (27 App. Div. 190), which was an action brought for substantially the same relief as that sought to be obtained here. In that case the authority by which this work was undertaken and the relation which the railroad companies bore to it from time to time' were considered and determined, and the principles established in that case, so far as they are applicable, must control us in the determination of this appeal. - It appeared in that case, as here, that the board of improvement created by chapter 339 of the Laws of 1892 planned the structure which was building in front of the plaintiff’s premises, made the contracts for its erection and had entire and
It was conceded practically by the defendants that they had no authority by the act, as amended, to erect a station opposite the plaintiff’s premises, As section 7 was originally passed it authorized a station to be built extending from the north side of One Hundred and Twenty-fourth street to the south line of One Hundred and Twenty-sixth street, but that section was subsequently amended in 1896 (Chap. 594), so as to require the station to be built between One Hundred and Twenty-fifth and One Hundred and Twenty-sixth streets.
It appeared, also, in the case that- there had been erected on each side of the street a temporary structure, built by the contractors under the direction of the board of improvement, and that this structure, while it stood, seriously interfered with the easements of light, air and access enjoyed by the tenants of the plaintiff. The plaintiff claims from defendants damages for the interference with his easements caused by these temporary structures. It appears, however, and is not disputed, that these - structures were erected along the sides of the street under the authority of the board of improvement, without any interference or control of the defendants, solely to enable the contractors to put up the viaduct which they were employed to do. The putting up of the viaduct, as we have seen, was a work for a public purpose in the public street, which it
The learned trial justice awarded to the plaintiff damages for the loss of rents during the construction of the viaduct. These buildings were not rendered untenantable during that period because of the operation of the railroad in the usual way. It. is conceded that, during that time the trains of the defendants ran in the cut, and that inconvenience and discomfort was caused by the noise necessarily incident to the building of the viaduct, or which accompanied it,, although it may not have been necessary, and by the obstruction of light and air caused by the temporary erection, so that it could be built. These elements of damage ought not to have been included in the award. • . ,'
One building of the plaintiff was situated upon One Hundred and . Twenty-fourth street, and had no frontage whatever upon Park avenue. The plaintiff gave considerable evidence as to .the damage to that building, and it must be assumed, in view of that testimony, that the evidence entered into the award, if not for rental damages, .at least into the award of fee damages given to the plaintiff. It .has already been decided that in cases of this kind, damages are not to be awarded in respect of a building which is situated upon a
As has already been stated, one Isaac Adriance was the owner of these lands at the time the railroad was originally built along Park avenue, and he eonv.eyed to the railroad twenty-four feet in width along the center of the avenue to construct their railroad, and for any other purpose, with the power of sloping their embankments or excavations so much further beyond the lines of said premises, as might be necessary to support their work, not, however, extending beyond the width of the avenue. It is claimed by the defendants that the necessary effect of this grant is to give to the railroad company the right to occupy the whole avenue, so far as.the abutters are concerned, without any liability to recompense them for interference with their right to use the street. In this contention we do not agree. The deed from Adriance undoubtedly gave to the railroad company, as far as he ivas concerned, the-right, if it should be necessary to lay the tracks in a cut, to dig an excavation through the street of such a width as might be necessary, to enable the companies to lay their tracks, and to build such an embankment as might be necessary for the same purpose, and to occupy for that purpose the whole width of the street if it should be necessary to do so. But the embankment or the excavation, however much it might interfere with the use of the street by Adriance, would certainly not interfere with his light or air, as would a viaduct such as has been constructed along that street. It is quite clear, therefore, that by the terms of the deed no viaduct was intended nor could be constructed. It is not necessary for us to say at this time what rights are given to the railroad company as against these abutters by the terms of Adriance’s deed. All that we need to say here'is, that the deed is not broad enough to cover the erection of a viaduct such as this.
Several other- questions are raised by the defendants, none, of which is necessary to be considered upon -this appeal.
For the errors indicated in this opinion, however, the judgment' must be reversed and a new trial ordered, with costs to the appellant to abide the event.
Vak Brunt, P. J., O’Brien and McLaughlin, JJ., concurred.
I cannot concur in the opinion of Mr. Justice Rumsey- upon the question of the liability of the defendant railroad companies for the construction of the elevated structure upon which the tracks of the Harlem River Railroad Company are placed.. The act under which this, structure was erected (Chap. 339, Laws of 1892) had for its sole object the erection of a railroad structure for the use of the defend-* ant railroad corporations. Prior to the year 1872 (Chap. 702) the Hew York and Harlem River Railroad Company was operating a railroad upon Fourth avenue, in the city of Hew York, in front of the premises in question. That company had existed for upwards' of thirty years, operating a railroad consisting of two- tracks, and crossing the Harlem river at the upper end of Fourth avenue. The railroad was then neither elevated nor depressed, but the tracks were laid upon the surface of the avenue. Under the act of 1872 (Chap. 702) the tracks of the railroad company were depressed, a cut being made which, was bounded by walls of masonry and crossed by bridges at the intersecting streets. The road, as thus depressed, was entirely below the surface of the avenue, leaving room on both sides of the cut for a roadway,' and' the trains in passing were entirely concealed from the surface of the street; and this roadbed was under the exclusive control of the defendant railroad corporation. Ho individual or corporation was allowed to use the tracks or the roadbed, except with the consent of the defendant corporation. In 1890 an act was passed by Congress which provided for the improvement of the Harlem river, and directed the Secretary of War to cause the low bridges now crossing said Harlem river to be replaced by other bridges at the expense of the owners thereof, as soon as the necessary legislation, if any such legislation be necessary, should' have enabled the change in- grade to the approaches of said bridges, thus required to be made. (Chap. 907, Laws of 1890, approved September’ 19,1890.) By this act, the bridge of ■ the defendant railroad companies crossing the Harlem river was required to be replaced by a bridge at a higher elevation ■—-the under side of such new bridge to be at least twenty-four feet above the high water of spring tide, and such bridge to be, under the provisions of the act of Congress,, erected at the expense of the owners thereof. To allow this change
By section 1 of the act it was provided: “ The grade of the New York and Harlem Railroad between One Hundred and Sixth street and the Harlem river, as now established by chapter seven hundred and two of the Laws of eighteen hundred and seventy-two, shall be changed and altered as follows : ” The grade as altered by this section required that the tracks of the railroad company should be elevated above the level of the street in front of the plaintiff’s premises about fourteen feet, and the tracks were to be supported by a viaduct structure of iron or steel. (§ 4.) These railroad tracks were to be carried on a solid tight floor; (§ '6.) By section 7 of the act, ‘the New York and Harlem Railroad Company, or its lessee, the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company was authorized and permitted to erect station houses on both sides of the railroad at One Hundred and Twenty-fifth street, with platforms extending from the north line of One Hundred and Twenty-fourth street to the south line of One Hundred "and Twenty-sixth street. By section 13 of the act it was provided that “ There shall be a board whose duty it shall be to execute, direct and superintend the construction of the said improvement from One Hundred and Sixth street to the line of the Harlem river. * * * The said board is hereby authorized and directed to take the entire charge and control of the said improvement from One Hundred and Sixth street to the line of the Harlem river, * * * and to execute the same in conformity with the provisions of this act, in <a substantial and workmanlike manner. Such work shall be done, so far as possible, by contract. * * * Jhe said board shall prepare plans of said improvement in Conformity with this act.” By section 14 of the act it is provided that “ When the said plan, specification and estimate shall be made and filed as aforesaid, the expense and cost of said improvement shall be borne and paid by the New York and Harlem Rail
It is entirely apparent that the sole object of this act was to provide for a change of the grade of the defendants’ railroad to enable it to cross the Harlem river as required by the act of Congress before cited, and the Legislature imposed upon the city of Hew York the burden of paying a portion of the expense of the structure erected entirely for the benefit of the said railroad companies, which was to be exclusively within their possession, and upon which they alone were authorized to operate a railroad. The structure, when completed, was to be the property of the railroad. It was to be paid for in the first instance by the railroad, and officers were appointed to superintend its construction for the benefit of the railroad. The city of Hew York had no control over the maintenance of this new structure ; and while the commissioners appointed by the Legislature to superintend the construction were designated by the mayor of the city of Hew York, they received their authority to act from the Legislature, under the provisions of the act before cited, and their acts in building this structure were not the acts of the municipality of the city of Hew York. The situation is that the Legislature had directed a change in the grade of the defendants’ railroad; had authorized the construction of an elevated railroad structure to carry that change into effect; had itself designated persons who were to make the contracts for such change of grade for the railroad com
The erection of this structure and its maintenance after it was erected was a trespass upon the plaintiff’s easement and property in the avenue over which the structure was erected. ■ This action was brought to restrain that trespass and to recover damages caused by the-trespass down to the time of the trial. Were the railroad companies liable for damages sustained by such trespass, and were they proper and necessary parties to an action to restrain a continuance of the trespass ? It seems to me clear that this question must be answered in the affirmative. It is not disputed that the railroad companies, from the beginning, took part in the erection of 'this elevated structure. They paid the amounts required to be paid by the contracts made by the commissioners appointed to carry out the provisions of this statute. They caused to .be erected and paid for the temporary structures necessary for the use of the railroad during the erection .of the permanent structure provided for by the act. Their acts show conclusively that they accepted the provisions of this act as made entirely for their benefit, to enable them to continue to operate their roads and to remove the bridge that they, had used over the Harlem river, as provided for by the act of Congress, and this, when the sole object of the passage of the act and of the action of these commissioners was to provide a structure for the use of the railroad companies, which they were to use exclusively; and when it is alleged, and nowhere disputed, that it was the intention of the railroad companies, having paid the money necessary for the construction of the elevated railroad tracks, tó enter into possession and use it exclusively as soon as completed. . The plaintiff was _ entitled to commence and maintain an action to enjoin the trespass when one was contemplated, and to enjoin its continuance after the trespass was -an accomplished fact.' He had the right in such an action to an injunction restraining such a continuance by all those who were concerned in the trespass, or who contemplated continuing or maintaining the trespass; and in such an action for an injunction to rest'rain-either the trespass itself, when only in contemplation, or the continuance of the trespass after it had been accomplished, it is clear
The rule .is well settled that one who aids, abets or incites in the perpetration of a trespass is liable, as well as the direct perpetrator, and one ratifying a wrongful act becomes responsible for that act, •even though the act were done without authority. (26 Am. & Eng. Ency. of Law, 575, 576, and cases there cited.) Assuming that these ■commissioners were directly responsible for the trespass in the first instance, the act of the railroad companies in paying the amount provided to be paid by the contract for the erection of the. structure, their participation in such construction, the fact that they were to be in exclusive occupation of the structure when completed, and that they concededly contemplated using the structure for the purposes of a railroad as soon as completed, were certainly an adoption and ratification of the acts of the • commissioners in proceeding to •construct this railroad under the authority conferred by the Legislature, when the purpose for which the authority was conferred was the erection of the structure for the exclusive use of the railroad companies.
I think, therefore, that this action was properly brought to restrain these defendants from continuing the erection. of this structure, which was a trespass upon the plaintiff’s easements and property rights in the streets, and to restrain them from occupying or using it in the future; and that these defendant railroad companies had adopted and ratified the acts of these commissioners so as to become liable to the plaintiff for the damages sustained in consequence of the construction and maintenance of the structure constituting the trespass. I think also that the defendants were responsible for any injury caused by the construction of the temporary structure for the use of the defendants’ road, which was used by them and which involved a trespass upon the plaintiff’s property, and that this action could be maintained to enjoin the continued use of such temporary structure and to recover damages from the deféndant companies, sustained in consequence of its construction and use.
For this reason I dissent from the views of Mr. Justice Rumsby as to the liability of these defendant railroad companies for the trespass upon the plaintiff’s property caused - by the construction and maintenance of -this elevated railroad structure. I concur, however,, in the reversal of the judgment' on the ground of the improper admission of evidence as to the damage upon the house fronting One Hundred and Twenty-fourth street.
Judgment reversed, new trial ordered, costs to appellant to abide, event.