11 Minn. 515 | Minn. | 1866
Lead Opinion
By the Gowrt
This is a proceeding under sections 4 and 5, of chapter 21, of the Sess. Laws of 1865, to assess the damages sustained by the respondents — the owners of certain lands — by reason of the construction of the appellant’s road through them premises.
An appeal from the report of the commissioners was taken by the respondents here, to the District Court, and the cause tried and damages assessed for the respondents; whereupon the appellants moved for a new trial, which was denied. From the order denying this motion, this appeal is taken. Several exceptions to the rulings of the court on the admissi
Hiram T. Horton, a witness for the respondents, having been sworn, in the course of his examination, was asked by the respondents, “ What was the market value per acre of the respondents’ land taken by the railroad company in the forepart of January, 1865,” which was objected to by the appellant : 1st, That it is a cross-examination of the parties’ own witness ; 2d, The correct rule for ascertaining the damages, if any, in such a case as this, is to ascertain the market value per acre of the whole farm, a part of which is taken, without the construction of the railroad, and then with it, and the party? on the direct examination of his witness, should be confined to such rule, and not be permitted to examine as to the amount of damages occasioned by particular matters separately, as upon cross-examination. The objections were overruled, and the appellant excepted. We see no error in this ruling. The same point was fully considered and determined in Winona & St. P. R. R. Co. v. Denman, 10 Minn. 267. The witness was further asked to “state to the jury in what manner the road runs through the land, and in what manner is the market value of the farm injured by the road.” The latter part of the question was objected to by the appellant, on the ground that it asks for the opinion of the witness as to what affects the market value of the farm, instead of the facts. The court overruled the objection, and appellant excepted. We think the question was proper. The market value of the farm is the standard by which the injury to the farm is determined, and is here used as synonymous with the farm. The manner in which the road runs through the farm, evidently embraces the course and character of the track of the road with reference to this land, and the portion of the question objected to, we think, calls upon the witness to state in what manner — that is, by reason of what facts or circumstances, in his opinion, this injures the value of the farm; or, in other
The court, however, at the appellant’s request, charged the jury that the respondents are in no event entitled to recover any amount as damages against the appellant for mere inconvenience in crossing the track of the railroad in going to, or returning from, the respective sides of their farm divided by the same, and further charged, “You must not consider any inconvenience from * * * crossing the track.”
If it clearly appears that, notwithstanding the admission of testimony which is immaterial, no injury resulted therefrom, the admission of such testimony will not be a sufficient ground for a new trial. In view of the instruction of the court to the jury, which we have noticed, we think no injury resulted to the appellant from the testimony referred to, and we do not feel called upon to disturb the verdict for this reason.
The third point raised by the appellant is of a more serious character. The court allowed the witness Horton, and other
It is manifest from tbe whole ease tbat tbe question of damages on account of fencing entered into tbe consideration of tbe jury, and materially affected their finding. It is evident, also, tbat tbe damages were assessed with reference to tbe rights and obligations of tbe parties as they existed, independent of section 4, of chapter 10, of tbe Special Laws of 1865, wbicb provides, tbat “ section 4, of chapter 19, of tbe Special Laws of 1862, being an act to facilitate tbe construction of a railroad from Winona westerly by way of St. Peter, be amended so as to read as follows : “Said company, or any railroad company, formed by any consolidation with tbe Winona and St. Peter Railroad Company, shall construct and maintain a good and legal fence pn botb sides of their road wherever it may run through enclosed lands, witbin two years after tbe commencement of tbe operation of their road across said lands, and during said period of two years, shall construct and maintain good and sufficient cattle guards at points of crossing such lands, and shall also construct all necessary farm crossings over tbe track of their road.” This section, it is manifest, materially changes the obligations of tbe railroad company
But when the railroad company, whether as a condition or limitation of its right to take land for its road, or as a police regulation, is required by statute to construct such fences, the damages for taking the land should be assessed upon the basis of the construction of such fences by the company, in accordance with the statutory requisition. The original charter of the company in this instance, which provides the manner in which lands may be taken, and the mode of compensation, is silent on the subject of fencing. Sec. 4, Ch. 19, of the Laws of 1862, is an independent provision, and has no connection with the taking of lands, or the damages to be assessed there
But it is further tu’ged that the act of 1865 is in conflict with Sec. 21 of Art. 4 of the constitution. The article is as follows: “No law shall embrace more than one subject, which shall be expressed in its title.” The majority of the court are of opinion that this objection to the law must be sustained. My own opinion is that the law comes within the principle laid down by the Supreme Court of this State in Tuttle v. Strout, 1 Minn. 465, and is valid. See also, Board of Supervisors of Ramsey County v. Heenan, 2 Minn. 330.
There are two other questions which embrace the substance of the remaining points of the appellant: 1. Are general benefits conferred on the owner of the land taken, that is, such benefits as result from the construction of the road to property holders generally in the same vicinity through whose land the road does not pass, to be deducted from the compensation due to the owner through whose land the road passes for Ms damages? 2. Can special benefits accruing to the owner of the land taken, that is, local, incidental benefits resulting to the premises (a part of wMch is taken,) directly from the construction of the road, be deducted from the value of that portion of the land actually taken for the road, or must they be recouped, if at all, from the damages resulting to the
There is great conflict in the decisions of the courts of the the different States of our country upon these questions. It is useless to attempt to lay down any one rule as settled by uniform authority, or perhaps by a decided weight of authority. We are compelled, in establishing a rule for our own State, to adopt that, which in view of the important results to public improvements and to private rights, seems most in accordance with settled principles of law in analogous cases.
The charter of the railroad company in this case provides the manner in which compensation for lands taken for the road shall be ascertained and determined. “ In estimating damages or compensation to be paid to any claimant to lands, or interest in lands so proposed to be taken, the said commissioners shall take into consideration the benefits to accrue to the claimant by the construction of said railroad, and allow such benefits by way of recoupment against the damages which such claimant may sustain thereby, and report only the balance of damages which shall remain after applying such benefits in recoupment thereof, but no balance shall be in any case reported in favor of the company.” This language does not aid us in determining what elements are to constitute the damages for which compensation is to be allowed, or the benefits which are to be recouped therefrom, but leaves these questions to be determined by other principles of law.
The court charged the jury “that any general benefits arising from the construction or operation of the railroad, shared by the defendants in common with the whole country in this vicinity, and not peculiar to them, or to other lands actually crossed by the road, you will exclude, and not consider in ascertaining their damages; as for instance, such benefits as defendants would receive if the railroad should be constructed through the country, but not crossing this farm.” The court also charged the jury that “if the farm would sell for as much, as
The court also charged the jury as follows: “against this market value of the land actually taken, you will offset nothing whatever;” to which the appellant excepted. There seems to be a distinction made here between the value of the land taken for the road and the injury done to the remaining land by taking it. It would seem to be implied by the charge, and conceded by the respondents, that special benefits to the remainder of the land may be recouped from the damages thereto incurred by the owner, as distinguished from the value of the land actually taken for the road; and such seems to be the position of the authorities, which hold that the value of the land taken must be paid in money. Robbins v. M. &. H. R. R. Co., 6 Wis. 641-2. I am unable to see a ground for any such distinction. It seems to me the right to compensation for both elements of damage is found in the same source, the fundamental right of the citizen to just compensation when his private property is taken for public use. The compensation is for the taking and its proximate consequences; otherwise it leaves the right of the citizen to redress for these consequences at the option of the Legislature, to which I do not
The order denying the motion for a new trial should.be reversed, and a new trial granted.
Dissenting Opinion
Dissenting. A question arises in this case, whether the owner of land taken by a railroad company is entitled, in all cases, to compensation therefor in money. My associates concur in answering this question in the negative, holding that against the cash value of the land, special benefits occasioned by the construction of the road to the remainder of the same tract, may be set off. From this view I dissent. As it is not material on principle whether the benefits set off are less than the value of the land taken, we will, for the purpose of illustration, suppose that the land of the respondents was worth $500, and the special benefits to the residue of their tract were estimated at an equal or greater sum, and that the taking of the land caused no incidental damage to the remainder still owned by the respondents. Uuder such circumstances, according to the view of the majority of the court, the respondents would be entitled to no farther compensation from the company, the “benefits” conferred being considered compensation for the land taken.
If this conclusion can be sustained, it must, I think, be on one of three grounds: 1. That the land thus appropriated is not “taken” within the meaning of the constitution. 2. That Waldron has been paid or compensated in benefits, or 3. That the constitution does not guarantee compensation for the lemd taken, but for the injury caused by the taking, after deducting the special benefits to the remainder of the same tract. Whether a perpetual easement or the fee is taken, it is not necessary to discuss; the entire, perpetual and exclusive use of the land for the purposes of the road is taken, and it is too clear to admit of doubt that this estate or interest in the land is “property,” protected by the constitution. Whether
In England, in the 11th century, a law, in the langugage of our constitution, would have authorized compensation or payment in part, at least, in sheep, corn or provisions, these 'articles being the currency or legal tender of that country at that time. When real coin money was then to be paid, it was designated in the contract or law, white money, or “ a/rgeni/um album” the laws or customs of the country otherwise only requiring a certain small proportion of money to what was tendered in kind. Perhaps in the early colonies in this country a proper interpretation of such language would have permitted payment in tobacco, that being then the currency of the country; but now, and in this country, the same language must have a different interpretation. With us, as a matter of fact, money is the common and only recognized medium of trade, and the supreme law of the land forbids the States to make anything else a legal tender in payment of debts, and it must be presumed that individuals contract, and legislators make laws, with reference to this recognized state of things. Our laws and customs, therefore, I think, clearly
But if we were at liberty to go further, and inquire as to what would be justice and equity in such cases, I think it would not be difficult to show that the public or corporations ought to be required to pay their debts or discharge their obligations or liabilities as individuals or natural persons are required to pay or discharge theirs. So every person should be permitted to say for himself what benefits or improvements he shall pay for, and to make such improvements according to his own views of propriety, and as his circumstances require or permit. Even if the constitution did not settle this question, the Legislature should not require a person to pay any part of the expense of labor performed by a railroad company for its own benefit, without his knowledge or direction, and without the least reference to his interests. It is not unfrequently the case that improvements made by one citizen necessarily and directly benefit another, but I have yet to learn that such benefits have in any case been allowed as a set off against a debt due from the former to the latter.. Such
As to whether the rights of the parties in this case are governed by the constitution of the United States, or by orn* State constitution, I do not intimate an opinion, as they would clearly be the same under either. The charge of the court below was, I think, correct. See Sutton’s heirs v. City of Louisville, 5 Dana, 28; People v. Mayor of Brooklyn, 6 Barb. 209; Rice v. Turnpike Co,, 7 Dana, 81; Jacob v. Louisville, 7
I concur in the opinion of the majority of the court, except on the point above discussed.