Nogales Water Co. v. Neuman
Nogales Water Co. v. Neuman
Opinion of the Court
W. J. Neuman, the appellee, filed his complaint in the court below for a writ of mandamus to compel the Nogales Water Company to install a water meter for measuring the water used by Neuman as a water consumer and inhabitant of the town of Nogales. The complaint set forth that Neuman was a consumer of water in Nogales, that he had made demand upon the water company for the installation of a meter, which demand had been refused, and set up an ordinance of the town of Nogales relating to the water company, which ordinance, among other things, provided for certain flat rates for water, graded according to the use to be made, and provided that, when demanded by any water consumer, the company should install a water meter for measuring the water used by such consumer at the meter rate, instead of the flat rate provided by such ordinance. The answer admitted the right of the plaintiff to the installment of a water meter for the water used and to be used by the plaintiff as a consumer, but denied its refusal to install such meter. Upon the trial on the merits, no findings of fact were made by the court below; but a judgment was entered requiring the water company to install for the plaintiff “one water meter to measure the amount of water furnished by the defendant and used by said plaintiff and his subtenant in that certain building situated in Nogales, Santa Cruz county, Arizona, a part of which is now occupied by plaintiff as a photograph- gallery and the other part by his subtenant as a grocery store.” From this judgment the water company has appealed to this court.
The question for our determination is whether the judgment is supported by the evidence in the case. The evidence discloses that Neuman was the owner of a number of dwelling-
The evidence of Neuman shows that he was a lessee of the premises in question, and that he sublet one part thereof to a subtenant for a grocery store, he himself using the other portion of the premises in his own business. He testified: That there was a partition dividing the premises in two; that his subtenant, paid the water company for the water used by such subtenant, and had paid it ever since his occupancy thereof, and for a year or more; that the demand he made upon the company was a demand for one meter to measure the water supplied both to himself and to the subtenant. And the evidence further shows that the company refused to furnish one meter to measure the water used by both, but offered to furnish a meter to measure the water used by Neuman alone. There is no evidence in the record that there was any contractual arrangement between Neuman and his subtenant under which the former was to furnish water to the latter, nor that the subtenant ever demanded or desired that a meter be furnished to measure the water used by him.
Upon this state of facts we think that the judgment cannot be supported. The complaint prayed for a writ of mandamus to compel the installment of a meter for measuring the water used by the plaintiff, Neuman, as a water consumer. The evidence showed that Neuman on his business premises used the water separately and apart from his subtenant, and in a business not connected with that of his subtenant, Neuman and his subtenant each dealing independently with the water
The judgment of the district court is reversed, and the cause remanded to that court, with directions to enter judgment for the defendant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THE NOGALES WATER COMPANY, a Corporation, and v. W. J. NEUMAN, and
- Status
- Published