Moore v. Delaware Drainage District No. 2
Moore v. Delaware Drainage District No. 2
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court w;as delivered by
This is an appeal from an award of damages for land taken in a condemnation proceeding by a drainage district. The appellee owned a stock farm of about 80 acres, of which about 15 acres was meadow, about 15 acres farm land, and the balance pasture. The farm land was in the Delaware river bottom and was ordinarily used for raising com, which appellee fed to the stock. The drainage district, to prevent floods, straightened the channel of the river by cutting a new channel across a part of plaintiff’s farm land. The area of the farm land taken by the new channel and its banks was 5.2 acres. By appropriate proceedings the drainage district condemned this land, and appraisers Were appointed. Appellee, not being satisfied with their award, appealed to the district court, where there was a trial to a jury. The jury allowed plaintiff at the rate of $200 per acre for the land actually taken, and also allowed $30 for growing wheat and $10 for trees destroyed. No complaint is made of these small items. The jury allowed no damages to the land of the appellee which was not taken, although evidence was offered with respect to such damages and the court instructed the jury thereon.
The drainage district has appealed and contends that the court erred in receiving evidence and instructing the jury ■ concerning damages to the land not taken by the ditch and its banks. Since
Perhaps there is some room for criticism of some 'of the evidence received on behalf of appellee with respect to the depreciation of the income which might be made from the farm as a whole because of the taking of the 5.2 acres, and of some of the language used in one of the court’s instructions, on the ground that the testimony received Was too remote and speculative. In view) of the fact that the appellant won on that point in the court below we do not deem the question properly before us.
The judgment of the court below is affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.