Omaha, Lincoln & Beatrice Railway Co. v. City of Lincoln
Omaha, Lincoln & Beatrice Railway Co. v. City of Lincoln
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting:
I cannot concur in the majority opinion. The findings contained therein and the evidence show beyond question that Y street from Eighteenth to Twenty-third is in lowT ground and is subject to occasional overflows from flood-waters, especially back-waters from Antelope creek, which have interfered with the operation of the plaintiff’s track at that point; that, in reliance upon the profile and its right to maintain its track at the elevations shown thereby, it has extended its road beyond the city limits seven miles, has expended a large sum of money in so doing, and since 1906 has operated its road, seiwing a portion of the city and outlying districts not reachéd or served by any other
It further appears that fire hydrants have been inserted on Y street upon a grade level with the top of the plaintiff’s track, and under the track is a sewer connection with manholes on a grade level with its surface; that Y street has been little used except for travel on plaintiff’s trains; that the tracks of the Missouri Pacific Railway, on what would be X street if the same was opened, and those of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway cross the plaintiff’s tracks in a northerly direction along Eighteenth street a part of the way; and the elevations of said roads and tracks are not fixed or established by any ordinance, nor are said roads or the tracks of either of them required by ordinance to conform to the established grades of the streets where they intersect, but are several feet above the natural surface and the established grade of said streets; that the grade which requires the lowering of plaintiff’s tracks 18 inches at the intersection at Twenty-first and Y streets will make Y street the lowest street from Dudley on the north to X street on the south, and will cause the surface waters to flow into and stand in Y ■street; that the defendant is about to interfere with the tracks of the plaintiff at Y street, and tear up and destroy .and lower the same about 18 inches, and thus compel the plaintiff to bring its tracks down to the proposed grade, which will remove and destroy the foundation of the plaintiff’s embankment; that in seasons of freshet when waters collect it will be impossible for the plaintiff to maintain and operate its track and railroad at such a grade.
It clearly appears that no adequate provision has been made for taking care of the flood and surface waters or securing their passage from plaintiff’s track; that a por
As I view the record, the foregoing facts are established by a preponderance of the evidence. The district court made certain findings which accord substantially with the .foregoing, and I am unable to see how its findings could have been otherwise.
The supreme court of California in Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. v. Eshleman, 166 Cal. 640, 663, said: “But in the exercise of the police power in the regulation of public utilities, while each case which is rested upon the exercise of that power must be subject to its own individual consideration, there are certain fundamental principles which are not disputed and which govern all. The first of these is that this power goes merely to the regulation of the public utility, and that when' an order' passes beyond proper regulation it amounts to a taking of the property, and the order is then referable, not to the police power, but to the power of eminent domain. * * * Another principle, quite as important and quite as fundamental, is that Taking’ of property within the meaning of the constitution is not restricted to a mere change of physical possession, but includes a permanent or temporary deprivation of the owner of its use.”
The legislature may not, under the guise of protecting the public interests, arbitrarily interfere with private business, or impose unusual and unnecessary restrictions upon lawful occupations. The facts of this case show that the plaintiff carries more than 1,100 passengers daily, not accessible to other roads; that the street is little used for travel or traffic aside from such use; that the interests of the public generally, as well as the abutting owners, have been disregarded and have not been considered; that the grade established at Twenty-first and Y streets will make a cesspool in floods and freshets. This is not only unduly oppressive upon individual lot-owners abutting upon said street, but upon the general public as well, and it is shown by the testimony that the accomplishment of that purpose is destructive and will defeat every purpose for which the paving is laid. The testimony discloses that to lower the grade of the plaintiff’s railroad to the proposed street grade is an arbitrary interference with its private property. This should not be done under the guise of the exercise of police power.
In City of Seattle v. Columbia & P. S. R. Co., 6 Wash. 379, the railroad was given the power of condemnation in
In Houston & T. C. R. Co. v. City of Dallas, 98 Tex. 396, 419, 70 L. R. A. 850, 863, the court sums up the question
It is said in the majority opinion that the city had no power, by contract or otherwise, to alienate its right of control over its streets. It must be remembered, however, that, when the plaintiff sought to enter the city of Lincoln with its railroad and construct its tracks therein, the statutes of this state gave the plaintiff the right to condemn its right of way through the streets of the city in case no agreement in relation thereto could be made with the city council. Recognizing-this fact, the council entered into an agreement with the plaintiff by which it was authorized to construct its tracks along Y street, and while the city could not, by contract or otherwise, wholly abandon its right to the control of its public street, still it had the power to contract with relation to the reasonable use thereof, and, having entered into such a contract, it should be required to abide by its terms, unless there has been a change of conditions such as requires it to abrogate the contract and resume the exercise of its power of control over the street in question.
As I view the record, no such public necessity has been shown, and it not appearing that the district court erred in its findings and decree, but on the contrary it appearing by the-findings set forth in the majority opinion, and by the undisputed evidence, that the judgment of the district court was right, I am of opinion it should be affirmed.
Opinion of the Court
In March, 1904, the city of Lincoln enacted an ordinance granting to this plaintiff, the Omaha, Lincoln & Beatrice Railway Company, the right to nse Y street in the city of Lincoln for its tracks. The ordinance required the plaintiff to pay an annual occupation tax, and to conform its tracks to the grades which were then established or which might thereafter be established, and to accept in writing the ordinance as a contract, and give bond in the sum of $10,000, guaranteeing a compliance with the terms of the ordinance. The ordinance was duly accepted by the plaintiff and the bond given. At that time no grade had been established on Y street between Eighteenth and Twenty-seventh streets, .and the maps and profiles filed by the plaintiff with the city authorities showed an elevation of its tracks at Twenty-first and Y streets of 1 7/10 feet above the natural grade. The plaintiff then filled the right of way at Twenty-first and Y streets about 16 inches above the natural grade and constructed its road accordingly. In August, 1911, the city council enacted an ordinance which provided for the paving of Y street from Twenty-first to Twenty-seventh streets and by ordinance established the grade thereon. The grade so established was about an inch above the natural grade of the street, but the ordinance contained no provision requiring the plaintiff to lower its tracks to conform with the grade so established. Afterwards, in May, 1912, the council ordered the street paved, and the contract for paving the street was entered into by the city with the Ford Paving Company on August 19, 1912. Pursuant to the contract the contractor began the work of paving the street and paved Twenty-first street from the south to the south side of Y street. On the 21st of October, 1912, the plaintiff filed a petition in the district court for Lancaster county against
The court found that Y street from Eighteenth to Twenty-third street is low ground and subject to overflows from flood-waters, and especially from back-waters from the Antelope creek, and that the plaintiff’s tracks have been interfered with at times thereby; that the plaintiff, relying upon the profile and its right to maintain the elevation as shown therein, constructed its road and tracks, and has been operating the road and serving a portion of the city and the outlying districts, carrying 1,100 passengers a day, and that the track is in the “low pocket in the Antelope valley between Twenty-second and Twenty-third streets, west to beyond Twenty-first street, is boggy and
Of course, if the plaintiff constructs the paving between its rails as the law requires it will first, lay a concrete foundation therefor, and so will not be damaged 'by substituting this foundation for the cinder foundation it now has. . If the city can in ordinary cases only require a railway company to conform its tracks to grade by ordinance duly enacted, and if, after an ordinance is duly enacted, as in this case, fixing the grade and requiring the streets to be paved, a second ordinance is necessary to require the railway company to place its paving upon the grade, we have that second ordinance in this case, since the original franchise ordinance under which the plaintiff laid its tracks provides that the plaintiff shall conform its tracks
The court also found that in seasons of freshet when waters collect it will be impossible to maintain and operate the track at such grade, and will prevent the operation of cars over and upon said track at such times, and that “no adequate provision has been made for taking care of said flood and surface waters, or securing their discharge from said track, and, by reason of said grade, no proper arrangement or sewer connection can be put into effect to carry off said water or relieve said flood condition, thereby rendering that portion of its roadbed useless at such times, depriving the people of its service; * * * that the establishment of the grade on Y street below the profile and elevation of the plaintiff’s track will not benefit any one, and such grade is unnecessary, is contrary to the public interest,” and that “the construction of the railroad aforesaid in accordance with the profile and the maintenance of its railroad with the approval and consent of the defendant vested in plaintiff the right to operate and maintain its said line of railway on the grade as established by said profile, and that said defendant city is estopped to question or interfere with the same, except for the public good and by an ordinance duly enacted; and the court finds that no ordinance whatever has been enacted by the city, instructing or directing the plaintiff to remove its track on said Y street to the established grade; and, by reason of the aforesaid, the plaintiff is entitled to a permanent injunction.” These findings suggest the vital question in this case. There is no contention that to require the plaintiff to lower its tracks at Twenty-first street so as to conform to the established grade of the paving is in itself an unreasonable hardship. . It is only because the plan of the drainage and sewerage system is supposed to be defective and because of the results, anticipated in that respect that complaint is made.
The paving district organized by the ordinance, known as No. 217, includes Twenty-first street from Vine street to Y street, and Y street from Twenty-first to Twenty-seventh streets. The plaintiff’s complaint is in regard to the conditions existing by the established grade at the intersection at Twenty-first and Twenty-second streets with Y street. At this point the established grade is only a fraction of a foot above the natural surface. The only evicLence
There is an 8-inch sanitary sewer on Y street at the crossing of Twenty-first street, and a 15-inch storm sewer, which empties into a 21-inch sewer about a half block west of Twenty-first street. This sewer continues west to Seventeenth street, and connects with the main sewer, which runs north to Salt creek. It also connects at Seventeenth street with, an 18-inch sewer, which runs south 200 feet to Antelope creek. The fall of the sewer is one foot to a thousand. If the city authorities and the engineer are making the mistake that some of this evidence would indicate that they are making, it is indeed a very serious matter. If their sewerage system is wrongly planned and improperly constructed so as to unnecessarily overflow the paving of this street when completed and cover the tracks of the plaintiff and the surrounding lots with water, and if these mistakes and defects cannot be remedied by the city, it would seem that such a construction would subject the city to damages that it is well worth while for the authorities to pause and consider.
In City of Seattle v. Columbia & P. S. R. Co., 6 Wash. 379, the supreme court of that state, after stating the
There might be a case in which it could be so clearly demonstrated that the plan adopted was so absolutely impracticable that a court would be justified in interfering, but planning and adopting sewer systems is not a judicial matter, and the law leaves such matters to the city council as they may be advised and assisted by their engineers. If the property owners are damaged by the change of grade, the law affords them a remedy, but not by injunction. The evidence is conflicting as to the feasibility of the plan of drainage which the city had adopted. If it should prove inadequate, the mistake will undoubtedly be corrected and the damages caused thereby liquidated.
Section 5942, Rev. St. 1913, provides : “If it shall be necessary, in the location of any part of any railroad, to occupy any road, street, alley or public way or ground of any kind, or any part thereof,” the public authorities and the company may “agree upon the manner and upon the terms and conditions upon which the same may be used or occupied; and if such parties shall be unable to agree thereon, and it shall be necessary, in the judgment of the directors of such railroad company, to use or occupy such
Plaintiff says: “Even now plaintiff (if it cannot ‘agree’ with the city) can condemn and maintain its tracks at the elevation sought, under the statutes of the state, although the physical conditions were not sufficient to justify the maintenance of its present elevation. Wherever an elevation is reasonably necessary for the maintenance and operation of the road, that elevation may be secured, first, by contract, if possible, but, failing, in that, by condemnation. For, when plaintiff has once condemned a right of' way in the street and paid for that right, the city is powerless to prevent the maintenance of the very right it has-, paid to secure; and its right under the contract is precisely, the same. The purpose of this legislation was to-confer added power upon the municipality. Without it,., the city could have regulated the entrance of a railroad' and the occupation of its streets, over which it had full! control. The legislature therefore intended that the city-should have power by ‘agreement’ to surrender control of the streets, or, failing to agree, the railroad should have-the right to condemn, regardless of the city’s control. The-statute therefore authorized the city to surrender its control.”
It seems strange that any one should so construe the statute. Can it be supposed that a railway company can-select any street of a city it may choose and by condemnation or any. other process obtain control thereof? Can it place any tracks and grades therein it may see fit, and maintain them? The city under the statutes has entire control of the streets. If the statute authorizing- condem
The statute also provides that the city shall have power: “To regulate levees, depots, depot grounds and places for storing freight and goods, and provide for and regulate the passing of railways through the streets and public grounds of the city, reserving the rights of all persons injured thereby.” Rev. St. 1913, sec. 4422.
“To compel railways to conform tracks to grades at any time established, and if lengthwise in a public way to keep them level with street surface, to compel railways to keep streets open, construct and keep in repair ditches, drains, sewers and culverts along or under their right of way or tracks, and lay and maintain paving of their, whole right of way on paved streets.” Section 4471.
“To make all such ordinances, by-laws, rules and regulations not inconsistent with the laws of the state as may be expedient, in addition to the special powers in this section granted, maintaining the peace, good government, and welfare of the city, its trade, commerce and manufacturies.” Section 4473.
“The mayor and council shall have supervisión and control of all public ways and public grounds within the city, and shall require the same to be kept open, in repair and free from nuisances.” Section 4475.
“The mayor and council shall have power by ordinance to provide for grading or repairing of any street or public way, construction, renewal or repair of bridges, culverts and sewers.” Section 4523.
The judgment of the district court is reversed and the cause dismissed.
Reversed and dismissed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Omaha, Lincoln & Beatrice Railway Company v. City of Lincoln
- Status
- Published