Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis v. Millvale Borough
Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis v. Millvale Borough
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
It appears from the defendant’s testimony that Ever
The appellants endeavored to show before the viewers that the road had not been dedicated to a width of fifty feet, and the action by the Borough of Millvale in directing the grading, paving and curbing to the width of fifty feet affected a change of the lines of this street and caused a widening of the street along appellants’ property. There is nothing in this record to show how the viewers regarded the appellants’ claim but it was stated at the argument they refused to consider it. We/lo not know whether this was from insufficient evidence or lack of authority in the board of viewers to consider the question. The appellants, believing the borough had entered on their property under color of authority emanating from what they termed was a change of lines occasioned by the grading ordinance, had viewers appointed under the Act of May 24, 1878, P. L. 129. The appellee immediately moved to vacate this appointment, stating “That all work, including the grading, paving and curbing and alleged change of lines of said street was done under the ordinance aforesaid, and that said ordinance is the sole ordinance or resolution of said borough authorizing the said improvement as the same has been made and com
It will be observed that the present proceeding is under the Act of May 26, 1891, P. L. 117, which provides “That in all cases of assessment of damages for the opening or widening of any street or highway, the award of damages, if any, shall include all damages due to the grade at which said street or highway is to be opened or widened.” If the street was dedicated as a fifty-foot street, or if the borough, by lawful authority, widened it and the grade was subsequently changed, followed by an ordinance for curbing and paving, we apprehend thát a proceeding under the Act of 1891 would include all elements of damages arising under the several actions of the municipality. In Deer v. Sheraden Boro., 220 Pa. 307, speaking of the Act of 1891, the Supreme Court said: “It provides comprehensively for proceedings in
If the street was dedicated as a fifty-foot street and a part of it was used, from end to end, such user would draw to it the right to use the entire street to its full width without any interference from the Act of 1889 (Hileman v. Hollidaysburg Boro., 47 Pa. Superior Ct. 41; State Road, 236 Pa. 141-145) and the authority to open comes from the dedication, accepted in part by user, but for the whole width. The appellants claim the borough had no authority, statutory or otherwise, to
The property of the appellants, as it faces on Evergreen avenue, is hillside. On it the sidewalk was not entirely graded to conform tp the street grade, but was sloped by a one and one-half to one slope to keep up the roadway into the property. The ordinance provided for grading the full width, fifty feet. It is urged there can be no recovery for benefits until the work is completed according to the ordinance. When the petition to the borough council for the grading, paving and curbing was
The fifth assignment of error complains of the admission in evidence of that part of the report of viewers confirmed by the court in relation to the benefits assessed. The Act of 1903 provides that the report of viewers as confirmed shall be prima facie evidence of the benefits assessed. Inasmuch as this case must be retried, we suggest that the evidence be limited to that specified in the act of assembly. The evidence offered included the statement “no assessment of damages special and apart from special benefits have been allowed”; this should not have been read to the jury. It was a statement of the conclusion of the jury of view on the question then being tried before the court not required by .the act of assembly. The amount of the award was evidence, but not the matters considered or not considered in arriving at it. We would not, however, reverse on this account, as the counsel for the appellants did not specifically object to it.
The judgment is reversed and a venire facias de novo awarded.
Reference
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- Road law- — Widening—Grading and paving — Damages—Benefits —Width of street — Report of viewers — Noncompletion of work. Where a borough ordinance provided for the grading, paving and curbing of a street which had been dedicated by a plan of lots, and the plans for the improvement are made and carried out on the assumption that the street was fifty feet in width, and a jury of view appointed under the Act of May 26, 1891, P. L. 117, assessed benefits from which assessment an appeal was taken, it is reversible error, for the court at the trial of the appeal, to refuse to admit evidence that the street was in fact less than fifty feet in width, that it had been widened in the improvement, and that land had been taken by the borough, if it appears that the plaintiff in the appeal had filed a petition for the appointment of viewers to assess damages for the widening of the street, and that proceedings under this petition had been vacated at the instance of the borough on the ground that the plaintiff had claimed damages before the first viewers, and that all matters in controversy were before the court upon the appeal from the assessment of such viewers. Such action of the borough estops it, on the trial of the appeals, from objecting that the owner had not pursued his action at law for damages for the taking of his land. The widening of the street.is not an usual and necessary incident in curbing, grading and paving where the land taken is used for travel. Where additional land is necessary outside of the street lines to sustain the slope or. embankments, such taking may be incident to the grading, but this is not the case where the land taken is used for actual foot travel. On the trial of an appeal from the report of a jury of view assessing benefits for grading, paving and curbing a street, the property owner cannct defend that there was not a substantial performance of the work inasmuch as the grading was not completed, if it appears that the work was not completed at the request of the landowner who feared that it would interfere with a driveway and cause it to slip down. On the trial of an appeal from a report of viewers assessing benefits for grading, paving and curbing a street, only that portion of the report of viewers should be admitted which refers to benefits assessed. It is improper to admit in evidence a portion of the report which states that “no assessment of damages special and apart for special benefits have been allowed.’’ Such a statement is a conclusion of the jury of view on the question being tried on the appeal, and is not required by the act of assembly.