Pennsylvania Railroad v. Edgewood Borough
Pennsylvania Railroad v. Edgewood Borough
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
It is immaterial in the decision of this casé whether the conveyance from Kelly vested in the railroad company a fee simple estate, a base or qualified fee, or a mere easement. When the borough by virtue of the power of eminent domain appropriated the strip of land in question for use as a public street, it acquired every right and assumed every burden, enjoyed or borne by a municipality in the appropriation of land for street purposes from a private owner. The fact that the railroad company ivas the owner in no way differentiates the case in principle from that of an individual owner of land so appropriated. If Kelly had conveyed to an individual, and not to a corporation, and the borough had appropriated the land of the individual for street purposes, as it has that of a corporation in this instance, the question of what character of title the individual held could not be raised for the purpose of casting on the owner of the land the duty of caring for a natural water course through, under or over the public streets.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.