Vélez v. Guánica Centrale
Vélez v. Guánica Centrale
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
José Ramón Vélez Gastambide and his wife brought an action of denial of servitude against Guánica Céntrale in the District Court of Mayagiiez. The defendant answered denying all and each of the allegations of the complaint. Successors of Bianchi, a partnership interested in the suit, intervened by leave of the court. The case was tried and on the result of the pleadings and the evidence the court rendered judgment dismissing the complaint. The present appeal was taken from that judgment by the plaintiffs who, at the same time, prosecuted another appeal from the final order of the district court regarding the payment of the costs and attorney tees.
The plaintiffs based their complaint on the following allegations: That they are the owners of the two rural properties described, situated in the wards of Cidra and .Espino of the municipal district of Añasco; that the defendant, a corporation engaged in the manufacture of cane sugar, has ■constructed a railroad track within the properties of the plain
“That the plaintiffs have not granted any title of servitude to the defendant, or to any of the tenements adjoining their properties, or to any of the lands included therein, and have never agreed to the establishment or continuation of a presumed servitude, nor received any compensation from the defendant or from any other person, natural or artificial, by way of indemnity, nor - renounced in any manner the absolute ownership of their lands over which the said railroad passes.”
Defendant Guanina Céntrale is the lessee of the Successors of Bianchi. The latter alleged that they were the owners of the railroad from Añasco to Altosano which actually passes through the properties of the plaintiffs, and that the consent of the plaintiffs, both to the laying of the track and the construction of the said 'bridge, was asked for and obtained.
The evidence showed that the railroad from Añasco to Altosano was built before the time of the San Ciriaco hurricane; that the hurricane destroyed a bridge which existed over the TIumetas River; that in planning its reconstruction Engineer Skerret was of the opinion that it should be built elsewere; that it was so decided and as the new site called for the use of land belonging to plaintiff José Ramón Vélez Gastambide, the Successors of Bianchi asked for and obtained his consent thereto.
As to the manner in which the consent was given, the evidence is somewhat conflicting. Plaintiff José Ramón Gaz-tambide testified “that the Bianchis asked him to allow them to lay the track there, but he did not know how long it was to be used; that it was a mere matter of tolerance on his part; that there was no contract between them, and that he did not promise to pass any title of servitude, or of sale, or of anything. * * ” Later, after a long cross-examination by the attorney for the defendant, the witness concluded by saying
' So, taking into consideration the pleadings) and the evidence, we are of the opinion that the district court was fully justified in dismissing the complaint. At least we must agree
This court considered the question at length in the case of Torres et al v. Plazuela Sugar Co. 24 P. R. R. 451. It was there held that the said doctrine did not apply because the defendant corporation was not a public-service corporation and because the plaintiff had received no benefit or compensation, the following’ jurisprudence being established:
“When there is no lawful consideration for a servitude of right of way and the owner of the servient tenement has received no benefit therefrom, the fact that he has consented .thereto does not imply that he has forever renounced his absolute ownership.”
In the present case the owner of the land was given compensation in return for permission to lay the track and construct the bridge and he has benefited by such compensation.
The element of time should be considered also in this case as well as the permanent nature of the improvement. For more than ten years, the said track and the bridge have been where they now are, and the testimony of plaintiff Vélez Gaz-tambide that the bridge measures from sixty to seventy meters and was built at a place selected by the engineer as a suitable one for protection against floods, which had destroyed a former bridge located elsewhere, shows., that the work was of a permanent and not of a temporary character.
As to the allowance in the judgment of the costs and attorney fees, we are of the opinion that it should be reversed.. This is a doubtful point, especially in view of the case of Torres v. Plazuela, supra, and this complaint was filed months; after the decision of that ease.
Judgment should be rendered without special imposition of costs, and this being the case, the holding that the plaintiffs should pay the defendant’s attorneys' the sum of $150 is set aside.
In view of the foregoing the judgment appealed from should be affirmed except as to the pronouncement regarding
Affirmed in part.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.