Clayton v. Minnesota, D. & P. Ry. Co.
Clayton v. Minnesota, D. & P. Ry. Co.
Opinion of the Court
This action was'brought to. recover damages which plaintiffs claimed to have .suffered owing to1 the following facts: Defendant constructed a line of railway entering the city of Leola from the east and running in a westerly direction, crossing said city. Among the blocks crossed by the right of way of defendant company was block “i,” and the plaintiffs were the owners of the southeast lot of said block; it being a lot 25 feet in width, and such lot extending east and west, the east end abutting Sherman street and the west end abutting an alley. Both the street and alley were closed by the defendant company without any authority, on their part so to do, and by such closing egress from this lot to the north was entirely cut off. The business portion of the town lay immediately south of the blocks crossed by the line of defendant. Plaintiffs, in their
When plaintiffs rested their case, the defense asked for a directed verdict, and again when all the evidence was in. This was refused, and defendant assigns such refusal as error. We do not deem it necessary to pass upon these rulings, for reasons hereinafter ¡set forth.
The appellant contends that the court erred in giving the following instructions to the jury: “Now, any person or corporation is as a matter of law liable to any person for damages they do his property, and if you find that these defendants have damaged this plaintiff’s property to1 any extent by reason of the facts in this case, it would be your duty to ascertain the amount of.that damage, and render a verdict for the plaintiff and against the defendants in such sum as you may find the damage to be.” “I think the damage in this case, if any, is practically 'simmered down to the question of ‘Did or did not the defendants by their acts decrease the market value of plaintiff’s property?’ If you find for the plaintiff at all, the question would be, ‘Did the defendants by their acts 'decrease the market value of hi-s property?’ If you find that they increased the value of his property, then, of course, your judgment would have to be for the defendant in airy event, whether or not the injury was claimed to be special or general.”
Respondents have cited numerous authorities in -support of this contention, and appellant has cited authorities which it is claimed show that respondents have no right to recover for any damages whatever growing out of the closing of the street and alley; We are not called upon to determine this question, as we would have been if the instructions had limited the jury to- the consideration of this one matter in fixing the amount of damages. There being many other facts which -may have influenced the jury in reaching its verdict, which facts, under such instructions, the jury were at liberty to -consider, the verdict and judgment rendered thereon cannot stand.
The judgment and order denying a new' trial are reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- CLAYTON v. MINNESOTA, D. & P. RY. CO.
- Status
- Published