Edwards v. Brownlow
Edwards v. Brownlow
Opinion of the Court
This action arose out of condemnation proceedings to open a street, instituted in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia by the commissioners of the District.
Appellant, Edwards, appeared after the jury had made its findings as to damages and assessments of benefits, and filed exceptions to the verdict on the principal ground that he, the owner of certain land condemned and taken, was not made a party thereto, and “was not served with, process or otherwise given notice of these proceedings.” Upon motion by counsel for the District to confirm the verdict notwithstanding the exceptions, appellant filed a motion, supported by an affidavit, to quash the verdict of the jury. Aside from an indefinite averment that the proceedings were irregular and illegal, the principal ground of the-motion was:
“That the owners of the fee simple of all the land involved were not made parties to this cause, nor served with process or notice as required by the statute and by the order of this court.”
Section 491c of the District Code, under which notice was given and service was attempted to be made, reads as follows;
“The said court shall cause public notice of not less than twenty days to be given of the institution of such proceeding, by advertisement in three daily newspapers published in the District of Columbia, which notice shall warn and require all persons having any interest in the proceeding to appear in court at a day to be named in said notice, and to continue in attendance until the court shall have made its final order ratifying and confirming the award of damages and the assessment of benefits by the jury herein provided for; and in addition to such published notice said court shall cause a copy of said notice to be served by the United States marshal for the District of Columbia, or his deputies, upon such owners of the land to be condemned as can be found by said marshal, or his deputies, within the District of Columbia, and upon the tenants and occupants of the same. The said court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for any person interested in the proceeding who may be under disability.”
The judgment is affirmed, with costs.
Affirmed.
Mr. Justice STAFFORD, of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, sat in the place of Mr. Justice ROBB in the hearing and determination of this appeal.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- EDWARDS v. BROWNLOW
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published