Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad v. Johnson
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad v. Johnson
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The court is of opinion that the order of the County Court appointing commissioners to ascertain what ■would be a just compensation to the plaintiff in error for establishing the road across the strip of ground owned by it was not a final order, and that the appeal therefrom to the Circuit Court was improvidently awarded, and should have been dismissed. RTothing was decided by that order, and the rights of the parties were in no way impaired or affected thereby. On the contrary, the opinion of the court was expressly reserved on the face of the order until it could ascertain, through the commissioners thereby appointed, what would be a just compensation to the plaintiff in error. Non constat but that, when such information was had, the court would decline to establish the road and dismiss the proceeding,
Section 3453 of the Code provides that any person who thinks himself aggrieved by an order in a controversy concerning a roadway, may, in a county court, during the term at which such order is made, appeal therefrom of right. This section, when read in connection with the general law touching appeals found in section 3454, leaves, we think, no room to doubt that the order mentioned in section 3453 from which there may be an appeal of right is a final order. If, as contended, it meant that there could be an appeal of right from any order made by the county court in a controversy concerning a roadway, then every order, however inconsequential, that was made, from the inception of the proceeding to the end, could be appealed from, thereby prolonging the controversy indefinitely.
Inasmuch as the action of the Circuit Court secures the same result that would have been accomplished by dismissing the appeal, that order will not be disturbed, and the appeal to this court will be dismissed as improvidently awarded.
Dismissed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Co. v. Johnson and Others
- Cited By
- 9 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Appeal and Error—Roadways—Final Ord&rs—Oo'de, Seo. 3453.—An order of a county court appointing commissioners to ascertain what would he a just compensation for land proposed to be taken for a public road is not a final order, and no appeal lies from it. Section 3453 of the Code, which gives an appeal of right to any person who thinks himself aggrieved by an order in a controversy concerning a roadway, refers to a final order. Jeter v. Board, 27 Gratt. 920 criticised. 2. Appeal and Error—Roadioay—Remanding Cause—Dismissal.—On an appeal from a county court to a circuit court, in a .road ease, an order of the circuit court which, without deciding any question in the cause, remands it to the county court for further proceedings, has the same effect as a dismissal of the appeal.