French v. Chapin-Sacks Manufacturing Co.
French v. Chapin-Sacks Manufacturing Co.
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
In February, 1913, appellants (who are lower riparian proprietors of lands on a small creek known as “Elk Run,” near the town of Woodstock, Shenandoah county, Virginia) filed their hill in equity in the circuit court for an injunction against appellees on the following allegations: That the farm of GL
Defendant answered denying that its business was in any sense a nuisance, or polluted the waters of the stream, but on the contrary that it was a great benefit to the community at large. In short, it controverted all material allegations of the bill, and showed that the alleged contamination of the creek might reasonably be traced to the fact that the waste matter and sewage from the town of Woodstock drained into it.
At the November term, 1914, the court heard the case on the pleadings and evidence and made the following findings of fact:
“1. That the defendant does discharge into the stream or little run which passes through the premises of the complainants about 75,000 gallons of water drawn from a well.
“2. That during certain hours of the day the water so discharged is discolored by milk, but which does not contain any deleterious substances.
*120 “3. That near the plant the temperature of the water is perceptibly affected, but before it reaches the complainant’s premises the temperature becomes near that of the air.
“4. That no odor arising from the stream is proven to be due to any matter discharged into it by the defendant company, but is abundantly accounted for from other sources.
“5. All the conditions complained of by complainants are intensified by the dam or obstructions placed or permitted in said run immediately in front of the house on the premises by complainants, and could readily be removed by piping so far as the house is concerned, but to which piping by the defendant, the complainants will not consent.
“6. An unnecessary amount of oil is permitted by defendant to escape from its plant into the run, which by proper safeguards can be prevented. In regard to the oil the court gives the defendant until the first day of the next term to correct the arrangements in the plant for its disposition.
“The evidence discloses no reason why cattle or horses or other animals should not use the water, even during the hours of the day when the milk washed from the cans is flowing through the run, unless the oil should be distasteful to them, because of anything the defendant discharges into it.
“The evidence also discloses that, except for a short distance above the creamery, the so-called run is a wet-weather drain, and that all the other drains permeating the town converge before reaching the complainant’s premises, or on the same, and it is probable that the run passing through the complainant’s property does emit odors and become foul, but the evidence does not disclose any reason for the discharge from the creamery having any such effect.”
The injunction prayed for was, therefore, refused, except with respect to the discharge of oil into the run, action in regard to which was suspended until the next term to give the defendant opportunity to correct it.
Counsel for appellee insisted that the decree was not appealable, resting his contention on section 3338-a, 3 Pollard’s Code, p. 450. That section provides that, “When a circuit or corporation court, or a judge thereof, shall refuse to award an injunction or having awarded a temporary injunction, dissolves or refuses to enlarge the same, a copy of the proceedings in court, and the original papers presented to the judge in vacation, with any orders entered in the proceedings, may be presented to a judge of the Court of Appeals, who may thereupon either award an injunction, or reinstate the injunction dissolved, or enlarge the injunction.”
There is nothing in the language of section 3338-a to warrant the construction contended for. On the contrary, it was plainly not the purpose of the legislature, by implication, to engraft such an amendment on the general statute providing for appeals, writs of error and supersedeas found in section 3454. The right of appeal from a final decree, or from a decree adjudicating the principles of the cause, is the same in a case for equitable relief by injunction as in other equity cases.
We find no error in the decree appealed from, and it must be affirmed.
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- French and Others v. Chapin-Sacks Manufacturing Co., Inc.
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Nuisance—Burden of Proof—Case in Judgment.—On a bill filed to enjoin a nuisance, the burden is upon the complainant to malee out his case by a preponderance of the evidence, which burden has not been sustained by the complainant in the case in judgment. 2. Appeal and Ebbob—Injunctions—Code, Sections 3454 and 3338a.—The right of appeal given by section 3454 of the Code from a final decree, or from a decree adjudicating the principles of a cause, is the same in a case for equitable relief by injunction as in other equity cases, and this right is not taken away by section 3338a of volume 3, Pollard’s Code.