Stamnes v. Milwaukee & State Line Railway Co.
Stamnes v. Milwaukee & State Line Railway Co.
Opinion of the Court
The following opinion was filed October 9, 1906:
Counsel for appellant seems to concede, as the fact is, that the mortgage security could not be really im
Two brandies of appellant’s argument, viz.: that the award is excessive and that the evidence of the mortgagor’s declaration and tbe contract made with him before the commencement of the condemnation proceedings should have been admitted in evidence in order to bar any greater recovery as to him than $1,250, or at least to affect the amount of his recovery, are based on the theory that the mortgagee’s interest could not be impaired so long as there was ample value left to secure him after the taking, if no larger sum was allowed as compensation therefor than the sum Stamnes had indicated would satisfy him. ETo authorities are cited to our attention to sustain either proposition. There are two seemingly conclusive answers to them. There could be, as we have before indicated, but one award. That was required to cover the whole value of the land to be occupied and the entire damages to the land not taken. It was not competent to make an award of one sum in favor of the mortgagee and another in favor of the mortgagor. The award as to the mortgagee was to take the place of the land taken, constructively or actually. The mortgagee had a contract right to the full benefit of the value covered by his. mortgage till the mortgage indebtedness should be paid. ETo part of it could be legitimately taken from him without substituting therefor an equivalent. It was competent for him to stipulate for any amount of security he saw fit, and what he obtained it was not competent for the court to- diminish without substituting the just compensation therefor contemplated by the constitution.
The contract made with the mortgagor before the condemnation proceedings were commenced, it seems, was, as respondent claims, a mere option agreement which appellant elected to abandon by commencing the condemnation proceedings. So, in any event, when such contract was offered in evidence as a
The law is familiar that the admissions of one of several persons jointly interested may be given in evidence as. against all. That relates to situations where the one making the admission has a right to speak in some respects as agent for all. It does not apply to cases where there is a mere community of interest, or to situations where the one making the admission has no right whatever to speak for the others subsequently joined with him, as plaintiffs or defendants, in litigation respecting the subject involved. In those situations the admission is only admissible as evidence against the one making it. 1 Jones, Ev. § 254; The New Orleans, 106 U. S. 13, 1 Sup. Ct. 90; Slaymaker v. Gundacker's Ex’rs, 10 Serg. & R. 75; Lane v. Doty, 4 Barb. 530, 536; McMillan v. McDill, 110 Ill. 47; Hammon v. Huntley, 4 Cow. 493.
It would seem to be the logical result of the rule stated that where the admission, as here, sought to be established could not affect the right of the person making it without affecting the rights of others joined with him in the litigation it is not admissible at all, and such is the holding in the federal case cited and in McMillan v. McDill, supra. In the former in proceedings to determine for joint owners of a vessel damages caused thereto by another vessel, evidence of one of'the owners given in another action was excluded, because not admissible as to the co-owners. In the latter case the subject is discussed at considerable length, it being stated as a general rule that where evidence of the declarations of one of several parties on the same side in litigation could only affect legitimately, in any event, himself and could not affect him without affecting his coparties it is not admissible. The reasoning of the court seems to cover fully the proposition before us. The court said:
“It was incompetent as against the other defendants, and as it could not affect the issue without affecting the other defendants it was in our judgment incompetent to go to the jury*91 on the issue involved. ... If this was a case where a judgment could be rendered against one of the defendants without affecting the rights of the others there might be some ground' for admitting in evidence the declarations as against the defendant who made them; but such is not the case. . . . Testimony which defeats one defendant — one devisee — defeats all, and a judgment against one necessarily defeats all. ... If the admissions here could have gone to the jury and affected the rights of none but the one making them no error would' have been committed, but such is not the case.”
To the same effect is Phelps v. Hartwell, 1 Mass. 71, cited by the court in the opinion with numerous other authorities.
The foregoing covers all the matters presented for consideration by appellant. We have given particular attention to' the claim that the damages awarded are excessive. It seems that such claim is based wholly on the ideas above disapproved that the interest of the mortgagor and that of the mortgagee-are severable; that the former was willing to take $1,250 for-all injury as to him by appellant’s exercise of the right of eminent domain, and that so long as there was security enough’ left after the taking to satisfy the mortgage, the security was not impaired. It is not claimed but what there was evidence-produced by the respondent mortgagee to sustain as large an-award as that made. It follows that the judgment of the-lower court must be affirmed.
By the Gourt. — So ordered.
070rehearing
The appellant moved for a rehearing, which, on December-é, 1906, was granted as to these propositions:
“The agreement with Stamnes being a valid contract made-after the commencement of the condemnation proceedings:
“First, was .it necessarily waived by prosecution of such-proceedings ?
“Second, if not so waived, was the agreement inadmissible-in evidence for reasons stated in the opinion, but without-prejudice to appellant’s seeking a remedy for being compelled'' to pay for the right of way more than Stamnes agreed to take-*92 therefor, through subrogation to the rights of the mortgagee to the amount of the excess V’
The cause was re-argued upon the above questions on February 19, 1907.
Edwa/rd M. Hyzer, for the appellant.
Eor the respondent there was a brief by Gittins ■& Burgess3 .■and oral argument by B. E. Gittins.
The following opinion was filed March 19,1907:
Upon the former hearing it was held that the right-of-way agreement was an option which appellant elected to abandon by commencing the condemnation proceedings. That was assigned as one of the reasons for the conclusion that the agreement was not admissible in evidence. In reaching such conclusion it was assumed that the condemnation proceedings were initiated after the agreement was obtained, whereas they were commenced prior thereto'. It is now argued on behalf of respondents that whether they were commenced before or after the agreement was made, the pursuit thereof thereafter constituted an election to thereby acquire the right of way and to abandon the option.
It may be that the pursuit of the condemnation proceedings, in view of the peculiar situation, might be regarded as less persuasive of an election to wholly abandon the option agreement, since it was in fact obtained during their pendency, than would be the case if such proceedings were commenced subsequent thereto, but we do not deem it necessary to discuss or decide the question.
It is Hie opinion of the court that the mere circumstance of appellant going on as it did with the condemnation proceedings, since it is plain that the mortgagee had a right to have an award made independently of the agreement with the mortgagor and insisted upon such right, did not necessarily constitute an election to waive all the rights as against the latter under the agreement. Whether there was such a waiver or
In short, it is the opinion of the court that whether all rights under the option agreement were waived by appellant was not necessarily involved in the trial resulting in the award complained of, and should not be determined upon this appeal, from the mere circumstance of its having pursued the condemnation proceedings after obtaining such agreement, concluding it from seeking such remedy as the law may afford against Stamnes or the property affected by the mortgage if it shall turn out that appellant preserved as against him some rights, legal or equitable, under such agreement. Whether appellant made an election fatal to its claiming any such rights, -and if it did not what its remedy is to vindicate such rights, are matters not necessary or perhaps proper here to decide. The agreement was properly rejected when offered as evidence, entirely irrespective of whether it was still subsisting for some purpose.
By the Court — That part of tbe former decision in rela•tion to tbe option agreement having been abandoned by tbe appellant is withdrawn, but otherwise such decision is adhered to. No costs will be allowed on tbe rehearing to either ‘party.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Stamnes and others v. Milwaukee & State Line Railway Company
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- Published