Adams v. Beach — 6 Hill & Den. 271

Majority

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Adams vs. Beach and Start.

Headnote

1 l action by one claiming the right to take toll under an act of the legislature, defendant may show that the franchise has been repealed or surrendered, or ¡ t it has expired by its own limitation; but not that the plaintiff has forfeited it. J islative act, after acknowledging the state to be indebted to an individual on ! mint of moneys advanced by him in building a public bridge, directed the i to be ascertained and reported, together with interest, and then granted the privilege of taking toll at the bridge until he should thus be reimbursed amount; at the same time requiring him to make annual returns of the toll eceived. Held, that the franchise did not expire on his being reimbursed imount reported, but that he was entitled to the interest accruing subseitly, though the act was silent in relation to it.

Bi )N, J. dissented, holding that, as the act did not provide for subsequent in. ! t, no right to it existed, and that the franchise expired on the amount re- | d being reimbursed by the toll.

A j erected by an individual across a highway, under an act of the legislature i rizing him to take toll for a limited period, becomes a public nuisance after tie" franchise has expired, which any One may abate. Semble.

Though the plaintiff in a justice’s court give evidence of title to lands, the justice is not bound to dismiss the cause unless such title be disputed by the defendant.

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Error to the Onondaga C. P. Beach and Start sued Adams before a justice-, and declared in trespass for tearing down a tollgate. On the trial it was proved that in July, 1842, the defendant was passing with his team, the gate being shut, and the keeper refused to open it without receiving toll. The defendant thereupon opened the gate himself, tore it down, and passed on with his team. It was a gate at the bridge mentioned in the act of March 17th, 1825, entitled •11 An act to authorize James L. Yoorhees to receive toll for passing a bridge across the Seneca river, in the comity of Onondaga.” (Stat. 1825, p. 54.) The defence was, that the right to keep up the gate and take toll had ceased by the payment of the sum provided for by the act. By the 3d section of the act, commissioners were appointed to ascertain and certify the amount paid by Yoorhees for the erection of the bridge, and for the right of the Westmoreland and Sodus Bay Turnpike Company thereto, with interest, and file their certificate within six months. And Yoorhees was authorized to erect a toll-gate at or near the bridge, and to take certain toll for the use of the bridge. (§1.) But the act was not to continue in force after the owner of the bridge had received for toll such sum as the said J. L. Y. had “ paid for erecting said bridge, and for the right of the turnpike company thereto, (over and above the repairs necessary to be made, and actually made from túne to time, and over and above the sum of fifty dollars per annum for collecting toll,) which sum, so paid by said J. L. V. for the erection of the said bridge, and for the right of the turnpike company thereto,” was to be ascertained by the commissioners. (§ 2.) The commissioners filed their certificate on the 16th of September, 1825, fixing the sum at $782,03. The amounts collected for toll, and paid for repairs, together with the annual allowance for collecting the toll, were ascertained pursuant to the the fourth section of the act. If Yoorhees was not entitled to interest on the sum fixed by the commissioners, the right to take toll had ceased nearly two years before the gate was torn down; but if he was entitled to interest, then the right to take toll still continued. Yoorhees

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conveyed all his interest in the bridge and the adjoining premises to the plaintiffs, in January, 1842, by quit-claim deed, for the consideration of $100; and the plaintiffs produced the deed in evidence on the trial. Verdict and judgment for the plaintiffs. The judgment was affirmed on certiorari by the C. P.; whereupon the defendant brought error to this court.

J. R. Lawrence, for the plaintiff in error.

Parker & Brosnan, for the defendants in error.

Although the defendant could not be permitted to set up, in this collateral way, a forfeiture of the franchise by neglect to repair* or upon any other like ground, yet I am inclined to think it was competent for him to show that the grant had expired by its own limitation. He might set up that it had been repealed or surrendered; and why not allow him to show a termination by lapse of time ? Such an opinion was expressed in The People v. The Manhattan Company, ( 9 Wend. 382 ,) and it appears to me to be well founded.

Then did the defendant make out the fact that the franchise had expired ? This depends upon the question, whether the plaintiffs below had been reimbursed for their expenses in building the bridge &c., to the extent contemplated by the act of 1825. The privilege was to continue until the owners had received the amount paid, for erecting the bridge and for the right of the turnpike company, over and above necessary repairs, and fifty dollars per annum for collecting the toll. (Sess. Laws of 1825, p. 54, § 2.) The sum originally paid for the bridge and for the right of the turnpike company, was to be ascertained by certain commissioners, who were to certify the same, with interest, and file their certificate within six months (Id. § 3.)

It is true, the interest here referred to is that which accrued before the report of the commissioners; but the provision

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proves that the legislature contemplated the allowance of interest on these outlays.

An argument against the allowance of interest was drawn by counsel from the language of the fourth section, which requires an affidavit to be made and filed in each year by the owners of the bridge, stating the true amount of toll received «fee., “ until this shall amount to the sum reported and certified by the commissioners,” <fec. I cannot believe, however, that this mere reference to the amount found due by the commissioners for actual expenditure, was intended to exclude the incidental right of the owners to interest on the annual balances unpaid by the application of the nett toll. It appears to me that, to give the section the construction contended for, would be placing too much stress upon mere words, without sufficiently regarding the substance and meaning of the arrangement. The amount of $782,03, reported by the commissioners, was money advanced by the plaintiffs below, or those under whom they claim, for the benefit of the public, and was acknowledged by the legislature as a debt or demand justly due at the time the act was passed. Under a provision for the payment of a debt of this nature, at a future day, by instalments, it seems to me the right to interest follows of course, unless specially excluded. The returns to be made by the owners pursuant to the fourth section of the act, of the amount of toll and of expenditure for repairs, furnish the means for strildng a balance once in each year, and of fixing the amount remaining due and unpaid. The interest on these balances should, I think, be allowed.

It was contended that the justice should have dismissed the suit, on the ground that the title to land was in question upon the plaintiffs’ own showing; they having given in evidence a conveyance of the bridge and adjoining premises, from Voorhees, to whom the franchise was granted. The statute provides that, if it shall appear on the trial, from the plaintiff’s own showing, that the title to lands is in question, which title shall be disputed by the defendant, the justice shall dismiss the cause, Spc. (2 R. S. 168, § 63.) The answer to the objection taken therefore is, that the title to the land was not in any man

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ner disputed by the defendant on the trial, so far as we can ascertain from the record.^[1]

I think the' decision of the common pleas was right, and that their judgment ought to be affirmed.

Cowen, J., concurred.

If the right of Yoorhees and his assigns to

take toll had ceased before the alleged trespass, the gate which the plaintiffs kept up across the public highway was a nuisance, which the defendant might abate without subjecting himself to an action. This is hot denied; and the only question is, whether the plaintiffs are entitled to interest, as well as the principal sum ascertained by the commissioners. The principal sum had been collected nearly two years before the gate was torn down; but if the claim to interest can be maintained, the plaintiffs have not yet been fully paid, and the right to take toll still continues.

It may be gathered from the statute that the bridge had been erected by Yoorhees before the law was passed, and that he had also purchased the right of the Westmoreland and Sodus Bay Turnpike Company to the bridge. What that right was does not appear. But it is not alleged that there was any right in Yoorhees, or in any one else, to demand toll before this statute was passed. Still it seems to have been understood that Yoorhees had rendered a valuable service to the public in erecting the bridge, and purchasing the rights of the turnpike company ; and the legislature granted to him the franchise of demanding toll, until he should be reimbursed the sum which he had thus expended. The words limiting the duration of the grant are, “ that this act shall not continue in force after the owner or owners of said bridge shall receive as toll for crossing the same, such sum as the said James L. Yoorhees has paid for erecting said bridge, and for the right of the Westmoreland and

(a) (a) See Koon v. Mazuzan, (ante, p. 44.)

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Sodus Bay turnpike company thereto,” (over and above repairs and expenses of collection;) “ which sum, so paid by the said James L. Yoorhees for the erection of the said bridge, and for the right of the” turnpike company, “ shall be ascertained by commissioners &c.” (§2.) The next section names the commissioners, who were to ascertain and certify “ as well the amount paid by said James L. Yoorhees for the erection of said bridge, as for the right” of the turnpike company thereto, “ with interest.” That sum the commissioners.settled at $>782,03, and filed their certificate in September, 1825. If the grant to Yoorhees was not wholly gratuitous—if it was right that he should be reimbursed the money which he had expended—it would seem to be equally proper that he should have interest on the . amount which should from time to time remain unpaid. But while the legislature was careful to say that the commissioners should allow interest in ascertaining the sum to be certified, they seem to have been equally careful not to say any thing about interest on the sum to be thus ascertained by the commissioners. The right to take toll was not to continue after the owner had received “ such sum as the said James L. Yoorhees has paid /” and the commissioners were to ascertain “ the amount paid by said James L. Yoorhees.” I do not see how interest can be allowed on the principal sum. It was for the legislature in granting the franchise to determine how large they would make it; and as they have not provided for interest, I think the claim to it cannot be maintained. If the provision had been that toll might be taken until Yoorhees should be indemnified, then, perhaps, interest might be allowed; but the act is not open to any such equitable construction.

The charters of many of our turnpike and bridge corporations provide, that the franchise shall continue until the principal sum to be expended shall be repaid, with interest, at a certain rate per cent. If the same thing had been intended in this case, it is but reasonable to suppose that similar language would have been employed.

We are referred to cases where interest has been allowed between party and party for money paid, and the like. But they

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do not appear to be applicable to this case. We 'are not here dealing with equities as between party and party, hut with a legislative .grant; and the question is, how much has been granted. If Voorhees or his assigns have not got so much as they ought in justice to have, they must, I think, apply to the legislature for a larger franchise. We have nothing to do with the supposed equity of the claim.

I think the judgment is erroneous and that it should be reversed.

Judgment affirmed.