Village of Monroe v. Benjamin — 259 N.Y. 305

Majority

p. 305

Village of Monroe, Respondent, v. Robert Benjamin, Appellant. Village of Monroe, Respondent, v. Henrietta Shearin et al., Appellants.

(Argued May 11, 1932;

decided June 2, 1932.)

p. 306

Philip A. Rorty and Thomas Gagan for appellants.

No absolute title in fee to the lands overflowed could be acquired by the building of the dam or by either of the subsequent raises. (Matter of Brookfield, 176 N. Y. 138 ; Case v. Haight, 3 Wend. 632 ; Howard v. Wadsworth, 3 Greene, 471 ; Bryan v. Idaho Q. M. Co., 73 Cal. 249 ; Brigham v. Ross, 55 Conn. 373 ; Mack v. Bensley, 63 Wis. 80 ; Emery v. Three Rivers, 78 Mich. 438 ; Barber v.

p. 307

Nye, 65 N. Y. 211 ; Erie R. R. Co. v. Steward, 170 N. Y. 172 ; Belings, S. & M. Co. v. Hanger, 160 Vt. 160 ; Goodrich v. Lingley, 1 Gray, 615 ; Jennison v. Walker, 11 Gray, 423 ; Bradley v. Warner, 21 R. I. 36 ; Hammond v. Zehner, 21 N. Y. 118 ; Hall v. Augsburg, 46 N. Y. 622 ; Ely v. State of New York, 199 N. Y. 213 ; Hazelton v. Webster, 20 App. Div. 177 .)

John Bright for respondent.

The exception in the deed of 1803 was of a fee and was not confined to the erection of one dam. In that construction the defendants and their predecessors in title have acquiesced for over 100 years. (French v. Carhart, 1 N. Y. 96 ; Trustees of Brookhaven v. Strong, 60 N. Y. 56 ; Read v. Erie, 97 N. Y. 341 ; McRoberts v. Bergman, 132 N. Y. 73 ; Carthage T. P. Mills v. Village of Carthage, 200 N. Y. 5 ; White v. Knickerbocker Ice Co., 254 N. Y. 152 ; Kingsland v. Mayor, 45 Hun, 198 ; 110 N. Y. 569 .)

Our decision must not be taken as an approval of finding 21 of the trial justice, that Peter Townsend and his successors have the right to flow back and drown the land by the waters of Mombasha lake by reason of a succession of raises in the height of the dam. We leave this question open.

The judgment in each action should be affirmed, with costs.

Pound, Ch. J., Crane, Lehman, Kellogg, O’Brien, Hubbs and Crouch, JJ., concur.

Judgments affirmed.

Cases cited

In re Brookfield 176 N. Y. 138 N.Y. 1903-10-06 p. 306
Case v. Haight 3 Wend. 632 N.Y. p. 306
Bryan v. Idaho Quartz Mining Co. 73 Cal. 249 Cal. 1887-08-30 p. 306
Barber v. Nye 65 N. Y. 211 N.Y. Comm'n App. p. 307
Erie Railroad v. Steward 170 N. Y. 172 N.Y. 1902-03-07 p. 307
Hall v. Augsbury 46 N. Y. 622 N.Y. 1871-12-12 p. 307
Ely v. State 199 N. Y. 213 N.Y. 1910-09-27 p. 307
Hazelton v. Webster 20 App. Div. 177 N.Y. App. Div. 1897-07-29 p. 307
French v. Carhart 1 N. Y. 96 N.Y. p. 307
Trustees of Brookhaven v. Strong 60 N. Y. 56 N.Y. 1875-02-16 p. 307
Read v. Erie Railway Co. 97 N. Y. 341 N.Y. 1884-11-25 p. 307
McRoberts v. Bergman 132 N. Y. 73 N.Y. 1892-03-08 p. 307
White v. Knickerbocker Ice Co. 254 N. Y. 152 N.Y. 1930-07-08 p. 307
Kingsland v. Mayor of New York 110 N. Y. 569 N.Y. 1888-10-26 p. 307