City of New York v. Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway Co.

Majority

p. 485

City of New York, Respondent, v. Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway Company, Appellant.

Argued March 9, 1938;

decided April 12, 1938.

p. 486

William D. Whitney, John F. Harding and Harold R. Medina, Jr., for appellant.

The city has no sufficient proprietary interest in the street to entitle it to maintain an action for trespass. (Edwards v. Noyes, 65 N. Y. 125 ; Miller v. Long Island R. R. Co., 71 N. Y. 380 ; Adams v. Warner, 209 App. Div. 394 ; People v. Kerr, 27 N. Y. 188 ; Driggs v. Phillips, 103 N. Y. 77 ; St. Vincent Orphan Asylum v. City of Troy, 76 N. Y. 108 ; City of New York v. Rice, 198 N. Y. 124 ; Waterloo Water Co. v. Village of Waterloo, 200 App. Div. 718 ; Lincoln Safe Deposit Co. v. City of New York, 210 N. Y. 34 ; Beekman v. Third Avenue R. R. Co., 153 N. Y. 144 ; Village of Oxford v. Willoughby, 181 N. Y. 155 ; Village of Haverstraw v. Eckerson, 192 N. Y. 54 ; Acme Realty Co. v. Schinasi, 215 N. Y. 495 ; D., L. & W. R. R. Co. v. City of Buffalo, 158 N. Y. 266 .)

William C. Chanler, Corporation Counsel (Paxton Blair, Arthur A. Segall and Alan M. Stroock of counsel), for respondent.

Whatever may be the extent of the city’s

p. 487

title to its streets, it is adequate to sanction the pursuit of remedies calculated to make more effective their dedication to the public use. An action of trespass against persons interfering with the public’s user may, therefore, be maintained. (County of Wayne v. Miller, 31 Mich. 447 ; Walnut & Quince Corp. v. Miller, 303 Penn. St. 25 ; People ex rel. Abraham v. Perley, 67 Misc. Rep. 471 ; 143 App. Div. 915 ; 202 N. Y. 620 ; Bradley v. Degnon Contracting Co., 224 N. Y. 60 ; Mott v. Eno, 181 N. Y. 346 ; Appleton v. City of New York, 219 N. Y. 150 ; Hoboken Land & Imp. Co. v. Hoboken, 36 N. J. L. 540 ; People ex rel. Metropolitan Street Ry. Co. v. Tax Commrs., 174 N. Y. 417 ; 199 U. S. 1 ; Village of Stillwater v. Hudson Valley Ry. Co., 255 N. Y. 144 ; Mayor v. Ward, 2 Strange, 1238; Mayor v. Swann, 2 Wm. Bl. 1116; Seneca Road Co. v. Auburn & Rochester R. R. Co., 5 Hill, 170 ; City of Cleveland v. Cleveland, Cin., Chic. & St. L. Ry. Co., 93 Fed. Rep. 113 ; City of Chicago v. Wright, 69 Ill. 318 ; Cowper v. Cowper, 2 P. Wms. 720; Paget v. Gee, Ambler 807.) That its officers were not more alert in discovering the trespass and demanding that the defendant vacate, cannot prejudice the city, for the defendant knew its own acts were unlawful. (Village of North Pelham v. Ohliger, 216 App. Div. 728 ; 245 N. Y. 593 .)

The question certified is whether the first cause of action of the third amended complaint states facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. This cause of action alleges that prior to the year 1921, defendant, without obtaining the consent of plaintiff, constructed on Wave street in the borough of Bichmond a spur track and siding connecting with its main line and that without right or authority continued until October 19, 1935, to operate this spur track. The law is settled that under such conditions a municipal corporation may not recover for use and occupation of public highways. (City of New York v. Bee Line, Inc., 271 N. Y. 595 ; City of New York v. Tompkins Bus Corp., 271 N. Y.

p. 488

597 .) The present action is based upon a trespass by defendant. We hold that no essential difference in principle exists on the facts as pleaded between a right to recover for use and occupation of a public highway and for damages for a trespass thereon. In each instance compensation is sought for an illegal act which, during the years, the municipal authorities made no effort to prevent.

The orders so far as appealed from should be reversed, with costs in all courts, and the certified question answered in the negative.

Crane, Ch. J., Lehman, O’Brien, Hubbs, Lohghran, Finch and Rippey, JJ., concur.

Ordered accordingly.

Cases cited

Miller v. Long Island Railroad 71 N. Y. 380 N.Y. 1877-12-11 p. 486
People v. Kerr 27 N. Y. 188 N.Y. p. 486
Driggs v. Phillips 103 N. Y. 77 N.Y. 1886-10-05 p. 486
St. Vincent Female Orphan Asylum v. City of Troy 76 N. Y. 108 N.Y. 1879-01-28 p. 486
City of New York v. Rice 198 N. Y. 124 N.Y. 1910-03-15 p. 486
Lincoln Safe Deposit Co. v. City of New York 210 N. Y. 34 N.Y. 1913-12-16 p. 486
Beekman v. Third Avenue Railroad 153 N. Y. 144 N.Y. 1897-06-08 p. 486
Village of Oxford v. Willoughby 181 N. Y. 155 N.Y. 1905-03-14 p. 486
Village of Haverstraw v. Eckerson 192 N. Y. 54 N.Y. 1908-04-14 p. 486
Acme Realty Co. v. Schinasi 215 N. Y. 495 N.Y. 1915-07-13 p. 486
Delaware v. City of Buffalo 158 N. Y. 266 N.Y. 1899-02-28 p. 486
People ex rel. Abraham v. Perley 67 Misc. Rep. 471 N.Y. Sup. Ct. 1910-04-29 p. 487
Bradley v. Degnon Contracting Co. 224 N. Y. 60 N.Y. 1918-06-11 p. 487
Mott v. Eno 181 N. Y. 346 N.Y. 1905-05-02 p. 487
Appleton v. City of New York 219 N. Y. 150 N.Y. 1916-10-03 p. 487
People ex rel. Metropolitan Street Railway Co. v. State Board of Tax Commissioners 174 N. Y. 417 N.Y. 1903-04-28 p. 487
New York ex rel. Metropolitan Street Railway Co. v. New York State Board of Tax Commissioners 199 U. S. 1 SCOTUS 1905-05-29 p. 487
Village of Stillwater v. Hudson Valley Railway Co. 255 N. Y. 144 N.Y. 1931-01-06 p. 487
O'Mahony v. Fando 245 N. Y. 593 N.Y. 1927-05-31 p. 487
City of New York v. Bee Line, Inc. 271 N. Y. 595 N.Y. 1936-05-19 p. 487