Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_03-cv-06019/USCOURTS-caed-1_03-cv-06019-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 210
Nature of Suit: Land Condemnation
Cause of Action: 40:258(a) Public Buildings &amp; Property: Land Condemnation

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McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

E. ROBERT WRIGHT

BRIAN W. ENOS

Assistant U.S. Attorney

Federal Building, Room 3654

1130 “O” Street

Fresno, California 93721

Telephone: (559) 498-7272

Facsimile: (559) 498-7432

Attorneys for the United States

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, )

)

Plaintiff, )

)

v. )

)

14.02 ACRES OF LAND MORE OR )

LESS IN THE COUNTY OF FRESNO, ) 

et al., )

)

)

)

Defendants. )

)

 )

Case No. CV-F-03-6019 REC/LJO

FINAL JUDGMENT IN EMINENT

DOMAIN

Following: (1) the Court’s June 21, 2004 “Order Denying

United States’ Motion to Strike Affirmative Defenses and Granting

United States’ Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings” and June 23,

2004 Order amending the same, (2) a stipulation to just

compensation between defendants Maxine H. Sawyer, Mark Sawyer,

Harriet Leonard, Charles Sawyer, Andrew Klemm, Bradley Leonard,

Ramon Echeveste and Cecelia Echeveste (the “Group Defendants”)

and plaintiff United States of America (“Plaintiff”), and (3) the

Court’s receipt and analysis of subsequent briefing pursuant to

Case 1:03-cv-06019-REC -LJO Document 138 Filed 10/07/05 Page 1 of 8
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the Court’s August 2, 2005 “Order Requiring Citation to

Authority”, the Court is fully informed and finds:

1. The complaint and declaration of taking were filed on July

29, 2003, and the sum of Five Thousand Eight Hundred Fifty

and No/100 Dollars ($5,850.00) was deposited with the Court

as estimated just compensation for the taking of the

interests condemned in the subject land, as more

particularly defined in said Complaint and Declaration of

Taking.

2. The use for which the subject property is taken and

condemned by Plaintiff is one authorized by law. The

property and its taking are necessary and suited to that

use.

3. All parties interested directly or indirectly in the subject

property have been served with process or by publication, or

have appeared in this action. The property, and all

claimants and parties interested therein, are within the

jurisdiction of this Court, which has the power and

authority to enter this final judgment.

4. At the time of and immediately preceding the filing of the

Complaint and Declaration of Taking, numerous defendants

were entitled to the compensation to be awarded for the

taking of the estate and interests condemned by this action. 

The assumed owners of the various defendants are set forth

in the attached description of the estate taken, legal

description and ownership entities, supplied by Plaintiff,

at Tab A.

Case 1:03-cv-06019-REC -LJO Document 138 Filed 10/07/05 Page 2 of 8
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5. At the time of and immediately preceding the filing of the

Complaint and Declaration of Taking, the subject property

was vested to approximately 73 ownership entities. Based on

information Plaintiff supplied to the Group Defendants in

this case which the Group Defendants have not thus far

disputed, the Group Defendants owned the following ownership

interests in the subject property:

a. Maxine H. Sawyer owned a 1/162 interest in the property

or, expressed in terms of percentages, 0.6173 percent;

b. Mark Sawyer owned a 1/162 interest in the property or,

expressed in terms of percentages, 0.6173 percent;

c. Harriet Leonard owned a 1/162 interest in the property

or, expressed in terms of percentages, 0.6173 percent;

d. Charles Sawyer owned an undetermined ownership interest

in the property;

e. Andrew Klemm owned an undetermined ownership interest

in the property; 

f. Bradley Leonard owned a 1/162 interest in the property

or, expressed in terms of percentages, 0.6173 percent; and

g. Ramon Echeveste and Cecilia Echeveste jointly owned a

1/36 interest in the property or, expressed in terms of

percentages, 2.7777 percent.

6. Group Defendants have not disputed any of the above assumed

ownership interests, nor have they provided evidence

demonstrating that any of the above ownership interests are

inaccurate.

Case 1:03-cv-06019-REC -LJO Document 138 Filed 10/07/05 Page 3 of 8
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7. Plaintiff and the Group Defendants have entered into a

stipulation, memorialized within the parties’ Pretrial

Report and again on the record at a hearing on August 1,

2005, in which the Group Defendants agree that the just

compensation in this case for the entire estate taken is the

sum of Seven Thousand Three Hundred Seventy Four and

32/Hundredths Dollars ($7,374.32.), exclusive of all

interest (except interest that accrued on the registry

deposit), costs, expenses and attorney’s fees, as just

compensation. The Court finds that sum to be full, adequate

and just compensation for the taking of the estates and

interests condemned by the above entitled action, and for

any damages resulting therefrom, in light of the fact that

Plaintiff and the Group Defendants (the only defendants to

appear) agree to this sum in a prior stipulation, and the

fact that the original deposit of the estimated just

compensation in a lesser amount, $5,850, was not the subject

of objection by any of the other defendants. The deficiency

between the just compensation set by stipulation of

$7,374.32, and the deposited estimate of compensation of

$5,850, is $1,524.32.

8. The interests condemned in the subject property were more

particularly set forth in the Complaint and Declaration of

Taking filed herein. Said interests are adopted herein by

reference.

9. The subject property, in which the above referenced

interests are condemned, is situated in the County of

Fresno, States of California, and is more particularly

Case 1:03-cv-06019-REC -LJO Document 138 Filed 10/07/05 Page 4 of 8
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described in the mentioned Complaint and Declaration of

Taking. That description is adopted herein by reference.

NOW THEREFORE IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that title

to the interests condemned in this proceeding as to the subject

property vested in the United States of America free and

discharged of all claims and liens of any kind whatsoever upon

the date of the filing of Declaration of Taking in this action

and the depositing of the mentioned sum, and that said interests

condemned are taken for the public use of the United States as

authorized by law.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that for the

taking of the subject property, the just compensation due to the

defendants as a group is the sum of $7,374.32, which the Court

here adopts as a finding. The plaintiff United States has

deposited $5,850 with the Declaration of Taking, and shall

forthwith deposit the deficiency of One Thousand Five Hundred

Twenty Four and 32/Hundredths Dollars ($1,524.32). The Clerk

shall maintain these funds in an interest bearing account for

five years, subject to withdrawals set forth here and in future

orders of the Court.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the Clerk

shall distribute a portion of the sum in the Registry to the

following Group Defendants, after deducting the registry fee, as

follows:

a. $45.52 (Forty Five and 52/Hundredths Dollars) to

Maxine H. Sawyer as 1/162 interest holder, plus 0.6173 percent of

the remaining interest accumulated in the registry account to

date, in a check made payable to:

Case 1:03-cv-06019-REC -LJO Document 138 Filed 10/07/05 Page 5 of 8
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MAXINE H. SAWYER

and mailed to them at this address:

MAXINE H. SAWYER

1026 S. ROGERS LANE

FRESNO, CA 93727

b. $45.52 (Forty Five and 52/Hundredths Dollars) to

Mark Sawyer as 1/162 interest holder, plus 0.6173 percent of the

remaining interest accumulated in the registry account to date,

in a check made payable to:

MARK SAWYER

and mailed to them at this address:

MARK SAWYER

5601 MING AVE., #12

BAKERSFIELD, CA 93309

c. $45.52 (Forty Five and 52/Hundredths Dollars) to

Harriet Leonard as 1/162 interest holder, plus 0.6173 percent of

the remaining interest accumulated in the registry account to

date, in a check made payable to:

HARRIET LEONARD

and mailed to them at this address:

HARRIET LEONARD

107 W. HERBERT AVE.

REEDLEY, CA 93654

d. $45.52 (Forty Five and 52/Hundredths Dollars) to

Bradley Leonard as 1/162 interest holder, plus 0.6173 percent of

the remaining interest accumulated in the registry account to

date, in a check made payable to:

BRADLEY LEONARD

and mailed to them at this address:

BRADLEY LEONARD

616 DALE AVE.

YUBA CITY, CA 95993

Case 1:03-cv-06019-REC -LJO Document 138 Filed 10/07/05 Page 6 of 8
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e. $204.84 (Two Hundred Four and 84/Hundredths

Dollars) jointly to RAMON ECHEVESTE and CECELIA ECHEVESTE, plus

2.7777 percent of the remaining interest accumulated in the

registry account to date, in a check made payable to:

RAMON ECHEVESTE and CECELIA ECHEVESTE

and mailed to them at this address:

RAMON ECHEVESTE and CECELIA ECHEVESTE

1888 7th St.

FIREBAUGH, CA 93622

These payments are full, adequate and just compensation for

the taking of the Group Defendants’ present interest in the

estate taken for the easement, based upon their interest in the

subject property, under the terms of the stipulation referenced

above and filed herein within the parties’ Pretrial Report.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that, pursuant

to 28 U.S.C. §2042, the remaining defendants in this case, or

their successors, may present declarations in substantially the

form attached at Tab B to this Judgment, including proof of the

existence and extent of their ownership in the property, and

proof of their identity, and so claim their share of just

compensation remaining on deposit with the Court. These

defendants include Group Defendants Charles Sawyer and Andrew

Klemm, in that their precise ownership interests have thus far

not been determined. These defendants shall have five years from

the date hereof to submit their applications for payment to the

Court, serving copies of the application upon the Department of

Justice, United States Attorney, and the Western Area Power

Administration as well. After ten days, the Department of

Justice or U.S. Attorney will file an amicus curiae statement

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concerning the application. The Court will review the

application, the amicus statement if any, and order payment

thereof, deny the application, or request further briefs from the

claimant and/or amicus statements from the U.S. Attorney, in its

discretion.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED, also pursuant

to 28 U.S.C. § 2402, that after five years from the date of this

Judgment, if any funds remain in the Court Registry in this case,

the Clerk is to issue a check for the remaining funds payable to

the Treasury of the United States and deliver the same to the

United States Attorney’s Office for this District, to the

attention of the Civil Section Chief.

Dated:__October 6, 2005_____________/s/ROBERT E. COYLE______

_____________________________

THE HONORABLE ROBERT E. COYLE 

United States District Judge

Case 1:03-cv-06019-REC -LJO Document 138 Filed 10/07/05 Page 8 of 8