Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-14
Claims Aggregating $84, OPS
Allowed landowners.
SPECIAL COUNSEL REPORTS
Over a Hundred Cases Determined
During the. Year.
THIRTY-sEvEN DISALLOWED
Saving of $685. to District Accom-
plished by Compromises Made
With Claimants.

There were los claims for damages
heard and determined by the grade dam
age commission during the year ended ir
June. involving 2O7 pieces of realty. and
in sixty-six of the cases damages were
awarded to landowners. aggregating sS4.'
O25. while in thirty-seven cases the com
! mission awarded no damages to the
, claimants. according to the report made
to the Commissioners today by A. Left
witch Sinclair. special counsel for the Dis.
trict.
These damages were in consequence OF
changes made in the grades of streets
avenues and alleys in connection with the
Union station improvements.
In speaking in detail Of the work ME-
Sinclair says in the report:
1.-The Commissioners of the District OF
Columbia. or the property owners. ex-
pressed dissatisfaction with the acpraise.
rnents of the commission in forty-nine OF
the cases tried curing the year. where
! upon the Supreme Court of the District
passed orders vacating and setting aside
the appraisements of the commission and
directing the United States marshal to
summon d jury CT seven citizens in such
cases, to appraise and determine thu
amount of damages to which the claim
ants may be entitled. as provided by sec
tion five Of the act of Congress approved
April -, 1904. entitled An act to provide
for payment of. damages on account OF
changes of grade due to construction OF
the Union station. District of Columbia.
Saving by Compromise.
THE sum of $3.50 was saved to the nlu
nicipality during the year by the com
promise of cases wherein jury trials hat
been ordered by the court. upon the ex
preston of dissatisfaction by the Dis
trict with the appraisement Of the com
mission. as will hereinafter appear.
During the year there were thirtynint
petitions for the allowance Of damages
filed. making a total of 80 petitions thai
have been presented to the commission
for consideration.
The most important case tried by the
Samuel c. Mcdowell. the owner of 1S,JUt
square feet of ground in square $50
bounded by North Capitol street. Massa
chusetts avenue. f street and the Unior
the attention of the commission about 81,
weeks. during which time the testimony
of a large nvmber of realty. experts
builders. eXcavators. engineers. wreckers
and others was heard and considered.
Will Ask a; Jury Trial.
While Mr.. McDowells ground is abou,
twenty-five feet below the new grades OF
North Capitol street and Massachusetts
avenue and the improvements thereon o,
the value of $40 1000 were rendered value
less by the alterations made in the stree,
grades the commission nevertheless
found that the damage suffered by the
claimant had been offset by the increase
in the value OF his ground produced by
the elimination of grade crossings, the
establishment of the Union station ano
terminals and the incidental improve
ments. Twelve realty experts testified
for the District touching the enhance
ment in the value of the ground men
toned resulting from the Union station
improvements. Mr.. Mcdowell has eX.
pressed dissatisfaction with the appraise
ment of no damage rendered by the
commission. thus showing an intention tC
try conclusions with the District before
a jury
In conclusion Mr.. Sinclair testified tC
the industry and efficiency of Gus A
Schuldt and l.. P. Bradshaw. who as
sisted him in this special work.