The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-07
JURY FIXES Value
AT sum OF s462,SOO
Allows Vfrginian Building Corpora
ton Less Than 1t Says 1t Paid for
Eleventh Street Site.
MAY TAKE TO q. q.
CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS
Point Vet to Be Decided Whether Or
Not Dedication OF Fifteen Feet Of
Eleventh Street BY City Council
Was Legal Act

After celebrating two hours. the
jury in the postoffice condemnation
proceedings, which consumed almost
five days this week in the United
States District Court, yesterday after
noon rendered a verdict. fixing a price
OF $462.800 on the Eleventh Street
site. which Is being sought by the
government for the enlargement Of
the Richmond postoff1ce.
Following the verdict, Hill Carter,
who. with Harry NJ Smith, Jr., rep
resent the owners Of the property,
asked the court for time In which to
file exceptions to the verdict. Judge
Edmund Waddill allowed a week for
the various interests to confer and re-
port back to the court
1t has been stated that this same
property was bought at a cost OF
ssos.ooo by the virginian Building
Corporation. Just what action will
be taken by the company 10 not
definitely known at this time, and
will not be until after a meeting Of
the stockholders of the corporation Is
held. 1t is understood that they viii
get together either Monday or Tues
day and decide upon what further
action viii be taken by them to pre-
vent the government from getting the
site at the price set by the jury in
the Federal Court.
But One Recourse.
There Is only one recourse for the
owners of the property. and that IL to
take the case TO the United States Cir
cult Court OF Appeals Attorney Smith
declared last night that he did not
know whether or not they will take
the matter to the higher tribunal. He
says that both he and Attorney Carter
will be at the meeting Of the stock
holders of the virginian Building Cor
poration next week. None Of the
stockholders would make any COM
ment on the verdict of the Jury.
The government can refuse to ac-
cept the property at the figure set
upon it yesterday. but unless the
property owners appeal the case to
the higher court and win out they are
bound by the verdict OF the Jury.
An appropriation OF $4,000 was
made by Congress for the purchase
Of the Eleventh Street site, and In
order that the government may be
able to purchase the property an ad-
ditional appropriation will have to be
made by this national body. 1t was
stated at one time that Congress
would not enlarge this appropriation
to acquire this site.
Owing to the fact that several
prominent real estate men had placed
the value of the Eleventh Street site
as high as 100000, some seemed
to be of the opinion that verdict OF
S500.0o0 would be rendered by the
Jurors.
There is another matter which is
being given some consideration at this
time. 1t has not been decided by the
court whether or not the Richmond
City Council had legal right to dedi-
cate fifteen feet on Eleventh Street to
the government Should It DO found
that this transa ction was not in ac-
cordance with the law. It will mean
that the postofiice will not be en-
larged. but that \ site elsewhere will
be sought by the government. When
the appropriation was made 1t was
with the understanding that this strip
OF land on Eleventh Street b donat-
ed for the purpose OF helping enlarge
the present postomce building.
Attorney A. W. Patterson, who 10
representing the property owners on