Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-03
AUDITING OWNERS
CLAIM DAMAGES
Want Government to Pay $4,000
for Narrowing of Eleventh
Street.
COURT RESERVES DECISION
Claim Complicates Proceeding to
Condemn Blair Property for
Post-Office Annex.

N"hipiIcat:ng in Il high degree pro-
| cecdinsS Instituted by the government
!" condemn The Blair property for "N-
tension "' tic present post office build
ing, Attorney \. ". Patterson. rcprc-
scntinE property owners on the east
sidc OF Eleventh street. yesterday ne
u'iou"d Judge Edmund WaddiI Jr.
! oi the United States District Court To
| declare null and void tho ordinance
PASSED by the City Council ceding to
INC government the hftecn-foot strip
81 'and now part Of Eleventh street,
'''',ediat'!E cast Of tho property named
IN the condemnation proceedings
IN the event the court finds itself
"''honi jurisdiction to pass tIpon tho
validity OF tho ordinance. or should il
hold i, valid in law. the petition ask,
/ mat the commissioners appointed TO
appraise the Blair property and to fix
"'fect damages ~ abutting property
owners be instructed 10 allow damage,
IN the sum Of $4,000 10 owners OF
property affected by the closing OF the
thorouGhfare
After All ail-hay .r@um"ut between
Mr. Patterson and District Attorney
Richard II. Mann and his assistant
Hiram NJ. Smith, Judge waddilI an
snounced late in tho evening that hs
would take the petition under advise
ment and render his decision later
probably to-day. Upon this decision
hangs in large degree tho whole 1ucs
ton Of whether the appropriation Of
$4,000 for increased postal facilities
III Richmond will be available
DISTRICT ATTORNEY CONTESTS
CLAIM or AHuI~rING OWNERS
'ounSci for tho government OK
pressed Willingness for Mr. ra,tcrso,
10 bring before the court any clair,
i"r damages resulting from the con
Gcmna ton for government use of Tho
Hiair property, but disputed his LEGAL
right 10 remuneration for damages H.,
reason OF tn" vacation. under a city
ordinance. of Eleventh street. Tho
government. they said had instituted
proceedings I" condemn the Blair nrop-
er'Y only. and has nothing to do i'm
th's caS. with any action OF the City
Council.
c:;y Attorney II. l. Pollard held in
statement before the court. tina, the
right OF a city's Legislative BODY to
vacate street has been sustained in
tic courts in number Of cases. but
there is question as to whether abut-
rn- property owners, da ma gcd by tho
recover damages. lie thought The
scop" Of condemnation procccdings
might hc hroaicncd I" give ,hc cour,
III" right I" instruct for damages sus-
taincd by Eleventh stree; property
owners by reason of tho thorou:hfarc's
vacation.
In rendering a decision In the mat
ters named in Mr.. ratterson's petition,
Judge Waddil! will be called anon To
construc tho right OF tho court 10 allow
damages I" property owners from an
appropriation. set aside exclusively for
'"e purchase OF Il specific piece of pron-
c'E ana TO pay dana gcs rcsultinp di
rec'iE from the purchase OF that nroc-
er'F. ihe ccdinS by the city OF EIcv.
W." H'ree' was not contemplated by
ir'ncrs OK the act appropriatins
IN" fnnds. nor Is that thorourbf,ra
named i'm the condemnation ,rocn.,,
ings.