Source: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/238/586.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 07:05:02+00:00

Document:
[238 U.S. 586, 587] Messrs. Harry S. Mecartney and John S. Miller for plaintiffs in error.
Messrs. Roger L. Foote, Francis W. Walker, Randall W. Burns, and Addison L. Gardner for respondents.
By ordinary warranty deed from Calvin F. Rice, dated November 13, 1889, Edwin L. Brand became owner in fee simple of a lot, with five-story building (No. 259), fronting east on Wabash avenue, described as follows: 'The north twenty-five (25) feet of lot five (5) in block seven (7) in fractional section fifteen (15) addition to Chicago.' The record reveals no other facts concerning any rights acquired by the grantee, who held possession until his death in 1900; and there is nothing to show how or conditions under which the city obtained and holds the street. Proceeding under a city ordinance the Union Elevated Railroad Company and other defendants during 1896 and 1897 caused construction of a doubletrack [238 U.S. 586, 588] elevated railroad along the center of Wabash avenue (100 feet wide); and since October 3, 1897, have operated the same.
On October 2, 1902, plaintiffs-Brand's executors-commenced this common-law action to recover a lump sum for damage consequent upon construction, permanent maintenance, and operation of the railroad in front of the above-described premises. After alleging such construction, method of operation, noise, dust, dirt, vibration, and other objectionable results, the declaration concludes: 'All of which said disturbances and injuries and grievances above complained of, have continued from and since, to wit, said October 3, 1897, hitherto, and have caused and are now causing and will henceforth continue to cause a great and permanent damage and injury to said premises and building and said rights and easements therein, and by means thereof the said real estate has been greatly reduced in market value, to wit, in the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).
The suit is for loss in market value consequent upon erection and operation of the elevated road, and is now prosecuted upon the theory that the trial judge erred in not submitting questions of damage to the jury under positive instruction to exclude from market value subsequent to the construction such enhancement, if any, as resulted from facilities furnished by the improvement itself. It was, of course, necessary for the court to determine whether there was any evidence upon which such loss could be found. By merely viewing the property in 1909 the jury could not ascertain its market value either before or just after the road was built, and the only testimony relating thereto showed no change occurred. Neither could the jury tell without evidence what enhancement, if any, resulted from the improvement, and the record discloses none. In the circumstances we think the refusal to give positive direction to exclude from consideration something impossible of ascertainment was clearly right.
I am unable to agree with the opinion of the court in this case. I think its importance justifies a brief statement of the grounds upon which my dissent rests.
In this case there was testimony tending to show that the plaintiff's property suffered a real and substantial damage by the erection and maintenance of the elevated railroad, and that their property right of ingress and egress was peculiarly and particularly injured by the railroad structure. Such damage was equivalent to a taking of property for a public use, and required just compensation to be made for the injury sustained. Washington Ice Co. v. Chicago, 147 Ill. 327, 37 Am. St. Rep. 222, 35 N. E. 378. There is no question of the real and substantial special injury to the plaintiffs' property, shown by the testimony, and undoubtedly developed by the view of the premises which the jury had under the direction of the court. In this attitude of the case, the jury was instructed that the plaintiff could not recover; the court proceeding upon the theory that there was no testimony tending to show that plaintiff's property would not sell for as much after the construction of the road as before. The necessary effect of this instruction permitted the jury to consider appreciation in value arising from the general advantage of the structure, not only to the plaintiff, but to others of the public, similarly situated.
In the supreme court of Illinois this instruction was sustained upon the theory that the damages to the property might be offset by benefits to the owner, although such benefits were shared by all others similarly situated.
This court has more than once held that to take private property for public use without adequate compensation is a deprivation of due process of law within the meaning of the 14th Amendment to the Federal Constitution. Chicago, B. & Q. R. Co. v. Chicago, 166 U.S. 226 , 41 L. ed. 979, 17 Sup. Ct. Rep. 581; A. Backus, Jr. & Sons v. Fort Street Union Depot Co. 169 [238 U.S. 586, 597] U. S. 557, 565, 42 L. ed. 853, 857, 18 Sup. Ct. Rep. 445. It has also held that just compensation, in the constitutional sense, excludes taking into account the supposed benefits that the owner may receive in common with the public from the use to which his property is appropriated. Monongahela Nav. Co. v. United States, 148 U.S. 312, 326 , 37 S. L. ed. 463, 468, 13 Sup. Ct. Rep. 622.
Nor is it any answer to say that the proceedings in this case are in accordance with the laws of the state, in a proceeding in which the plaintiffs were allowed to appear and be heard, according to the rules of the local jurisdiction. This contention was made and met by this court in Chicago, B. & Q. R. Co. v. Chicago, supra, and this court has uniformly held that if the effect of the state's judgment was to permit the taking of property without due process of law, the form by which that result is accomplished is of no moment, and the mere form of the proceeding, even if accompanied by full opportunity to be heard, does not convert such process into due process of law, if the necessary result has been to deprive complainant of his property without just compensation. Chicago, B. & Q. R. Co. v. Chicago, 166 U. S. supra, at page 236, 41 L. ed. 984, 17 Sup. Ct. Rep. 581, and the cases therein cited; Fayerweather v. Ritch, 195 U.S. 276, 297 , 49 S. L. ed. 193, 209, 25 Sup. Ct. Rep. 58. If the effect of the judgment of the state court has been to take the property of the citizen without compensation, no matter what form the procedure has taken, it is violative of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. If this were not so, the state, by adopting forms of procedure and enforcing laws which operated to take private property without compensation, could deny the citizen the protection which the 14th Amendment was intended to give against all forms of state action.
As the effect of the judgment below was to permit the plaintiffs to be paid for valuable property rights in general benefits, in my opinion it necessarily follows that plaintiffs' property was taken without due process of law, and therefore in violation of the protection afforded by the 14th Amendment.
Mr. Justice McKenna, Mr. Justice Lamar, and Mr. Justice Pitney concur in this dissent.

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