Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/281/439/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 03:55:35+00:00

Document:
1. In considering the application of the Fourteenth Amendment to cases of expropriation of private property, the question what is a public use is a judicial one. P. 281 U. S. 446.
2. Under Art. XVIII, § 10, of the Ohio Constitution, which provides that a municipality, in appropriating property for a public use, may, "in furtherance of such public use," appropriate an excess over that actually to be occupied by a proposed improvement, and, under § 3679, General Code of Ohio, which requires that, in the making of an appropriation, there shall be a resolution of the municipal council "defining the purpose of the appropriation," etc., a condemnation of private land in excess of that taken for widening a street cannot be sustained where its purpose is stated in the resolution only as being "in furtherance" of the widening of the street and "necessary for the complete enjoyment and preservation of said public use," and where a like general, but no specific, explanation of purpose is in the ordnance providing for the excess appropriation. P. 281 U. S. 447.
3. The power conferred on a municipal corporation to take private property for public use must be strictly followed. P. 281 U. S. 448.
4. This Court will not decide important constitutional questions unnecessarily or hypothetically. P. 281 U. S. 448.
5. Questions relating to the constitutional validity of an excess condemnation by a city should not be determined upon conjecture as to the contemplated purposes when the object of the excess appropriation is not set forth as required by the local law. P. 281 U. S. 449.
Certiorari, 280 U.S. 545, to review decrees affirming permanent injunctions awarded by the district court in suits by owners of land in Cincinnati to restrain "appropriations by the city."
were entered in the district court and were affirmed by the circuit court of appeals. 33 F.2d 242. This Court granted writs of certiorari, 280 U.S. 545.
The immediate purpose of the City of Cincinnati in the condemnation proceedings was the widening of Fifth street, one of the principal thoroughfares of the city. A resolution of the city council, passed July 6, 1927, declared its intention to appropriate for this purpose a strip of land 25 feet in width, adjacent to the south side of Fifth street, and no question is raised as to the validity of the appropriation of this strip.
"A municipality appropriating or otherwise acquiring property for public use may, in furtherance of such public use, appropriate or acquire an excess over that actually to be occupied by the improvement, and may sell such excess with such restrictions as shall be appropriate to preserve the improvement made. Bonds may be issued to supply the funds in whole or in part to pay for the excess property so appropriated or otherwise acquired, but said bonds shall be a lien only against the property so acquired for the improvement and excess, and they shall not be a liability of the municipality, nor be included in any limitation of the bonded indebtedness of such municipality prescribed by law."
parallel to Fifth street. It lies 44 feet south of Fifth street, and is thus 19 feet south of the 25-foot strip taken for the street widening. No part of this property is taken for the 25-foot strip or abuts on the widened street, and the entire lot is sought to be appropriated in the proceeding for excess condemnation. Between the Vester property and the 25-foot strip is the lot of another owner.
The Richards property. This is a leasehold of an improved lot 23 feet wide running from Fifth street 100 feet through to Buchanan street, which is parallel to Fifth street on the South. It is held by the plaintiffs, Richards, with privilege of purchase. The north 25 feet of this lot is taken as a part of the strip for the widened street, and the remaining 75 feet to Buchanan street is sought to be taken in excess condemnation.
The Reakirt property. This is a tract at the corner of Fifth street and Sycamore street (an intersecting street), 138 feet on the south side of Fifth street and 149 feet on the west side of Sycamore street. The tract, which is vacant except for a small gasoline filling station, embraces several lots, two of which are not contiguous to the 25-foot strip.
supply of water, the council may appropriate such property as it may determine to be necessary."
The excess condemnation of the properties in question is proposed by the resolution adopted by the city council, but the purpose of the appropriation is stated in the resolution only in the most general terms as being "in furtherance of the said widening of Fifth Street" and "necessary for the complete enjoyment and preservation of said public use." The ordinance providing for the excess appropriation was not more specific, declaring simply that it is "in furtherance of the public use," described as the widening of Fifth street, and "for the more complete enjoyment and preservation of the benefits to accrue from said public use." In what way the excess condemnation of these properties was in furtherance of the widening of the street, and why it was necessary for the complete enjoyment and preservation of the public use of the widened street, are not stated, and are thus left to surmise.
"with the design of reselling the same at a profit to private individuals to be used for private purposes, and no use of said property by or for the public is intended or contemplated."
city "will pay in part the very heavy expense to which the City will be put in effecting the improvement."
On the hearing in the district court, the plaintiffs and the defendant introduced evidence as to the condition and the value of plaintiffs' properties. There was also a stipulation of evidence as to the amount of money available for the street widening, the expense of the appropriation of the 25-foot strip, and the total expense of the entire proposed appropriation. The stipulation gave a general description of Fifth street and of the improvements of the squares adjoining the widened street. None of the evidence defined in any specific manner the purpose of the excess condemnation.
and the court held that, if the provision means that property may be taken 'for the purpose of selling it at a profit and paying for the improvement, it is clearly invalid.'"
chosen, but that there is no warrant upon this record for discarding every possible use in favor of a use by sale that may, among other things, result in a possible recoupment.
We are thus asked to sustain the excess appropriation in these cases upon the bare statements of the resolution and ordinance of the city council, by considering hypothetically every possible, but undefined, use to which the city may put these properties, and by determining that such use will not be repugnant to the rights secured to the property owners by the Fourteenth Amendment. We are thus either to assume that, whatever the city, entirely uncontrolled by any specific statement of its purpose, may decide to do with the properties appropriated will be valid under both the state and federal Constitutions, or to set up some hypothesis as to use, and decide for or against the taking accordingly, although the assumption may be found to be foreign to the actual purpose of the appropriation as ultimately disclosed, and the appropriation may thus be sustained or defeated through a misconception of fact.
we have no legislative declaration, apart from the statement of the city council, and no judgment of the state court as to the particular matter before us. Under the provision of the Constitution of Ohio for excess condemnation when a city acquires property for public use, it would seem to be clear that a mere statement by the council that the excess condemnation is in furtherance of such use would not be conclusive. Otherwise, the taking of any land in excess condemnation, although in reality wholly unrelated to the immediate improvement, would be sustained on a bare recital. This would be to treat the constitutional provision as giving such a sweeping authority to municipalities as to make nugatory the express condition upon which the authority is granted.
To the end that the taking shall be shown to be within its authority, the municipality is called upon to specify definitely the purpose of the appropriation. This is the clear import of the provision of the Ohio statute (Ohio General Code, § 3679, supra) that the city council, when it is deemed necessary to appropriate property, shall pass a resolution "defining the purpose of the appropriation." It cannot be said that this legislative requirement relates only to the principal appropriation and not to the excess appropriation. It must be deemed to apply, according to its express terms, to every appropriation of private property by a municipality. The importance of the definition of purpose would be even greater in the case of taking property not directly to be occupied by a proposed public improvement than in the case of the latter which might more clearly speak for itself.
The general declaration of the resolution of the city council, and of the ordinance, if that may be read with the resolution, for the excess condemnation in the present cases is plainly not a definition. To define is to limit, and that which is left unlimited, and is to be determined only by such future action as the city may hereafter decide upon, is not defined. The city's contention is so broad that it defeats itself. It is not enough that property may be devoted hereafter to a public use for which there could have been an appropriate condemnation. Under the guise of an excess condemnation pursuant to the authority of the constitutional provision of Ohio, private property could not be taken for some independent and undisclosed public use. Either no definition of purpose is required in the case of excess condemnation, a view of the statute which cannot be entertained, or the purpose of the excess condemnation must be suitably defined. In this view, in the absence of such a definition, the appropriation must fail by reason of noncompliance with statutory authority.
constitutional questions unnecessarily or hypothetically. Liverpool, New York & Philadelphia Steamship Co. v. Commissioners of Emigration, 113 U. S. 33, 113 U. S. 39; Siler v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co., 213 U. S. 175, 213 U. S. 191-193; United States v. Delaware & Hudson Co., 213 U. S. 366, 213 U. S. 407. The present cases call for the application of this principle. Questions relating to the constitutional validity of an excess condemnation should not be determined upon conjecture as to the contemplated purpose, the object of the excess appropriation not being set forth as required by the local law.
We conclude that the proceedings for excess condemnation of the properties involved in these suits were not taken in conformity with the applicable law of the state, and, in affirming the decrees below upon this ground, we refrain from expressing an opinion upon the other questions that have been argued.
* Fallbrook Irrigation District v. Bradley, 164 U. S. 112, 164 U. S. 159; Missouri Pacific Ry. Co. v. Nebraska, 164 U. S. 403, 164 U. S. 417; Madisonville Traction Co. v. Saint Bernard Mining Co., 196 U. S. 239, 196 U. S. 252; Clark v. Nash, 198 U. S. 361, 198 U. S. 369; Strickley v. Highland Boy Mining Co., 200 U. S. 527, 200 U. S. 531; Hairston v. Danville & Western Ry. Co., 208 U. S. 598, 208 U. S. 606; Sears v. City of Akron, 246 U. S. 242, 246 U. S. 251; Rindge Co. v. County of Los Angeles, 262 U. S. 700, 262 U. S. 705; Old Dominion Land Co. v. United States, 269 U. S. 55, 269 U. S. 66.

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