Case Name: Albert B. Hickox v. The Chicago & Canada Southern Railway Company and The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Company
Court: Michigan Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1889-12-28
Citations: 78 Mich. 615
Docket Number: 
Parties: Albert B. Hickox v. The Chicago & Canada Southern Railway Company and The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Company.
Judges: Sherwood, C. J., and Long, J., concurred with Morse, J.
Reporter: Michigan Reports
Volume: 78
Pages: 615–622

Head Matter:
Albert B. Hickox v. The Chicago & Canada Southern Railway Company and The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Company.
Deed — Right of way — Defeasance.
A deed of right of way contained the following defeasance clause: “If the said railway company, its successors or assigns, should fail to complete said railway through said premises, and to put the same in operation, within three years from the date hereof, or if, after such railway is completed and put in operation, it should cease to be used and' operated as a railroad, then, in either event, this release shall pease to be operative,, and the right of way granted thereunder shall terminate.”
The railway company ceased to use the right of way except for the storage of cars, and it is held that thereupon the deed had no further force or effect.
Error to Lenawee. (Lane, J.)
Argued November 12- and 13, 1889.
Decided December 28, 1889.
Ejectment. Defendants bring error.
Affirmed.
Tbe facts are stated in the opinion.
Weaver & Bean (George C. Greene and O. G. Getzen-Danner, of counsel), for appellants, contended:
1. Is the deed made upon a condition subsequent? By its terms it so states, but it does not necessarily follow that such is its legal effect. Such conditions are not favored in law, and must be strictly construed; citing Fraunces’ Case, 8 Co. 90b.
2. The deed contains no clause for a re-entry. This is not always essential, hut there must be that or its equivalent; citing Guild v. Richards, 16 Gray, 317; and see How. Stat. § 5562, and Barrie v. Smith, 47 Mich. 130, construing it.
3. The grant was made in consideration of the sum of §1,400, paid the grantor by the grantee, and was not voluntarily made in consideration of certain supposed benefits to the grantors to be derived from the construction and operation of a railroad across the lands in question; citing Horner v. Railway Co., 38 Wis. 165, 174; Rawson v. Inhabitants, etc., 7 Allen, 125, 130.
4. By the terms of the deed the land was to be used for the purpose of constructing and operating a railroad, not merely across these lands, but between Trenton and Fayette, which purpose would not inure specially to the grantor, but was in its nature general and public; hence it cannot be said that the deed, by its terms even, created an estate upon condition subsequent; citing Horner v. Railway Co., 38 Wis. 165, 175; Strong v. Doty, 32 Id. 381; Rawson v. Inhabitants, etc., 7 Allen, 125, 130; Woodworth v. Payne, 74 N. Y. 196,
5. It was error to allow the plaintiff to give testimony that he had pastured his cattle on the right of way. It did not tend to prove an entry for breach of condition; citing Guild v. Richards, 16 Gray, 319.
6. The condition, if relied upon to work a forfeiture, is construed with great strictness; citing Sedg. & Wait, Tr. Tit. Land, §§ 212, 213, and cases cited; 4 Kent, Com. 129; Barrie v. Smith, 47 Mich. 130; Smith v. Barrie, 56 Id. 318; Merrifield v. Cobleigh, 4 Cush. 178; Hunt v. Beeson, 18 Ind. 380; Gadberry v. Sheppard, 27 Miss. 203; Bradstreet v. Clark, 21 Pick. 389; Hoyt v. Kimball, 49 N. H. 327; Page v. Palmer, 48 Id. 385; Larabee v. Carleton, 53 Me. 211; Bank v. Hastings, 1 Doug. 226; Emerson v. Simpson, 43 N. H. 475; McKelway v. Seymour, 29 N. J. Law, 321; Society v. Stark, 84 Vt. 243; Blanchard v. Railroad Co., 31 Mich. 43; Voris v. Renshaw, 49 Ill. 426; Lynde v. Hough, 27 Barb. 415; Calkins v. Smith, 41 Mich, 412; Waldron v. Railway Co., 55 Id. 420; Berkley v. Railway Co., 33 Fed. Rep. 794.
7. A substantial performance is sufficient; citing Spaulding v. Hallenbeck, 39 Barb. 79; McKissick v. Pickle, 16 Penn. St. 140; Broadway v. State, 8 Blackf. 290.
8. To work a forfeiture for non-user there must be such an abandonment of the use as to indicate an intention not to continue its use; citing Poitevent v. Supervisors, 58 Miss. 810; Osgood v. Abbott, 58 Me. 73; Mills v. Seminary, 58 Wis. 135; Chapin v. School-dist., 35 N. H. 445; Crane v. Hyde Park, 135 Mass. 147.
Clement Carpenter and Salsbry & O’Mealey, for plaintiff, contended:
1. In the present case it is clear that what was contemplated by both parties was that the premises should be used as a part of the railroad’s right of way, and operated as a railroad for the passing and repassing of trains, for carrying of freight and passengers, and that it was not contemplated by the parties that it should be used as a mere storage track. This view is supported by the following cases: Smith v. Barrie, 56 Mich. 314; Sperry v. Pond, 5 Ohio, 387; Langley v. Chapin, 134 Mass. 82; Dorr v. Harrahan, 101 Id. 531; Linzee v. Mixer, Id. 512; Keening v. Ayling, 126 Id. 404; Gillis v. Bailey, 21 N. H. 149; McKissick v. Pickle, 16 Penn. St. 140; Gibert v. Peteler, 38 N. Y. 165.

Opinion:
Morse, J.
In this case the defeasance in the deed of right of way of the plaintiff to the Chicago & Canada Southern Railway Company reads as follows:
"If the said railway company, its successors or assigns, should fail to complete said railway through said premises, and to put the same in operation, within three years from the date hereof, or if, after such railway is completed and put into operation, it should cease to be used and operated as a railroad, then, in either évent, this release shall cease to be operative, and the right of way granted thereunder shall terminate."
We think that when this right of way ceased to be used and operated as a railroad, and was used only for the storing of cars, the defeasance became operative, and the conveyance had no further force or effect.
The judgment is correct, and is affirmed, with costs.
Sherwood, C. J., and Long, J., concurred with Morse, J.