Case Name: Alexander BREST, Appellant, v. JACKSONVILLE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY, a corporate Agency of the State of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1967-01-19
Citations: 194 So. 2d 658
Docket Number: No. H-390
Parties: Alexander BREST, Appellant, v. JACKSONVILLE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY, a corporate Agency of the State of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: RAWLS, C. J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 194
Pages: 658–663

Head Matter:
Alexander BREST, Appellant, v. JACKSONVILLE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY, a corporate Agency of the State of Florida, Appellee.
No. H-390.
District Court of Appeal of Florida. First District.
Jan. 19, 1967.
Rehearing Denied Feb. 22, 1967.
Greene, Greene, & Kennedy, Jacksonville, for appellant.
Jones, Foerster & Hodge, Jacksonville, for appellee.

Opinion:
JOHNSON, Judge.
This is an appeal from a final judgment of condemnation against the owner of certain property, the appellant herein.
The facts appear from the record to be that the appellee, who was the petitioner in condemnation proceedings in the Duval Circuit Court, filed a petition for condemnation and a declaration of taking of a parcel of land belonging to the appellant. It is alleged in both the petition and declaration of taking that the property to be acquired by these eminent domain proceedings is for a public necessity, for use in the construction of the Jacksonville Expressway System. The lands desired are described in both the petition and declaration of taking.
The appellant-owner filed his motion to dismiss the petition and to quash the declaration of taking. At the hearing on said motions it was shown and is now a part of the record before us, that the ap-pellee had entered into an agreement to immediately convey the lands proposed to be condemned to a private corporation in exchange for certain lands of the private corporation; that the land proposed to be acquired was not within the survey and plan of the proposed Expressway, but the land of the private corporation was. That there was a railroad on the property of the private corporation, operating under lease. No denial was made of the intention of the condemning authority as to its proposal. In fact the agreement was filed in evidence and so was the plat and survey sheet of the proposed expressway, which conclusively showed that the land being condemned was not in actuality to be a part of the expressway system but lay outside any land needed for the construction of said expressway.
The true fact is, the land to be acquired was for the purpose of relocating a private railroad track thereon in exchange for the parcel where the railroad track was then located, so that said latter parcel could be used in the expressway system.
The defendant's motion to dismiss the petition and quash the declaration of taking was based upon the one fact that the condemnation of defendant's property was for the private use of Buckman, Ulmer & Mitchell, Inc., a private corporation and not for use in the construction of the Jacksonville Expressway System.
We think the court was in error in denying the motion to dismiss and to quash the declaration of taking for the reasons hereinafter appearing.
The exercise of the power of eminent domain is one of the most harsh proceedings known to law and therefore, when the sovereign delegates the power to a political unit or agency a strict construction will be given against the agency asserting the power.
The decision of the Florida courts that private property may not be taken by eminent domain for any use other than a public use are too numerous to need citing, but a good example of our courts' holding may be found in Demeter Land Co. v. Florida Public Service Co., 99 Fla. 954, 128 So. 402 (1930).
We are familiar with the decisions of our courts also, which hold that the question of necessity as determined by the condemning authority will not be set aside in the absence of a showing of fraud or abuse of discretion, or unless it be made to appear that the action taken by such board or condemning authority was without lawful authority, or was beyond the authority conferred upon them by law.
Great weight should be given to the authority's determination of necessity, but in the case sub judice, we think the agreement between the Expressway Authority and the private corporation and the plat showing the location of the expressway right of way and the land to be taken, both of which were filed in evidence, was sufficient to show an abuse of discretion and that the action of the Expressway Authority was unlawful and beyond the authority conferred upon the Expressway Authority by law.
The fact that the property described in the petition and declaration of taking is located in close proximity of the proposed project, and the fact that it would be much cheaper for the expropriating authority to condemn the defendant's property, and re locate the private railroad on the property so acquired in exchange for the property on which the railroad track was already located, is immaterial and cannot be used as a guide line in determining either that the taking is necessary or that it is for a public purpose. To hold otherwise would open the door wide open for abuse and would permit a condemning authority to make a deal with the owner of private property to condemn a parcel of more desirable property, maybe in a better neighborhood •or on a more economically strategic corner upon which to relocate the private owner's motel or building, in exchange for the parcel needed by the expropriating authority. This would be contrary to all our decisions and contrary to both the Federal and State Constitutional provisions safeguarding property rights.
The Legislature cannot under the guise of exercising sovereign power of eminent domain, which can only be exerted for a public purpose, take a citizen's property without his consent and give or sell it to another for private use, even though compensation is paid therefor, for to do so would be in violation of the Constitution •of the United States Amendment 14. Also the power to take private property is in every case limited to such and so much property as is necessary for the public use in question. Wilton v. St. Johns County, 98 Fla. 26, 123 So. 527, 65 A.L.R. 488 (1929). Otherwise, due process of law would be denied the property owner.
It might be further pointed out in the case sub judice, that if it is necessary for the construction of the Expressway System to acquire the property of Buckman, Ulmer and Mitchell, Inc., which is now under lease to one or more railroad companies and upon which the railroad tracks now stand, this can be acquired by proper condemnation. If Buckman, Ulmer and Mitchell, Inc., and/or the railroads find it expedient to relocate the tracks on the defendant's land, then this is a private matter and subject to negotiation between the private parties. The Expressway Authority is under no legal obligation to Buckman, Ulmer and Mitchell, Inc., for anything except proper compensation for the land to be taken. Certainly, the power of the Expressway Authority should not be exercised as a club against the defendant Brest in the private negotiations.
For the reasons stated, the final judgment is reversed, set aside and the petition to condemn is dismissed and the declaration of taking quashed.
RAWLS, C. J., concurs.
WIGGINTON, J., dissents.
. 12 Fla.Jur. p. 15; Wilton v. St. Johns County, 98 Fla. 26, 123 So. 527, 65 A.L.R. 488 (1929).
. Wilton v. St. Johns County, supra.