Title: Wheeler v. Board of County Com'rs of San Juan County
Citation: 391 P.2d 664, 74 N.M. 165
Docket Number: 7387
State: new-mexico
Issuer: new-mexico Supreme Court
Date: April 20, 1964

391 P.2d 664 (1964) 74 N.M. 165 Lloyd W. WHEELER and Mary Wheeler, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF SAN JUAN COUNTY, New Mexico, Defendants-Appellees. No. 7387. Supreme Court of New Mexico. April 20, 1964. Tansey, Wood, Rosebrough &amp; Roberts, Farmington, for appellants. Earl E. Hartley, Atty. Gen., Hadley Kelsey, Joseph L. Droege, Oliver G. Ricketson, Special Asst. Attys. Gen., Santa Fe, Charles L. Craven, Asst. Dist. Atty., Aztec, for appellees. CHAVEZ, Justice. Appellants, plaintiffs below, appeal from a judgment for appellees, Board of County Commissioners of San Juan County, New Mexico, granted in accordance with Rule 12(c), (§ 21-1-1(12) (c), N.M.S.A., 1953 Comp.) Appellants' first amended complaint filed December 1, 1961, under count one, alleged ownership by appellants for many years of an 80-acre tract of land in San Juan County upon which there are situated substantial residential and business buildings where appellants have lived and conducted an Indian trading business for more than ten years; that prior to 1956, U.S. Highway 550 traversed in front of and abutting and adjoining the lands, business and residential buildings owned by appellants; that in the summer of 1956, appellees purchased *665 land from appellants and others and commenced the design and construction of a new U.S. Highway 550 on a new alignment immediately to the south of the old highway; that said newly constructed highway was completed during the summer of 1957; that as a direct and proximate result of the design and construction of said highway on the new alignment, as well as the subsequent maintenance thereof, and by reason of improper drainage of water in the immediate area, appellants' land and buildings have been damaged, for which damages appellants have not been compensated; that according to the constitution and laws of the state of New Mexico, appellants are entitled to be compensated for damages to their land and improvements; that by reason of the improper design, construction and maintenance of said reconstructed highway, appellants have been damaged in the sum of $60,000. Under count two, appellants alleged that on July 26, 1956, they executed and delivered to appellees two grants of right-of-way easements, on certain lands owned by appellants, which lands were acquired as a right-of-way for the purpose of reconstruction of U.S. Highway 550 on a new alignment immediately south of the old U.S. Highway 550; that appellants were paid the sum of $26.58 as consideration for the two right-of-way easements. Appellants re-alleged ownership of the 80-acre tract of land and that the business and residential buildings are situated on said land; that subsequent to the reconstruction of U.S. Highway 550 on the new alignment over and across the land of appellants, the remaining land abutting and fronting on said right-of-way, together with the improvements thereon, have been damaged by reason of the acquisition of new right-of-way easements by appellees and by reconstruction of U.S. Highway 550 on the new alignment; that the action is brought pursuant to § 22-9-22, N.M.S.A., 1953 Comp., for damages in the sum of $60,000. Appellants filed a demand for jury trial. Appellees, by answer, denied all of the allegations of counts one and two, except that they admitted, as to count one, that appellants were the owners of the land described in their first amended complaint, and that prior to 1956, U.S. Highway 550 traversed in front of, abutting and adjoining the land, business and residential buildings owned by appellants. The answer also raised the legal defense that each count of the complaint failed to state a claim and should be dismissed. Both parties filed a motion for judgment in accordance with Rule 12(c), supra. The trial court, after a hearing, granted appellees' motion and entered judgment accordingly. Appellants contend under their first point that appellees' motion filed in accordance with Rule 12(c), supra, should be treated as one for summary judgment and appellees agree. This contention is based upon the consideration by the trial court of a copy of a grant of a right-of-way easement dated August 12, 1956, and certain answers made by appellant Lloyd W. Wheeler to interrogatories which were as follows: In view of the statement of counsel in their briefs, we will consider appellees' motion as being one for summary judgment under Rule 56, (§ 21-1-1(56), N.M.S.A., 1953 Comp.). Appellants contend that they have alleged material issues of fact under count one which have been denied by appellees, thereby creating genuine issues upon which they are entitled to trial. Appellants say that count one is based on negligence and *666 cite Art. II, § 20, of our constitution, which provides: Appellants also cite § 55-1-2, N.M.S.A., 1953 Comp., as follows: Appellees, on the other hand, submit that even if the allegations of count one are admitted, they sound in tort and, as such, appellees are not amenable to suit without their consent. Appellees thus say that their denial of the allegations of count one would not raise genuine issues of material fact. Appellees rely upon Murray v. Board of Commissioners of Grant County, 28 N.M. 309, 210 P. 1067, in which Murray brought an action against the county commissioners of Grant County to recover damages for injuries received by reason of a defective highway. One of the approaches to a bridge on the Silver City-Deming highway was washed out and the county commissioners had taken no steps to protect the public from danger on account of the condition of the highway. Murray, without negligence, drove his car over the bridge and into the excavation, thereby suffering personal injuries and damage to his car. The trial court sustained a demurrer to the complaint and a judgment of dismissal was entered. From this judgment, Murray appealed. This court said: The Murray case was followed by Elliott v. Lea County, 58 N.M. 147, 267 P.2d 131, which was an action for injuries sustained by plaintiff when he stepped into an excavation while leaving the grounds of the county community hospital. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff and the defendant moved for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict. The trial court granted the motion. Judgment was entered for defendant and plaintiff appealed. We held that the operation of the Lea County Community Hospital was a governmental function by the county and that no recovery for the injuries sustained could be had. The rule in cases involving injuries to or destruction of private property resulting from the torts of counties or their agents is stated in 20 C.J.S. Counties § 215, pp. 1067-1068, as follows: We therefore hold against appellants on their point one. A more serious question is raised under count two of appellants' amended complaint, in that it is brought under the provisions of § 22-9-22, N.M.S.A., 1953 Comp., and alleges that the damages suffered by appellants resulted by reason of the acquisition of the new right-of-way by defendants and reconstruction of the highway on this new alignment. It appears from the answers to interrogatories that included therein are claimed damages resulting from defective design, construction and maintenance of the highway. Thus, count two sounds in inverse condemnation. Section 22-9-22, supra, provides: We keep in mind the constitutional provision of Art. II, § 20, supra, as well as § 55-2-28, N.M.S.A., 1953 Comp. (formerly § 64-313, 1929 Comp.), which provides that the several counties shall acquire and pay for rights-of-way for state highways. In Summerford v. Board of Com'rs. of Dona Ana County, 35 N.M. 374, 298 P. 410, plaintiff sued the county commissioners of Dona Ana County and others for damages, alleging that the defendants, in contravention of the constitution and statutory laws, constructed a viaduct along a street in Las Cruces and a part of a state highway upon which plaintiff's property abuts, without condemnation proceedings, without having paid or offered to pay damages sustained or to be sustained, and without plaintiff's consent. The trial court sustained a demurrer and plaintiff appealed. This court reversed the cause as to the board of county commissioners and said: In Mesich v. Board of County Com'rs of McKinley County, 46 N.M. 412, 129 P.2d 974, we again discussed Art. II, § 20 of our constitution and §§ 43-301 and 64-313, 1929 Comp. We there quoted from the Summerford case and said: It appears to us that where private property has been damaged through the methods followed or adopted in the design, construction or maintenance of a public highway, it constitutes damage for a public use for which adequate compensation is guaranteed to the owner by Art. II, § 20, of our constitution, and for which the county is subject to suit under § 22-9-22, supra. Summerford v. Board of Com'rs of Dona Ana County, supra; Dougherty v. Vidal, 37 N.M. 256, 21 P.2d 90; Mesich v. Board of County Com'rs of McKinley County, supra; 25 Am.Jur., Highways, §§ 93-94, pp. 396-397; 18 Am. Jur., Eminent Domain, §§ 129-130, pp. 753-754; Milhous v. State Highway Department, 194 S.C. 33, 8 S.E.2d 852, 128 A.L.R. 1186. Appellees direct our attention to the trial court's findings of fact Nos. 7, 8, 9 and 10, and conclusion of law No. 3, as follows: We do not know the basis for the trial court's findings of fact and conclusion of law unless it be the answers to interrogatories Nos. 17, 18 and 19 wherein appellant Lloyd W. Wheeler answered that he did not know by whom the highway was maintained, constructed or designed. We have held that in resolving the question as to whether summary judgment should be granted, the trial court does not weigh the evidence nor do we; that the pleadings, affidavits, interrogatories and admissions, if any, must be viewed in the most favorable aspect they will bear in support of the rights of the party opposing the motion to a trial of the issues. Sooner Pipe &amp; Supply Corp. v. Doerrie, 69 N.M. 78, 364 P.2d 138. And the party against whom a motion for summary judgment is directed is entitled to have all reasonable inferences construed in his favor. Hewitt-Robins, Inc. v. Lea County Sand and Gravel, Inc., 70 N.M. 144, 371 P.2d 795. *669 We would place too strict a construction upon Rule 56(c) (§ 21-1-1(56) (c), N.M.S.A., 1953 Comp.), if we sustained the summary judgment based upon Wheeler's answers to the interrogatories hereinbefore set out. So long as the interrogatories and answers thereto do not constitute a demonstration of the invalidity of the plaintiff's claim, the mere inadequacy of the answers to the interrogatories to establish the claim has no persuasiveness in ruling on a motion for summary judgment, since there is no burden on the plaintiff to establish his case in a pretrial interrogatory or deposition. William Goldman Theatres, Inc. v. Twentieth-Century Fox Film Corporation, D.C.Pa., 151 F. Supp. 840. Upon the trial on the merits and after all of the evidence is presented, the trial court will then be in a better position to make such findings of fact as are warranted by the evidence and conclusions of law applicable thereto. We hold that summary judgment under the state of the record as to count two should have been denied. The denial of a summary judgment means that there is a genuine issue of fact to be tried and not a decision on that issue. The action of the trial court in granting summary judgment under count one is affirmed. As to count two, the cause is reversed and remanded to the trial court with direction to set aside the judgment entered and proceed in a manner not inconsistent with the views herein expressed. It is so ordered. CARMODY and MOISE, JJ., concur.