Opinion ID: 1920719
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Plaintiff's Claim for Entitlement to Compensation

Text: The defendant also pressed as an alternative issue a claim that it should be compensated for the reduction of the value of its business which it asserts it will suffer if and when the City's proposed public ambulance service enters into competition with the plaintiff's private service. Again, we find that the plaintiff has not stated a claim upon which relief can be granted. The fact that it has not alleged a taking which is compensable under our law is fatal to this aspect of the plaintiff's action. The plaintiff does not allege an actual physical taking of its property of a type which would entitle it to just compensation [7] but only that it will lose part of the value of its business because of the City's competition. As likely as this result may be, it does not, on the facts alleged here, give rise to an entitlement to compensation. We know of no principle of law which would require a city to reimburse private business for loss of profits suffered as a result of lawful competing municipal activity, at least in the absence of statutory requirement. A contrary philosophy was expressed in Laughlin. The Court said: Nor is the fact that in operation the act may tend to lessen the profits of a few private dealers or even force them from business, a matter of consideration for the court. `It is for the legislature to determine from time to time what laws and regulations are necessary or expedient for the defense and benefit of the people, and however inconvenienced, restricted or even damaged, particular persons and corporations may be, such general laws and regulations are held valid unless there can be pointed out, some provision in the State or United States Constitution, which clearly prohibits them.' Opinion of the Justices, 103 Me. 506, 69 A. 627, 19 L.R.A.(N.S.) 422, 13 Ann.Cas. 745. State v. Laughlin, supra, 111 Me. at 501, 90 A. at 324. Even in the situation existing when a municipality undertakes legislatively authorized action to acquire title to land, loss of business profits is not legally compensable in the absence of statutory authorization. Opinion of the Justices, 157 Me. 104, 170 A.2d 647 (1961); Nichols on Eminent Domain, 3d Ed., § 16.101[s]. The entry must be: Appeal denied.