Opinion ID: 1513662
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: on request for permission to reargue

Text: The defendant has filed a timely request for permission to reargue this appeal on the contention this Court has overlooked and failed to apply the so-called enhancement principle, particularly as expressed in United States v. 158.76 Acres of Land, (C.C. A.2d 1962) 298 F.2d 559, 560. This case and its doctrine was not overlooked. Indeed, this authority was cited in the opinion in support of the only point to which it is germane to the present controversy; namely,    that if the condemned land contains a mineral deposit, such as gravel, it is proper to consider this fact in determining the market value of the land as a whole, but it is not permissible to determine separately the value of the mineral deposit and add this to the value of the land as a unit. United States v. 158.76 Acres of Land, supra, 298 F.2d at 561. In the federal case, the enhancement principle became involved on a point of evidence. The landowner introduced in evidence a contract for the sale of gravel for the very project for which the land was condemned. This and other evidence along the same line was held to have been improperly received on the settled rule that it is unfair to require the Government to pay the enhanced price which the federal project alone has created. The enhanced price reflects elements of value which are dictated by the urgency of the situation which is not the true market value. U. S. v. Cors, 337 U.S. 325, 332, 69 S.Ct. 1086, 93 L.Ed. 1392; see also, United States v. Miller, 317 U.S. 369, 63 S.Ct. 276, 87 L.Ed. 336, 147 A.L.R. 55, 63, and annotation; Calvo v. United States, 9 Cir., 303 F.2d 902, 907. The record certified in the present appeal does not support the application of the doctrine of these cases, to achieve a reversal of the judgment below. Although the plaintiff testified without objection that he had sold some sand for use in the project, there was nothing in the evidence to indicate that the market value of lands containing sand deposits was controlled or enhanced by the construction of the interstate system. There was evidence that the plaintiff had sold sand and gravel from operating pits on other holdings in the area over an extended period of time. One appraiser testified, in response to cross-examination by the defendant, that there was always a good demand for sand in the general area. Unlike the United States v. 158.76 Acres of Land referred to above, evidence concerning the plaintiffs' current contracts for the sale of sand and gravel was specifically excluded. The testimony that 200,000 yards of sand was removed from the condemned land was received without objection. In any event, this was a relevant and material fact to the nature and extent of the deposit in considering the overall value of the land as a unit. The remaining points upon which the defendant seeks reargument were not presented in the original briefs as required by Supreme Court Rule 22. Moreover it does not appear these questions were raised in the trial court, nor that they would affect the final result had they been properly preserved. Permission for leave to reargue is denied. Let full entry go down.