Opinion ID: 612919
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Missouri Pacific's Right-of-Way on Illig's Property

Text: The present dispute stems from the conversion of a railroad line on Illig's property to a public trail, pursuant to the National Trails System Act of 1968 (Trails Act), [3] 16 U.S.C. § 1241, et seq. This conversion took place between 1991 and 1994. Illig has owned certain lots of land in St. Louis County, in fee simple absolute, since 1984. The land had been encumbered prior to Illig's ownership. Missouri Pacific Railroad Company (Missouri Pacific) operated a 6.2-mile long railroad line  known as the Carondelet Branch  through Illig's land, pursuant to an easement obtained as early as 1872. It is undisputed that Missouri Pacific's easement was for railroad purposes. In 1972, Missouri Pacific executed a Wire License Agreement with Union, allowing Union to install electrical transmission poles, lines, and other appurtenances along the railroad line. In February 1992, Missouri Pacific sought to abandon and discontinue its railroad operations over the Carondelet Branch, including the 6.2-mile stretch of railroad line on Illig's land. Pursuant to the Trails Act, Missouri Pacific filed a notice of exemption with the STB, [4] seeking permission to do so. In its notice, Missouri Pacific certifie[d] that no local traffic has moved over the line for at least two years and that [o]verhead traffic previously moved over the line has been rerouted successfully. Missouri Pacific also certified that it had published a notice of its abandonment and its notice of exemption on January 29, 1992, in [the] Watchman-Advocate in Clayton, Missouri, [a] newspaper in general circulation in St. Louis, County, Missouri[,] where the rail line is located. Around this same time, Gateway Trailnet (Trailnet), a private non-profit organization devoted to creating and operating public trails, asked the STB to issue a NITU, which would allow Trailnet to acquire Missouri Pacific's easement and convert the railroad corridor to a public trail. On March 2, 1992, Missouri Pacific informed the STB of its willingness to negotiate with Trailnet for interim trail use. On March 25, 1992, the STB issued a NITU, permitting Missouri Pacific and Trailnet to enter into negotiations. The NITU further stated: The parties may negotiate an agreement during the 180-day period prescribed below. If no agreement is reached within 180 days, [Missouri Pacific] may fully abandon the line.    ... [Missouri Pacific] may discontinue service, cancel tariffs for the line on not less than 10 days' notice to the Commission, and salvage track and related materials consistent with interim trail use/rail banking after the effective date of this decision and notice....    ... If an agreement for interim trail use/rail banking is reached by the 180th day after service of this decision and notice, interim trail use may be implemented. If no agreement is reached by the 180th day, [Missouri Pacific] may fully abandon the line subject to the condition set forth above. On December 30, 1992, in a Donation, Purchase, and Sale Agreement (Trail Use Agreement), Missouri Pacific agreed to sell its right-of-way over Illig's property to Trailnet. That same day, Missouri Pacific signed a quitclaim deed, conveying its interests to Trailnet. Also on that day, Missouri Pacific assigned to Trailnet several agreements that it had previously entered into with licensees, including Union. Missouri Pacific recorded the deed with the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds office on January 6, 1993. On December 28, 1998, Illig sued the United States in the United States Court of Federal Claims, alleging that the conversion of Missouri Pacific's railroad line to a recreational trail amounted to a taking under the Fifth Amendment. Ultimately, in 2005, the court dismissed Illig's claim as untimely under the applicable six-year federal statute of limitations. See Illig v. United States, 67 Fed.Cl. 47, 50 (2005).