Opinion ID: 2163109
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was the Testimony of the Richton Park Residents Inherently Unbelievable?

Text: Next we address the question whether certain testimony was inherently unbelievable and therefore entitled to be given no weight. ( Kuehne v. Malach (1918), 286 Ill. 120.) Unless it is inherently unbelievable, uncontradicted testimony is not to be disregarded. ( Kelly v. Jones (1919), 290 Ill. 375, 378; People v. Davis (1915), 269 Ill. 256, 270-71.) The trier of fact who observed the demeanor of the witnesses was best able to judge their credibility and to determine how much weight to give their testimony. ( Kelly v. Jones (1919), 290 Ill. 375, 378.) On the record before us, we should not substitute our judgment for that of the trier of fact. The testimony in question was provided by five individuals who reside in the Lakewood subdivision of Richton Park across I-57 to the east of the landfill. They testified to various sorts of interference with the use and enjoyment of their property. There was no reason to believe that any of this testimony was fabricated, exaggerated, or in any way inconsistent with ordinary experience. Each resident testified regarding the offensive odors produced while the landfill was operating, odors perceptible from the residents' yards and, in some instances, within their homes, whenever the wind blew from the west. The odors were described as rotten, moldy, putrid smells, stunk like rotten garbage, like old garbage, frequent putrid odors. Since the garbage dump has been closed down, the residents still smell similar odors, but not as frequently. There was additional testimony from other witnesses regarding similar odors emanating from other landfills operated by Sexton and located near Oakbrook and in Blue Island. In addition to odors, the Richton Park residents testified about visual blight. At least two of them were able to see parts of the landfill from their homes. They also complained about blowing debris which littered Sauk Trail and caught in their fences and about rodents in the area. One of the women, who worked at a day-care center about 1 1/2 blocks from the landfill site, testified that garbage was blown into the day-care center while the landfill was operating. It was the duty of the trier of fact to evaluate this testimony and to decide how much weight to give it. It does not take an expert to establish that garbage has an unpleasant odor. All that Sexton's witness, Mr. Daniels, could say when he was asked if the smell was pleasant was that it depends whether you make your money that way. This acid remark can hardly be considered evidence that the garbage in fact did not smell bad. The appellate court erred when it concluded that the evidence was uncontested that the prevailing winds were away from the Lakewood subdivision. To the contrary, both a witness, Richton Park village planner Dudley Onderdonk, and a report from Argonne National Laboratory indicated that prevailing winds were from the west to the east throughout the year and, in particular, from the northwest to the southeast, i.e. toward the Lakewood subdivision, during the winter months. During all seasons there are wind shifts and the wind blows from all directions some of the time. The witnesses noticed the odors more during the summer because they were outside or were likely to have had their windows open more often when the weather was warm except for times when they turned on air conditioning to insulate themselves from the odors. The appellate court distorted the testimony when it stated that the residents could obtain relief by turning on their air conditioning. Only two residents mentioned air conditioning, and those who did were complaining. It would be presumptuous to expect these homeowners to purchase and use air-conditioners in order to make their homes habitable. In a time of conservation consciousness and rising energy costs, many people would agree with the resident who resented the additional expense as well as energy use which air conditioning entails. The appellate court insinuates that the witnesses must have fabricated their testimony because it somehow conflicts with objective testimony that real estate values did not decline while the landfill was in operation. There is no real dispute about the development testimony; the trial court found that development in Richton Park was not impeded by the operation of the sanitary landfill. Sexton's argument, once again, confuses use and enjoyment of property with the separate effect on property values and on land development. Three of the residents testified that they were unaware of the landfill before they purchased their property; yet the problems they later experienced with odor, rodents and garbage were obviously real. On this record, the circuit judge could consistently find that sales in the Lakewood subdivision were not affected by the operation of the landfill, but that use and enjoyment of property by existing homeowners was affected. Although Sexton argues that sales would not have been so brisk had conditions been as the residents described, it is possible both that many prospective purchasers were unaware of the problems until after they purchased and also that many who were aware purchased anyway because the price was attractive. In addition to these witnesses, another 19 individuals with similar complaints were present in the courtroom. Although it is not clear why they did not testify, presumably the reason was that their testimony would have been cumulative. Their presence in such large number lends credence to the complaints of the five individuals who testified. When it established development, property values, and use and enjoyment of property as separate criteria to be considered before a special-use permit could be granted for a sanitary landfill, the Cook County board demonstrated the legislative intent to recognize aesthetic as well as economic values. This court has held that aesthetic considerations cannot be the sole justification for a zoning ordinance, but the fact that a zoning ordinance is partially based on aesthetic concerns does not make it invalid. ( La Salle National Bank v. City of Evanston (1974), 57 Ill.2d 415, 432; Trust Co. v. City of Chicago (1951), 408 Ill. 91, 100; Neef v. City of Springfield (1942), 380 Ill. 275, 280.) The six Cook County special-use standards all relate to the public health, safety, morals, and welfare. The standards protect economic interests, but they also protect people. They emphasize the importance both of the dollar value of property and of the more intangible, but equally important, right of one who purchases property to be able to use and enjoy it. A homeowner ought to be able to sit in his home or his yard undisturbed by the ugly sight of burning methane-gas flares or the equally ugly sight of litter on his own and neighboring properties, the health hazards caused by rodents which invade his property despite his best efforts to keep his own property clean, the increased traffic in a quiet residential area which creates an annoyance to him and a real danger to his children, and the unavoidable unpleasant odors which accompany even the best maintained sanitary landfill. Sexton's employees may become accustomed to the odors because they earn their living that way, but the law should not force citizens of Richton Park to become accustomed to them.