Opinion ID: 1309366
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Disposition of the $10,000 Restitution Award to Monroe County.

Text: Throughout these proceedings, Soo Line has questioned the retention of the $10,000 restitution payment by Monroe County in light of that entity's unwavering assertion that it had no property interest in the bridge that was destroyed. Both the agency and the district court declined to enter a ruling on that matter. On the surface perhaps it would appear that the requirement for restitution as part of the criminal prosecution of the vandals who destroyed the bridge is beyond the scope of the matters properly before the agency. In viewing the totality of circumstances, however, we conclude otherwise. Monroe County accepted the authority of the agency to completely adjudicate the issues in controversy between the parties. The payment of the $10,000 restitution to the county was a fait accompli at the time of the final agency decision. The funds were being held in a special account by Monroe County to abide the result of the pending dispute. The district court acknowledged that there may be special circumstances in which the agency could place some obligation on a county with respect to construction or maintenance of highway bridges that cross over railroads. Given that acknowledgment, we believe that, as a condition for visiting the obligations of section 327F.2 upon Soo Line, Monroe County should have been required to make the $10,000 restitution payment available to apply on the cost of reconstructing the bridge. We modify the district court's decree so as to include that requirement.