Court Opinion

ID: 9701707
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 22:32:39.238987+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:21:27.570520
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Mr. Justice Musmanno:
The statute and ordinance quoted in the Majority Opinion speak of the duty of property owners abutting *358or adjoining certain streets to maintain in proper repair sidewalks, pavements and curbing, but the instrumentality involved in this case is not a sidewalk, pavement or curb, nor does the property of the plaintiffs abut or adjoin such instrumentality, which happens to be an outdoor series of steps. Thirteen feet separate the plaintiffs’ property line from the strip of land occupied by the structure involved.
Although, as a man walks or a crow flies, the distance of 13 feet is not far, it can divide proprietary rights with the definitive gap of a Grand Canyon. The law does not compromise with distances. If it did real estate boundaries would be as unfixed and unstable as a rubber railing.
The words abut and adjoin have a precise, undeviating meaning. “ ‘Abut’ means to touch at the end; be contiguous; join at a border or boundary; terminate; to end at; to border on; to reach or touch with an end . . .” (Words and Phrases, Permanent Edition, Volume 1, page 191.) “‘Adjoin’ means to be contiguous to; to be in contact with; to abut upon . . .” (Words and Phrases, supra, Vol. II, p. 393.) In legal terms and lay language, therefore, abut and adjoin can only mean to be in juxtaposition to. If a court decision will stretch the meaning of these words 13 feet, another decision can stretch them 13 yards or 130 yards, and in time the words will have no more precision than an elastic ruler.
I believe the lower court erred for another reason in granting a nonsuit. When the City defendant built steps in the middle of Hartford Street, it abandoned its right to assessment for the cost thereof against the property owners neither adjoining nor abutting that construction. By ordinance the City definitely laid aside 6 feet on either side of Hartford Street for sidewalks. *359Then, violating its own ordinance and defying its own plans, it proceeded to ignore- the sidewalk areas and invaded the very center of the cartway with wooden steps which it allowed to deteriorate into a dilapidated framework of peril to the community around.
The majority opinion states that it comes with ill grace for the plaintiffs to sue the defendant since they had for a time enjoyed a lawn and porch (neither of them on the plaintiffs’ property) contiguous to those steps. But the City was responsible for the wife-plaintiff’s mishap by inviting her to use an instrumentality which was decayed, rotted, weak and devoid of signs or lights warning the public of the danger underlying the treads climbing the steep grade of a public thoroughfare. As a consequence of this invitation, Mrs. Ignatowicz suffered serious injuries. Charging Mrs. Ignatowicz with “ill grace” is simply adding gratuitous insult to fortuitous injury.. Under the Agreed Statement of Facts in the case the defendant City admitted that: “The defective condition of said step existed for a long period of time, with direct knowledge of the City of Pittsburgh of said defective condition as a result of petitions of the property owners for the repair of the same and direct contact in connection therewith with City council.” (Emphasis supplied.)
The plaintiffs’ property abuts on the western edge of Hartford Street. The steps are in the center of the street. This fact absolves the plaintiffs from any responsibility for the steps. But, assuming arguendo, that some financial accountability attaches to the plaintiffs for the construction of the steps, why should they be charged with any greater liability in this respect than the property owners along the western edge of the street? Wasn’t the responsibility of the eastern proprietors equal at least to' that of the western proprietors? And that being so, on what basis can Mrs; *360Ignatowicz be totally deprived of the right to sue for injuries sustained through an improper maintenance of those steps?
The nonsuit entered in this case by the lower court left an ascending series of question marks, which, as I view it, have been added to by the majority opinion of this Court.
I dissent.