Court Opinion

ID: 7819910
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-09-07 17:50:20.113366+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:30:42.741616
License: Public Domain

Carleton Harris, Chief Justice, dissenting in part, concurring in part. Referring to Scott Chancery Case No. 4612, in my view, the chancery court, under the “clean-up” doctrine, had jurisdiction. In the case of Gregory v. Oklahoma Mississippi River Products Lines, Inc., 223 Ark. 668, 267 W. 2d 953, appellee filed two suits in Woodruff Circuit Court, seeking to condemn easements, the causes then being consolidated. The appellant landowner moved to transfer to chancery court, contending that too much land was being taken. This was done. The trial court held that the corporation had the right to condemn easements, did condemn, and the landowner appealed. This court held that equity was an appropriate forum and the court approached this problem as follows: “The appeal presents two problems: (a) Was the Chancery Court’s order permitting entry appealable? (b) Did equity have jurisdiction to decree complete relief? “We have consistently held that where private property is to be taken, any public agency seeking to exercise the high prerogative of eminent domain must bring itself clearly within the law’s contemplation. A corollary is that no more land may be taken than the public need requires. “Another rule equally definite is that where equity jurisdiction exists in respect of an essential element of litigation and such jurisdiction is invoked, the process draws full power to determine all of the rights that are involved. [My emphasis]. Selle v. Fayetteville, 207 Ark. 966, 184 S.W. 2d 58. •** “The evidence convincingly shows that the company’s purpose is to operate as a public service agency. It has no production of its own, but must transport commodities without discrimination. This being true, the Chancellor’s finding that the easements were necessary will not be disturbed. “But inasmuch as there has been no judgment fixing the damages (a judgment Chancery has a right to render) the appeals are premature. The consolidated causes will therefore be remanded with directions to proceed in a manner not inconsistent with this opinion, t!ie sole question being the amount of damages.” See also Burton v. Ward, Chancellor, 218 Ark. 253, 236 S.W. 2d 65, consolidated with Beedeville Special Dist. § 28 v. Bone, Judge. Let it be noted that Gregory was not simply a matter of fixing damages, but rather the chancery court actually entered a condemnation order; in fact, as set out, the case was remanded back to chancery for the sole purpose of fixing damages. This court says that in Case No. 4612, the Scott County Chancery Court had no jurisdiction to condemn, although I take it from the opinion that if the landowner had invoked the aid of the chancery court on equitable grounds, this court would hold differently. This presents, to me, an enigma, for if there was no jurisdiction of the subject matter, jurisdiction could not be conferred by consent or otherwise — “period. ” In other words, if a chancery court has no jurisdiction, as here, under the “clean-up” doctrine, to enter an order of condemnation, I cannot understand how it suddenly acquires jurisdiction of the subject matter (to condemn) simply because the landowner invokes the aid of that court. Be that as it may, it is apparent that I consider that the chancery court, having originally properly acquired jurisdiction on the issue of specific performance, had jurisdiction to condemn and to determine the amount of damages, and under my view, the present decree should be reversed and the cause remanded to chancery court. Referring now to Scott Chancery Case No. E7417, the injunction case, I concur in the result. Of course, since I feel that the chancery court, under the “clean-up” doctrine, had jurisdiction, it is my view that, if dissatisfied with the fact that the chancery court would determine damages, the Rices should have filed an appeal. Admittedly, the decree under discussion (wherein the chancery court condemned the property) was entered in 1971. No appeal was ever taken by the landowner. To the contrary, appellees have sat by and permitted the highway department and its contractors to construct a new modern highway facility without any complaint; in fact, the highway has been completed across appellees’ lands except for the erection of a fence between their property and the highway. Then, at the late date of 1974, a collateral attack was made upon the 1971 decree. It is apparent, that in my opinion, the 1971 decree not having been appealed from, and the court having jurisdiction, the present effort for injunctive relief1 comes too late, and I accordingly am of the view that the injunction was improperly granted. Frank Holt, Justice, dissenting in part. I concur in that part of the majority opinion which holds that the chancery court lacked jurisdiction to condemn appellees’ property and award damages. Consequently, its 1971 decree was a nullity in that respect. However, I cannot agree it was error for the chancellor to issue a permanent injunction in 1974 in a related proceeding. The majority opinion recognizes that if a landowner acts before the taking of his property rights, he has the right to enjoin the taking until such time as just compensation is paid or secured to him. Arkansas State Highway Comm. v. Partain, 192 Ark. 127, 103 S.W. 2d 53 (1936). There we also said that if the landowner permits the highway department to appropriate his property, then he is limited to whatever relief the state provides. The rationale is that the landowner cannot sit idly by without any overt action and then institigate the litigation. This would be a coercive action and constitute a suit against the state. Here, however, the condemning authority instigated the litigation in 1971. The landowners, in response, sought and were denied adjudication of their property rights in the proper forum. The landowners were denied that right by a decree which today we hold a nullity. Manifestly, they were entitled, as they then asserted, to the right they sought. In the circumstances, I cannot say the appellee landowners sat idly by within the meaning of the cases cited in the majority opinion. Those cases are factually inapposite. The appellees in their brief assert, and properly so, that “the core of this controversy is” about the taking of their access rights. As indicated, the 1971 litigation was instituted by the highway department when the appellee landowners refused to sign a deed giving the highway department controlled access rights to their property. The landowners had previously signed a contract to sell 2.24 acres to it. That agreement did not include controlled access rights. In the 1971 litigation the chancellor agreed that the landowners were not required under their agreement to sign a deed which conveyed their access rights to the highway department. It is undisputed that following this decree and during construction of the highway the appellees were exercising their rights of access. It is further undisputed that the landowners acted promptly whenever these rights were threatened by appellant through its contractor. From the very beginning and here, the appellee landowners have sought to have just compensation for their property rights determined by a jury in the circuit court. The appellant highway commission maintains the proper forum is a court of equity where the department initiated the litigation. Today’s opinion precludes either forum to the parties. No doubt, it will come as quite a surprise to the landowners and the condemning authority since neither has sought the claims commission as being the proper forum. Again, I emphasize that the parent litigation was initiated by the state’s authority. It is, therefore, most difficult for me to perceive how the injunctive litigation which followed the state’s action can be construed as a coercive action against the state. I would affirm the decree. Byrd and Roy, JJ., join in the dissent.  Of course, had my view prevailed in Case No. 4612, the case would be remanded to the Scott County Chancery Court for determination of damages.