Court Opinion

ID: 9854889
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:16:10.51886+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:34.658106
License: Public Domain

Nichols, Chief Justice,
concurring.
While I concur in the opinion in this case, I feel that an explanation to the bench and bar is needed with reference to the holding in Division 1 of the opinion.
In Bowers v. Fulton County, 221 Ga. 731 (146 SE2d 884) (1966) in an opinion authored by Justice Quillian and concurred in by Chief Justice Duckworth, Justices Candler, Almand and Grice, this court held: "Art. I, Sec. Ill, Par. I of the Constitution (Code Ann. § 2-301) is susceptible to no construction except the condemnee is entitled to be compensated for all damage done to his property and expenses caused by the condemnation proceedings. Such damages and expenses are separate and distinct items from the amount which he is entitled to recover as the actual value of his building.” Justices Mobley and Cook dissented from that opinion. That decision quoted the language of Chief Justice Bleckley in Oliver v. Union Point &c. R. Co., 83 Ga. 257 (1) (9 SE 1086) (1889) where it was held: " 'The constitutional provision that private property is not to be taken for public purposes without just and adequate compensation being first paid, is too plain to be misunderstood, and is not to be violated or evaded by the legislature or the courts.’ ”
After theBoicers case was remanded to the trial court for further proceedings, a second appeal was taken to this court. Again, the condemnee sought to recover the expenses of litigation and also sought to recover attorney *351fees. The appeal was transferred to the Court of Appeals (Bowers v. Fulton County, 225 Ga. 745 (171 SE2d 308) (1969)), and in a division opinion that court held that while the Supreme Court had held that the condemnee is "entitled to be compensated for all damage to his property and expense caused by the condemnation proceedings” (emphasis supplied) that such ruling had no application to expenses of litigation and attorney fees. On certiorari in Bowers v. Fulton County, 227 Ga. 814 (183 SE2d 347) (1971), with Justice Felton and the writer disqualified, a majority consisting of three Justices of this court and one designated superior court judge affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeals. Two Justices and one designated superior court judge dissented.
A majority of this court now holds, as was held in Bowers, I (1966), supra, that the language of the Constitution requires the conclusion that a condemnee is entitled to recover expenses caused by the condemnation proceedings. This includes attorney fees as well as other expenses of litigation.