Court Opinion

ID: 9767338
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 05:16:58.919121+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:30.643562
License: Public Domain

ON REHEARING.
Mr. Justice Brewster
delivered the opinion of the Court.
Both Smith County and the City of Tyler have filed motions for rehearing. We have concluded that they should be, and they are, overruled.
5 However, the County makes this point: “We respectfully submit this Honorable Court should clarify in its declaratory judgment the respective rights as to opening the 90-foot street through the tract, so as to connect the two ends of Broadway, when and if the courthouse is moved and does not occupy any portion of said 90-foot area.” Although the fear is expressed that we may have so held, the County says: “We do not believe this Hororable Court intends for the language used in its opinion to mean that no such street can ever be opened under any circumstances.” That belief is well founded, as there is nothing in our original opinion which is fairly susceptible of being construed as holding that Broadway cannot ever or under any circumstances be extended through the public square when and if the courthouse is moved to some other part of the square or elsewhere “and does not occupy any portion of said 90-foot area.”
Tyler is a home-rule city. Under the provisions of Art. 1175, Sec. 15, Vernon’s Anno. Civ. Stat., it has the right of eminent *90domain “to appropriate private property for public purposes whenever the governing authorities shall deem it necessary * * * for any of the following purposes: * * * streets * * *. The power of eminent domain hereby conferred shall include the right of the governing authority, when so expressed, to take the fee in the lands so condemned and such power and authority shall include the right to condemn public property for such purposes.” (Italics ours.)
This question is discussed pro and con in Central Land Co. v. Grand Rapids, 302 Mich. 105, 144 A. L. R. 478, 4 N. W. 2d 485, and in the Annotation thereto, particularly in Anno. III a.
If counsel will refer to Kingsville Independent School District et al. v. Crenshaw et al. (Civ. App.), 164 S. W. 2d 49, (error dismissed, cor. judgt.) they will find how the desired result may be accomplished even without resort to condemnation proceedings.
Motions for rehearing overruled.
Delivered March 12, 1952.