County of Los Angeles v. Union Distributing Co.

—In this eminent domain proceeding, plaintiff County of Los Angeles seeks to acquire, as a site for a municipal court building in San Pedro, 78,000 square feet of unimproved real property owned by defendant Union Distributing Company, a partnership. The jury found that the fair market value of the property on September 25, 1964 (date of filing complaint), was $156,000. Defendants (partnership and partners) appeal from the judgment that plaintiff shall become the owner of the property upon the payment to defendants of $156,000 and costs.

Appellants contend that the court erred in excluding evidence of the value of certain improved real property in the vicinity of defendants ’ property.

Defendants’ property is an unimproved parcel of 78,000 square feet which is bounded on the north by Fifth Street (in San Pedro), on the south by Sixth Street, and on the east by Centre Street. It is about three blocks west of the waterfront of the harbor and it has been vacant and unimproved about 35 years. There was testimony that prior to 1964 the general condition of property in that area was blighted—the structures in the area were 40 to 60 years old; although the area had once been the center…