Schulte

Schulte v. North Pacific Transportation Co.

Good Law
50 Cal. 592
Supreme Court of CaliforniaJuly 1, 1875No. 3579California578 words

Opinion

lead Opinion

1. East street, in front of the plaintiff’s lot, is a public street, duly established as such, and connecting across its whole width at its southerly end with Folsom street, a public traveled street. From its intersection with Folsom street, *594 and running northerly in front of and beyond the plaintiff’s lot for a distance of several hundred feet, East street, as we understand the testimony, is planked over to its full width, and capable off being used for travel with vehicles or otherwise. In this important particular the case differs from George v. North Pacific Transportation Company, ante, p. 589, which turned upon the point that in that case the street had not been reclaimed from the water, so as to render it capable of use as a thoroughfare for travel, while, in the present case, there is a continuous street, capable of use as such, extending in front of the plaintiff’s premises, and to a distance of several hundred feet northerly, while at its southerly end it connects with Folsom, another public traveled street. Hor is it material by whom the street was improved so as to lit it for travel. By whomsoever the work was done, the plaintiffs, in common with the public, are…

concurrence Opinion

Rhodes, J.

I concur in the foregoing opinion and judgment. But I am also of the opinion that the right of the plaintiff to have access to and use of the street did not depend in any degree upon the fact that it had been planked, so that it might conveniently be used. A street is not the less a street because it may need excavation, filling, or piling and planking, and the public have a right to its use whatever may be its condition; and a private person who sustains a special damage by reason of an obstruction placed therein, may, in my opinion, sustain an action therefor. It might he more difficult to show special damage in such case, but if it be shown, the injured party is entitled to relief.

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