Petition for Writ of Certiorari — City of New Haven v. Town of East Haven
Supreme Court brief1973
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AMIERAEL-RE DEK, a
In the
Supreme Court of the United States
JANUARY TERM, 1973
‘. YQ1137
Tue Ciry Or New Haven,
Petitioners,
v.
THe Town Or East HAVEN, ET ALS.,
Respondents.
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO
THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
Rocer J. FRECHETTE, Esq.,
215 Church Street,
New Haven, Conn. 06510
Attorney for Petitioner.
THE MACK CO.,. NORTH HAVEN, CONN.
EO A EPR LS OEIC EL LAL ESSE OGLE TEE EEE SEN A” EMT elm
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Opinions REE ace tee a ee ene
Jurisdiction ag. ties te i gle an Mrs ECE et 1d
Questions pel seca ty ae eve cere
Statement of the Case Re ee oe
Reasons for Granting the Writ
I.
II.
If In Fact And In Law There Is An Inverse
Condemnation, Is The Taker Of Overflight
Easements The Operator Of The Airport, The
Federal Aviation Administrator, Or The Air-
lines: And Is The Analogy Of The Bridge
And Its Approaches, Basis For Legal Liability
Or Should The Dissents By Justices Black
And Burton Be Adopted? 2...
Whether This Court In United States v. Caus-
by, 328 U.S. 256 And In Griggs v. Allegheny
County, 369 U.S. 84 Requires Substantial
Diminution of Market Value By Frequent,
Low, Noisy Overflights In Superadjacent Air-
space Above The Plaintiffs’ Land Or May
6-12 Flights Per Day Over Contiguous Prop-
erty Which Result In Consequential Damages,
Provide The Basis For Inverse Condemna-
tion, And If The Latter Is So, Is The Case
Of Richards v. Washington Terminal Co., 233
U.S. 546 (The Basis for Causby) Overruled?
B. Frequency Resulting i aa
11
11
13
a Me lae ee see
Ill.
IV.
VI.
(A) Does The Following Allegation In The
Complaint, Absent Diversity Of Citi-
zenship, Invoke Federal Jurisdiction
When It Is The Only Jurisdictional Al-
RSs enero ahaa leetee
(B) Does Title 28 U.S.C. Section 1331 Re-
quire That The Matter In Controversy
Exceed $10,000.00 In Addition To Inter-
ests And Costs So That When It Ap-
pears With “Legal Certainty” The Plain-
tiffs’ Claim Cannot Attain That Amount,
Must The Court Dismiss The Complaint?
Does The Trial Court’s Adoption Of A Dimi-
nution Of Value Formula, The Basis For
Which Was Unknown To The Appraiser So
Testifying, Constitute An Unconstitutional
Taking Of The Defendants’ Property When
There Is No Other Evidence Of Diminution
Tg RE a tel edn Sear aera eke Aree
Does The Requirement Of Certainty of
Judgment Permit The Court To Grant An
Easement Running In Favor Of The Defend-
ants And Against The Plaintiffs To Cover
Flights Over Land Contiguous To The Plain-
a PANE EERIE TSA Pa eee eterna ans
After The Trial Of A Case On The Merits
And More Than Six Months After Briefs Are
Filed, Does The Court Have Authority To
Order “A Supplemental Hearing As To Dam-
ages Only” When The Question Of Liability
And Damages Are Inextricably Intertwined?
ee NE SAEs REAL So ORTON MIRC
erEeEEeEnND THROLIGH POOR COPY
AIR BIOL ARRON RAM MELEE BIOTA Ee Gich EOE ELE ..
PAGE
15
17
18
iii
TABLE OF CITATIONS
PAGE
Constitution of the State of Connecticut
Article I, Sectionn Va .-ccccvcccwscnscstcmtmnememnennnenanste
STATUTES:
98 U.S.C. Section L108 (dL) .....-.occccsenneeecnnenennnnnn : 8
9B U.S.C. Sector OSD .ncccccccccccecnccnnnnnenncnenmenennnn 3, 15,17
98 U.S.C. Section 21OL (0) ..crcccccccce ceeeeeecteecnsnentnennen samen 2
49 US.C. Section 1101 et. seq. nn... ean nnenennnnmmnnnm Gy 2B
49 U.S.C. Section 1331 ............ Be eet acetal ae
CASES:
Aaron v. United States, 311 F.2d 798 (Ct. Cl. 1963) 13, 14, 24
Aaron v. United States, 340 F.2d 665 (Ct. Cl. 1964)... 14
Adaman Mutual Water Co. v. United States, 186 F.
Supp. 658 (Ct. Cl. 1958)... 24
Avery v. United States, 330 F.2d 640, 643, (Ct. ca. 1964) 24
Bacon v. United States, 295 F.2d 1936 (1961) . _ 14,24
Barney v. New York, 193 U.S. 430, 1904 . a: 16
Batten v. United States, 306 F.2d 580 cert. . ceed 3
L. U.S. 955 carter eset ik Anand tice ete OIA 12, 24
Boardman v. United States, 316 F. od 895 (Ct. Cl. 1968) 24
Dewar v. Brocks, 16 F. Supp. 636 D.C. Nev. 1936 . 17
East Haven, et al v. New Haven, et als, 159 Conn. 971
A. 9d. 110 (1970) . bi ON sor RAUB GS sae RO 4,15
Par v. City of Keene, 238 AQd ee Sgn Sols 24
Freeman v. United States, 167 F. Supp. 541 tod Okla.
on a Gees Uaaoence ears 24
Gardner v. County of Allegheny y, 353 Pa. 120, ‘194, 42
A.2d 187, 192 (1958) .. 7
Gasoline Products Compan y V. ” Champlin. ‘Refining,
(1931) 283 U.S. 494, 498, 499, 51 S. Ct. 513, 75
“he gy ee Rent inborn cme) autre nae onan 22
iv
PAGE
Griggs v. Allegheny County, 369 U.S. 84 ........ 6,7, 8, 11, 12,
13, 14, 22, 24
Griggs v. Allegheny, 402 Pa. 411, 168 A.2d 133 (1960) 7
Hahn v. Gottlieb, 430 F.2d 1243 La. Mass. 1970 ............ 17
Jensen v. United States, 305 F.2d 444 (Ct. Cl. 1962) ... 13,14
Mosher v. City of Phoenix, 287 U.S. 29 (1932) ......... 16
Richards v. Washington Terminal Co., 233 U.S. 546 2, 10, 11, 13
Schubert v. United States, 246 F. Supp. 1970 (S.D. Tex.
© iat EC beh Ro Ned UR TOE eee ee %4
Smith v. Maryland Casualty Company, 292 F. Supp.
ak EE Eee nea eee eT en 17
Thornburg v. Port of Portland, 233 Ore. 178, 376 P.2d
100 (1962) . ar: 12
Twenty-One Mining Co. v. Original Six ¢ to tien Mine,
(CCAG. 1921) 265 F. 469 | me 22
United States v. Causby, 328 US. 256 =a 2, 6, 1, 8 10, 11, 12,
13, 14, 21, 22, 24
United States v. Merz, 306 F.2d 39 (1962) . 20
United States of America v. City of New Haven, et als,
447 F.2d 972 (2nd Cir.) . 8
United Sattes v. Raines, 362 U. s. IT a at Page 26 (1960)
ALE aR ee 16
United States v. 357.25 Acres of Land, 35 F. Sue. 361
(wd La. 1944) . : 24
Watts v. Wattle, (U.S. ) 6 Pet. 389, 8 L. Ed. 437 21
LAW REVIEW ARTICLES:
Marshall T. Bohannon, Airport Easements, Va. L.R.
Vol. 54, p. 355 et seq. 1965... 23
Berger, Nobody Loves an Airport, s. Cal. " R. 1970 23
Rule 59, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure . res 22
BLEED THROUGH POOR COPY
In the
Supreme Court of the United States
JANUARY TERM, 1973
No.
Tue Crry Or NEw HaAvEN,
Petitioners,
v.
THe Town Or East HAVEN, ET ALS.,
Respondents.
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO
THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
The Petitioner, the City of New Haven, respectfully prays
that a writ of certiorari issue to review the judgment, with-
out opinion, of the United States Court of Appeals for the
Second Circuit entered in this proceeding on November 22,
1972.
OPINIONS BELOW
The opinion of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, as yet
unreported, appears at Appendix A, infra pp. la to 8a.
The opinion of the United States District Court, District of
Connecticut is reported at 331 F. Supp. 358 16 (S.D.N.Y.
1971) and the supplemental opinion of said District Court is
reported at 333 F. Supp. 338 (S.D.N.Y. 1971).
i
Ee Ee ae |
Seren her Rtas Ga ean” —_—
JURISDICTION
The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Second Cir-
cuit was entered on November 22, 1972. This Court’s juris-
diction is invoked under United States Code Title 28 Section
2101(c).
QUESTIONS PRESENTED
1. If in fact and in law there is an inverse condemnation,
is the taker of overflight easements the operator of the airport,
the Federal Aviation Administrator, or the airlines; and is the
analogy of the bridge and its approaches basis for legal liabil-
ity, or should the dissents by Justices Black and Burton be
adopted?
2. Whether this Court in United States v. Causby, 328
U.S. 256 and in Griggs v. Allegheny County, 369 U.S. 84 re-
quires substantial diminution of market value by frequent,
low, noisy overflights in superadjacent airspace above the
plaintiffs’ land or may 6-12 flights per day over contiguous
property which result in consequential damages, provide the
basis for inverse condemnation, and if the latter is so, is the
case of Richards v. Washington Terminal Co., 233 U.S. 546
(The basis for Causby ) overruled?
3. (a) Does the following allegation in the complaint, ab-
sent diversity of citizenship, invoke federal jurisdiction when
it is the only jurisdictional allegation:
“33. In addition, the defendant, acting under color of
state laws, grants and licenses, have deprived the plain-
tiffs of their rights and privileges guaranteed by the laws
and constitution of the State of Connecticut, in violation
of the plaintiffs’ Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the
Constitution of the United States.”
(b) Does Title 28 U.S.C. Section 1331 require that the
matter in controversy exceed $10,000.00 in addition to inter-
ests and costs so that when it appears with “legal certainty”
the plaintiffs’ claim cannot attain that amount, must the Court
dismiss the complaint?
4. Does the trial court’s adoption of a diminution of value
formuia, the basis for which was unknown to the appraiser so
testifying, constitute an unconstitutional taking of the de-
fendants’ property when there is no other evidence of diminu-
tion of value?
5. Does the requirement of certainty of judgment permit
the Court to grant an undefined easement running in favor of
the defendants and against the plaintiffs to cover flights over
land contiguous to the plaintiffs’?
6. After the trial of a case on the merits and more than
six months after briefs are filed, does the Court have auth-
ority to order “a supplemental hearing as to damages only”
when the question of liability and damages are inextricably
intertwined?
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
The facts relevant to the questions presented by this petition
are uncontrovertial and, therefore, may be introduced to the
Court in a summary fashion, and references herein are to
the opinion unless otherwise denoted.
Thirteen plaintiffs sued Eastern and Allegheny Airlines and
the Federal Aviation Administrator in U. S. District Court for
the District of Connecticut asking for money damages and
asking an injunction prohibiting turbo-prop and jet aircraft
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4
from taking off and landing at Tweed-New Haven Airport,
the title of which is owned by the petitioner and which airport
physically is located in both East Haven and New Haven.
The Federal Aviation Administrator successfully moved to
have the suit dismissed as to him on jurisdictional grounds,
At the urging of the Court, the petitioner herein, the City
of New Haven, was cited in as an additional defendant, and
three motions to dismiss filed by the petitioner were denied.
Town of East Haven et al v. Eastern Airlines et als, 282 F.
Supp. 507 (D. Conn. 1968). The plaintiffs claimed a vio-
lation of State, Constitutional and Statutory rights which re-
sulted in an inverse condemnation.
After a trial in October of 1970 and the filing of briefs in
December of 1970 the Trial Court on July 31, 1971 found for
the defendant airlines on all counts, found for the petitioner
as against six plaintiffs, and found there was a partial taking
as to seven plaintiffs, but as to these plaintiffs the Court found
they failed in their proof of damages, but it ordered a sup-
plemental hearing as to damages only as to these plaintiffs, and
that hearing took place October 18, 1972. The short testi-
mony as to damages is printed in its entirety as the peti-
tioner avers that as a matter of law the formula method em-
ployed by the appraiser is insufficient to compute money dam-
ages. (App. pp. 9a-73a )
The City has owned the entire airport, one-half of which is
located in East Haven, since 1290. The City of New Haven
has no right to condemn property in East Haven for airport
purposes. East Haven, et als v. New Haven, et als, 159
Conn. 271 A.2d 110 (1970). Every flight and every aspect of
every landing and take off at the airport is under the direc-
tion, control, and jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Ad-
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5
ministrator along with the Civil Aeronautics Board; thus, the
United States government so controls aviation that a pilot
cannot even board a plane without F.A.A. approval. The
City has no legal power to stop any flight from landing or
taking off as that power is exclusively in the Federal Govern-
ment.
There was no evidence of, and the Court did not find that
airplanes passed through superadjacent airspace over the real
property owned by any of the plaintiffs (pp. 17, 21, 22, 2A,
96, 54) but rather the Court found that the planes were over
property near that of the plaintiffs. There were 6-12 flights
per day and all flights complied with F.A.A. regulations.
(Opinion pp. 11, 13, 36-39) There is currently a temporary
mandatory injunction affirmed by the Second Circuit Court of
Appeals requiring the City to keep its runway open to the
distance of 4,370 feet. The Court found normal real estate
activity and no mass exodus of residents. (pp. 57, 58). No
plaintiffs were sick, none sold their homes at a loss, none failed
to acquire financing, all testified that their property had in-
creased in value and that the neighborhood has been stable.
Most had improved their property since the advent of turbo
jets.
The District Court found at the end of the case in chief that
the plaintiffs had failed to prove damages and that it could
dismiss the case because of that; the Court nevertheless al-
lowed a supplemental hearing as to damages only. (Opinion
p. 58) The only evidence then, because the Court, a
fori, found it needed expert evidence to compute damages,
took place at the supplemental hearing. The only evidence
as to damages consisted of the use by plaintiffs’ appraiser of
a formula which he read about in a journal and about which
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6
he talked to the author once on the telephone. (App. pp. 37a,
38a) The expert admitted he knew nothing of the airport which
was the alleged basis of the formula, he did not know the
type of planes involved, the number of planes per day, the
type of property they flew over, the number of engines the
planes had, the time of the flights, and yet this assessment of
damages was applied verbatum by the Court. And this for-
mula was used by the Court despite the appraiser’s admission
that the advent of jet aircraft had appreciated the properties
surrounding O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Lastly the appraiser
testified the only property which was sold after the date of the
taking, sold for its pre-taking value, therefore disproving the
formula.
On November 22, 1972 the Court below affirmed the judg-
ment of the District Court.
REASONS FOR GRANTING WRIT
I. Ir IN Fact AND INLAW THERE Is AN INVERSE
CONDEMNATION, Is THE TAKER OF OVERFLIGHT
EASEMENTS THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRPORT, THE
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATOR, OR THE AIR-
LINES: AND Is THE ANALOGY OF THE BRIDGE
AND Its APPROACHES, BAsIs For LEGAL LIABILITY,
Or SHOULD THE DissENTs By Justices BLACK
AND BurRTON BE ADOPTED?
The only two cases decided by this Court, Griggs v. Alle-
gheny County, 369 U.S. 84 and United States v. Causby, 328
U.S. 256, state that frequent, low, noisy, overflights which de-
stroy or substantially reduce the value of property constitute
a taking by the operator of an airport, although in Griggs one
oo ats or " me aes ABI SND A! ERE ot T
7
of the three prospective defendants (the airlines) was not be-
fore the Court as they were dropped as a defendant in State
Court proceedings. The plaintiff had the option to proceed
under trespass or taking, and Griggs chose the taking theory
releasing the airlines (see Gardner v. County of Allegheny, 353,
Pa. 120, 124, 142 A.2d 187, 192 (1958), Griggs v. Allegheny
402 Pa. 411, 168 A.2d 133 (1960). In Causby the airlines
were not a defendant because the operator of the airport and
the aircraft was the same, the United States Government.
In Causby, a 6-2 decision, the legal question of whom is
taker was never in issue as the government, being both the
operator of the airport and the operator of the aircraft never
presented this problem. Therefore, the only case addressing
itself to this problem is Griggs, and as was pointed out in
the preceding paragraph, the airlines (the operator of the
aircraft) were not a party to the suit, nor was the Federal
Aviation Administrator, the regulator of navigable airspace.
At pages 89 and 90 of Griggs this court rationalizes why
the promoter, owner and lessor of the airport is the taker, in
the Constitutional sense, of the air easements. This Court held,
subject to the approval of the Federal Aviation Administrator,
the owner determines where the airport would be built, what
runways it will need, their directions and length, what land
and navigation easements would be needed. That sentence
unfortunately argues the conclusion — the owner does not
need an easement — it only needs a runway which is access-
ible to aircraft — for example, if the owner of blackacre at
the end of a runway located in another city attempted to erect
a radio tower, it would not be the owner of the airport but
the Federal Aviation Administrator who would be the only one
who could compel its destruction or obtain an injunction
PoP. grates al Ne ee |
wet LEE RM SBI
against its erection. United States of America v. City of New
Haven, et als, 447 F.2d 972 (2nd Cir.)
This Court correctly commented at Page 85 of Griggs, that
the entire operation of airplanes, from the inserting of the key
in the ignition to the permission required to take off and land
is peculiarly in the absolute control of the F.A.A. If the
F.A.A. approves an airport and contributes funds for its con-
struction, and if at a later date there is a “taking” case, there
is no more reason, because of a grant agreement, to hold the
operator liable then to find the Federal Aviation Administra-
tion liable. That is so because it is the Federal Aviation
Administrator who, by Statute (Title U.S.C. 1108(d)), must
be satisfied so as to approve any project with respect to any
airport. Therefore, if the caretaker of the airspace, the Fed-
eral Aviation Administrator, has approved flights in and out of
an airport, it-is he, by approving, allowing and encouraging
such flights, who should be held liable for a taking or an
inverse condemnation, for it is under the public’s right to
travel that Congress has granted the Administrator such all
encompassing power. Causby stands for the proposition that
the United States Government should be liable for a taking.
Griggs did not have the actual trespassers, the airlines, as de-
fendants in the case because Griggs chose not to proceed in
trespass under Pennsylvania law, and therefore, this Court held
the owner liable on a taking theory based upon a breach of a
constitutional duty to acquire sufficient real estate so that the
clear zones are over the fee owned by the operator. Further,
the Court analogized that the governmental owner of an air-
port is likened to the governmental owner of a bridge which
would not be a usable facility unless the government owned
at least an easement over the land necessary for the ap-
er sok CSAS CRE AI Lal Ry PATENT Aad OARS NENG AONE ELIE IE ORI FP GOLTT Li EE -—
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proaches to the bridge. That is precisely the position this
petitioner has taken — with one notable exception which was
missing from the analogy of the bridge, and which makes the
case of an airport and its clear zones even stronger than that
of the bridge and its approaches. That is Congress has not
seen fit to place the entire road system, from the insertion of
the key in the ignition of a car through the absolute control of
the time and direction of movement of the cars, within a
governmental agency; therefore, even if the statement by
this Court that a county which built a bridge and which
county did not acquire highway easements approaching the
bridge would be guilty of a taking (it would not), the fact and
law of the matter is that the owner of the airport is powerless
to prevent airlines from using the airport — that is in the
peculiar, exclusive control of the Federal Aviation Administra-
tor. It is clear that the Court cannot order the City to shut
down the airport because of Title 49 Sec. 1101 et. seq. and if
the Court cannot order it, the City certainly cannot unilater-
ally refuse the airlines (the public in its right to travel) the
right to land and take off. Therefore, the owner of an air-
port is without a legal remedy to avoid the consequences of
the holding which makes the owner the taker.
Further, the analogy of the bridge and its approaches is
faulty. Suppose the City of New Haven built a bridge in
New Haven which had its terminus abutting a playground in
East Haven. Suppose further a car traversed the bridge and
entered the playground. That is not a “taking” by New Haven.
The operator of the car has committed a trespass, but the
owner of the bridge has committed no wrong as to the own-
er of the playground. This Court so held, by analogy in
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10
Causby when it affirmed the holding of Richards v. Washing.
ton Terminal Company, 233 U.S. 546.
It is equally obvious that the operator of the aircraft com-
mits the trespass; in the supposed case the trespassers are
Allegheny and Eastern Airlines, which are public carriers op-
erating under authority and direction of the Civil Aeronautics
Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, both of which
function to satisfy the right of the public to travel.
Therefore, it is inescapable that the public is the logical one
who takes and therefore, the logical one to pay for a “taking”
if the Courts are going to enter judgments based on “taking”.
The remedy in a “taking” case should be the right of the
property owner to recover from the F.A.A. and thus all of the
public who have the right to travel would pay for that right.
The alternative is to hold the air carriers liable as they, once
again with the permission of the Federal Government, may
increase prices to obtain money to pay for the taking, and
thus that portion of the public which travels will pay for the
right.
If the operator of the airport must pay, it not only has no
basis in law because of the fallacy of the bridge analogy, but
it is grossly unfair to the already overburdened city property
tax will be adversely affected again; the National Airport
Plan will be thwarted as no city, or county will open airports,
and the result, country-wide, will be that reaction of Los
Angeles — close the airport.
This Court should find no taking or if a taking is found, the
taker should be the United States Government.
11
I]. WHETHER Tuis Court IN United States v. Causby,
328 U.S. 256 AND IN Griggs v. Allegheny County,
369 U.S. 84 REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL DIMINUTION
Or MARKET VALUE By FREQUENT, Low, Noisy
OVERFLIGHTS IN SUPERADJACENT AIRSPACE
AspoveE THE PLAINTIFFS’ LAND Or May 6-12
FLIGHTS PER Day OvER CONTIGUOUS PROPERTY
WuicH REsuLtT IN CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES,
ProvipE THE Basis For INVERSE CONDEMNA-
TION, AND IF THE LaTTER Is So, Is THE CasE OF
Richards v. Washington Terminal Co., 233 U.S
546 (THE Basis For Causby) OVERRULED?
The decision below directly conflicts with the only two
“taking” cases decided by the United States Supreme Court,
United States v. Causby, 328 U.S. 256 and Griggs v. Allegheny
County, 369 USS. 84.
A.
Overflights
In Causby this Court analyzed the 1914 case of Richards
v. Washington Terminal Company, 233 U.S. 546 and conclud-
ed the principle that a transportation system authorized by
law and lawfully operated cannot be deemed a private nuis-
ance, and that the result visited upon the plaintiff was not a
taking but consequential damages. Justice Douglas care-
fully distinguished Richards by stating at page 262 of Causby:
“In that case property owners whose lands adjoin a rail-
road line were denied recovery for damage resulting from
the noise, vibrations, smoke and the like incidental to
the operation of the trains.”
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In Causby this Court further said (328 U.S. at 262),
“In the supposed case, the line of flight is over the land.
And the land is appropriately as directly and completely
as if it were used for the runways themselves.”
In Griggs this Court said (369 U.S. at 87 quoting Judge Bell),
“Regular and almost continuous daily flights, often
several minutes apart, have been made by a number of
airlines directly over and very, very close to plaintiffs
residence.”
The Trial Court in its Memorandum of Decision discussed
favorably the requirement of overflights and then admitting
that, in the Tweed-New Haven Airport,
“The planes landing and taking off from these runways
must have passed so very close to these properties, if not
directly over them, as to make it seem like unrealistic
nitpicking to deprive these plaintiffs of the Causby rule.
As a practical matter, these properties were directly af-
fected by the flight.” (Page 54, 55)
The Trial Court then cited as its only authority for the lack of
overflights the case of Thornburg v. Port of Portland, 233 Ore.
178 376 P.2d 100 (1962), a case which was sent back for trial,
as affects Tweed-New Haven Airport, on the basis that over-
flights were not necessary for inverse condemnation and Thorn-
burg cited as its authority for such a proposition the dissent
in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals case of Batten v. United
States, 306 F.2d 580 cert. denied 371 U.S. 955. At page 104
of its decision Thornburg refused to affirm the trial court hold-
ing because certiorari was pending before this Court and it
expected Batten to be overruled. However, the dissent in
Batten has never been adopted, rendering nugatory Thornburg
as certiorari was denied. Judge McLean states, at page 50 of
his Memorandum of Decision,
13
“Although there is no decision directly binding on one
as to how Causby and Griggs should be interpreted 1 feel
that only cogent reasons should induce one to depart
from the great weight of Federal authority in other cir-
cuits. I have not found a sufficiently compelling reason
to do so.”
Then Judge McLean disregarded his own reasons and found
that overflights were not necessary and found for the plain-
tiffs, despite the fact there is not one Federal Court Decision
supporting his position, and the only two Supreme Court cases
hold to the contrary. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals, in
its judgment (App. pp. la-8a) did not even comment on the
question that overflights are necessary for an inverse condem-
nation — if they are not, what is the theory of a taking?
Richards, and therefore, Causby and Griggs rule out legal
nuisance, and in effect the Trial Court has overruled Causby
and Griggs by dispensing with Richards.
B.
Frequently Resulting In Damage.
This Court held in Causby at page 266,
“Flights over private land are not a taking, unless they
are so low and so frequent as to be a direct and immedi-
ate interference with the enjoyment and use of the land.”
At Tweed-New Haven the only evidence of low, frequent
flights is six to twelve (Opinion Page 10-13), and the height
of the flights was “Less than 500 feet” (Opinion Page 55).
The Court cited Aaron v. United States, 311 F.2d 798 Ct. Cl.
1963 and Jensen v. United States, 305 F.2d 444 Ct. Cl. 1962
as authority for the proposition that these were sufficient
flights although at page 55 the Court concluded,
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14
“Although the question in close, I conclude, in all the
evidence, that there was sufficiently direct and immediate
interference with these plaintiffs’ use and enjoyment of
their land to constitute a taking.”
Aaron involved 200 flights per day and Jensen involved 700
flights per day over the plaintiffs’ land — clearly not the 6-12
at Tweed-New Haven.
In Causby this Court referred to closeness over the plaintiffs’
land or 67 feet above the house; in Griggs they were 12 feet
over the plaintiffs’ chimney. The measurements are important
as the small jets and turbo-props not over the plaintiffs’ homes
in East Haven did not render
“A valuable factory site to grazing land, an orchard to
a vegetable patch, a residential section to a wheat field.
Some value would remain. But the use of the airspace
immediately above the land would limit the utility of
the land and cause diminution of value.” Causby at page
262.
nor do they so affect property so that
“... no home could be built, no tree planted, no fence
constructed, no chimney erected. An invasion of the
superadjacent airspace will often effect the use of the sur-
face of the land itself.” Griggs, supra at 88-89.
Tweed-New Haven then does not have chickens killing them-
selves against the wall (Causby), plaintiffs driven from their
homes (Griggs), banks refusing to mortgage property (Bacon
v. United States, 295 F.2d 1936 (1961), inability to raise chick-
ens (Aaron v. United States, 340 F.2d 665 (Ct. Cl. 1964), the
frequently falling objects and Palls of black smoke (Jensen
v. United States, 305 F.2d 444 (Ct. Cl. 1962) nor the lack of
a market for homes.
SHOWIN:
—_., - —_— *" - -~vTer. Te eT. ee
—E7~ smeats om
— eee |
15
Ill.
(A) Doers THE FOLLOWING ALLEGATION IN THE
CoMPLAINT, ABSENT DiversiTy OF CITIZENSHIP,
INVOKE FEDERAL JURISDICTION WHEN IT Is THE ‘
ONLY JURISDICTIONAL ALLEGATION: i
“33. In addition, the defendant, acting under color of
state laws, grants and licenses, have deprived the plaintiffs
of their rights and privileges guaranteed by the laws and
constitution of the State of Connecticut, in violation of
the plaintiffs’ Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the
Constitution of the United States.”
The only Statute which plaintiffs claim invokes Federal
Court jurisdiction is 28 U.S.C. 1331. This Statute has a two-
pronged requirements to invoke jurisdiction — it must exceed
$10,000.00 in controversy exclusive of interest and costs and
it must have arisen under the Constitution, laws or treaties
of the United States.
The only allegation in Paragraph 33 of plaintiffs’ amended
complaint is that they have been denied rights and privileges
guaranteed by the laws and constitution of Connecticut.
That is a state wrong which, by the allegation of the wrong,
is subject to State Court redress, as no Federal question is in-
volved and obviously there is no diversity of citizenship be-
tween two Connecticut towns. The Connecticut State Courts
have had aspects of this case before it since 1967. East Haven,
et als v. New Haven, et als, 159 Conn. 453, and the State
Court has not hesitated to act, as they are continuing to do
at this very moment.
Obviously laws and treaties are eliminated as a jurisdictional
basis for 28 U.S.C. 1331 in this case. What allegation shows
the Constitutional Requirement? Obviously it is not a Fifth
.
ee. eo) ee ee ee he tS co. |
IGE WH Nee EME TRAIN OWNER Te OA ESE S NAAN AI, OER ED i... ,
|
16
Amendment taking because it is not the Federal Government
that is taking and the Fifth Amendment only applies to the
Federal Government in a taking case. There is no allegation
that there is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment be-
cause Paragraph 33 expressly states that if the defendants did
what they are alleged to have done, this is in violation of the
Constitution and laws of the State of Connecticut, and Arti-
cle I, Section 11 of the Constitution of the State of Connecti-
cut provides no remedy in State Courts. In short, the plain-
tiffs have pleaded a state constitution and State law violation
and they have pleaded they have State Court remedies, which
they certainly have, and therefore, the plaintiffs have never
pleaded themselves into Federal jurisdiction.
The case of Mosher v. City of Phoenix, 287 U.S. 29 (1932) er-
roneously relied upon by the trial court, and not commented on
by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, is directly in point and
supports petitioner's claim attacking lack of Federal Court juris-
diction because in Mosher it was pleaded that Arizona law
allowed a taking without compensation, directly the opposite
of what East Haven has pleaded here. Further, this Court
in United States v. Raines, 362 U.S. 17 at page 26 (1960) Note
6 points out exactly what the defendant claims here — it does
not appear that the State offered no remedy at all to the prop-
erty owner, and therefore, Barney v. New York, 193 U.S. 430
1904 although clearly eroded, has not been eroded for the
proposition of Note 6 of Raines, and there is no Federal Court
jurisdiction of the subject matter of this complaint.
ae .
17
(B) Dogs TiTLe 28 U.S.C. SECTION 1331 REQUIRE
THat THE Matter IN CONTROVERSY EXCEED
$10,000.00 IN AppDITION To INTERESTS AND CosTs
So THAT WHEN It APPEARS WITH “LEGAL CERTAIN-
ty” THE PLAINTIFFS’ CLAIM CANNOT ATTAIN THAT
AMOUNT, Must THE CourT DIsMIss
THE COMPLAINT?
The law is clear that unless the Court can say with legal
certainty that a plaintiff cannot attain the requisite $10,000.00
jurisdictional amount, the Court must dismiss the case because
it has no jurisdiction. Smith v. Maryland Casualty Company,
992 F. Supp. 358, D.C. La. 1968. Further plaintiffs may not
pool their claims to maintain an action. Dewar v. Brocks,
F. Supp. 636, D.C. Nev. 1936 16; Hahn v. Gottlieb, F.2d 12A3,
L.A. Mass. 1970, 430. Upon appeal the Appellate Court's
first question to the defendants was “Why are you here with
$18,000.00 among seven plaintiffs?” That is precisely the
point we raised at the trial level, appellate level and raise
here. Has there not been a violation of the equal protection
clause of the Constitution when, despite the proof, not with
legal, but with mathematical certainty, the plaintiffs cannot
satisfy the threshold requirement of $10,000.00 damages.
The defendant-petitioner filed 3 motions to dismiss based
upon the failure of the plaintiffs to satisfy the jurisdiction re-
quirement of Title 28 Section 1331 (9/21/71, App. pp. 74a-77a)
and (App. pp. 78a-87a) supplemental cases of July 31, 1970,
(App. pp. 87a-92a) These motions and the answer
show with legal and mathematical certainty that from the in-
ception of the case there was no chance for any plaintiff to
remotely approach $10,000.00 damages. Volumes 7 and 8
of the Appendix filed in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals,
ee ed
oT Te. eee ne ed
ue a
nae Ct OY eee MARE
ie Kot lhe? to celigt 6? iehliba ve He PSA
sf
N
‘
fi)
“
18
Pages 616a-769a and these pages are devoid of evidence of
$10,000.00 damages. At the end of the case in chief it was
obvious that the claim of lack of jurisdiction amount still
could not be met; (Opinion 58) the formula proved it, and yet
jurisdiction was maintained. ,
There clearly was no jurisdiction under either provision of
Title 49, U.S.C. 1331, and the Trial Court should have dis-
missed the action as the Second Circuit Court of Appeals
should have done.
IV. Doers THE TRIAL Court’s ADOPTION OF A Dim-
INUTION OF VALUE FORMULA, THE Basis For
WuicH Was UNKNOWN To THE APPRAISER So
TESTIFYING, CONSTITUTE AN UNCONSTITUTION-
AL TAKING OF THE DEFENDANTS’ PROPERTY
WHEN THERE Is No OTHER EvIDENCE OF Dim-
INUTION OF VALUE?
The Trial Court had no legal evidence of damages (diminu-
tion of property values) before it. At the end of the trial in
chief in October of 1970, and six months after briefs were
filed, the Trial Court rendered its Opinion July 31, 1971 which
found a “taking” by the operator of the airport, the defendant
City of New Haven, but the Court found (Tr. 58),
“There has actually been a failure of proof on this sub-
ject and I could dismiss the plaintiffs’ claims for com-
pensation on that ground. To do so seems to me unjust.
Accordingly, I will hold a further hearing limited strictly
to this question of amount of compensation, at which time
both sides may offer further evidence on the subject . . .”
The Court then, a fiori, states that the question of damages
is one that the Court could not assess without expert testi-
19
mony and, therefore, the Court found that it can assess
damages in a supplemental hearing based upon the testimony
of an expert and it did not, prior to the supplemental hear-
ing, have evidence of damages. In fact it stated above that it
could dismiss the plaintiffs’ claims for failure to prove dam-
ages. If there are damages, then, they must be found in
the supplemental hearing held October 6, 1971, and the only
testimony produced by the plaintiffs was that of Heiberger
and Nitz which is printed in its entirety in the Appendix as
the City claims as a matter of law that evidence is insufficient
to assess damages. The reason for this claim is that Hei-
berger stated, App. p. 45a,
“__. essentially our market study in — I shouldn't say
‘showed. It was inconclusive. There were insufficient
sales to really come up with a definite study, and sales
and resales varied with respect to the average increment
in value.”
The City avers this proves that the only test used by the ap-
praiser, and therefore, the only test available to the Court
(as the Court said it needs expert testimony to assess com-
pensation ) was the formula used by Heiberger. The City is
not claiming that its appraiser is better than the plaintiffs’ —
the City is claiming that the record is devoid of admissible
evidence of diminution of value, or compensation. The rea-
son for this is that Heiberger admitted he applied a formula,
the basis for which he did not know, to the subject airport,
which formula he read in a 16-page article (App. pp. 37a, 38a),
he talked to the author for twenty minutes (App. p. 38a),
he did not know if it was an airfield open to airlines, the
formula’s basis, but it was a military field (App. pp. 38a, 39a,
40a), he does not know what airfield it covered (App. pp. 38a,
39a), he does not know the name of the airfield, but it was a
20
military field (App. p. 38a), he does not know what year
the study covered (App. pp. 38a-39a), he does not know
how many flights per day or per year were involved (App. p.
40a), but on cross-examination he thinks it was 60,000 flights
per year, when Tweed-New Haven has 3,600 per year and he
does not know why the 25,000-foot figure applies (App. pp.
37a, 38a, 60a) and he figured a 2% angle and it should be 3 de-
grees. Further, and most important, the only property he
applied the formula to which was sold was property allegedly
with a pre-taking value of $25,000.00 which he said was di-
minished in value to $22,750.00, but which sold, post taking,
for $25,000.00 Disprovinc THe Formu a. (App. pp. 69a, 70a,
71a)
Therefore, by using the formula the Court has deprived the
defendants of property (money) without due process of law
in violation of the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. Fur-
ther, this Court has held in United States v. Merz, 306 F.2d 39
(1962) that a formula is not a proper method to assess
damages.
V. Dots THE REQUIREMENT OF CERTAINTY OF
JUDGMENT PERMIT THE CourRT To GRANT AN
EASEMENT RUNNING IN FAvor OF THE DEFEND-
ANTS AND AGAINST THE PLAINTIFFS To COovER
FLIGHTs OveR LAND ContTiGuous To
THE PLAINTIFFS’?
The judgment rendered by the Trial Court
“That upon payment of the judgments [money damages
paid to seven plaintiffs] Defendant City of New Haven
will acquire a permanent easement in the properties of
these plaintiffs for the operation of a similar number
= —
—S7~” asinine is aietnens Ee A I =~ t
aR
-
21
of turbo-prop planes and jet planes of the size and use at
the time of the trial.”
render the decision void for uncertainty?
In Watts v. Wattle, (U.S.) 6 Pet. 389, 8 L.Ed. 437 it is a
fundamental rule that a judgment should be complete and
certain in and of itself, and that the form of the judgment
should be such as to indicate with reasonable clearness the
decision which the Court has rendered, so that the parties are
fixed and so that judgment is susceptible of enforcement in a
manner prescribed by law. A failure to comply with this re-
quirement renders the judgment void for uncertainty.
The judgment complained of grants an easement which is not
defined as to length, width, height or actual use, and the
judgment is devoid of where this easement is to be. The Trial
Court granted an easement, and this error is covered in the
overflights portion of this petition, over properties that are con-
tiguous to the plaintiffs’ properties. How can such an ease-
ment be recorded on the Land Records? It cannot be, as the
Trial Court has granted an easement which affects not the
plaintiffs’ land, but other contiguous lands. In short, the
City is compelled to pay the plaintiffs for something
the plaintiffs cannot grant. Is this “and the land is ap-
propriated as directly and completely as if it were used for
the runways themselves?” Causby, page 262. In Causby
itself, page 268, the case was remanded to determine if the
easement taken was a permanent or a temporary one, and it
is respectfully submitted there is no certainty of judgment in
the supposed case and the judgment is void for want of cer-
tainty as is shown by error more glaring than the easement
problem of Causby.
OAR eS
22
VI. AFTER THE TRIAL OF A CASE ON THE Merits
AND More THAN Six MONTHS AFTER Briefs
ARE FiLep, Dots THE CourT HAVE AUTHORITY
To OrperR ““A SUPPLEMENTAL HEARING As To
DAMAGES ONLY” WHEN THE QUESTION OF LI-
ABILITY AND DAMAGES ARE INEXTRICABLY
INTERTWINED?
Not one of the “taking” cases reported on a State or Fed-
eral level supports the determination that first the trier finds a
taking and then he finds how much. From Causby and Griggs
as was covered on pages 11 to 14 herein it was pointed
out that there must be a substantial diminution of market
value. It is axiomatic in a taking case that there must be
a substantial diminution of market value and that is what results
in the taking. A taking case is not analogous to a negligence
case in which the issues of liability and damages may be
separately determined, or in a breach of contract case in
which the breach may be determined independently of the
damages for that breach. The issues, then, are not so distinct
and independent from the rest of the case so that they may
be tried separately without injustice to the determination of
the whole issue, and, therefore, the granting of a separate
hearing is fatal.
Twenty-One Mining Co. v. Original Six to One Mine, (CCAG.
1921) 265 F. 469; Gasoline Products Company v. Champlin
Refining, (1931) 283 U.S. 494, 498, 499, 51 S. Ct. 513, 75 L.
Ed. 1181.
Rule 59 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure permits ad-
ditional evidence after judgment for any one of three rea-
sons — error of fact, or law, or for newly discovered evidence
eo teh NUR RE MOC RENE EAN AOL RIOT I LE LBL. AERIAL,
— none are present in this case and the Trial Court acted
without authority in so ordering a supplemental hearing as
to damages only, as the case was tried, briefs were filed and
then six months later the Court ordered a supplemental hear-
ing. There is no authority for such a proceeding.
CONCLUSION
This case presents issues posed by numerous similar airports
throughout the United States, both in the Federal and the
State Court systems and cases are pending in both jurisdictions.
A discussion of the problem is presented in “Airport Ease-
ments” 1965 Virginia Law Review Volume 54, page 355 et seq.
by Marshall T. Bohannon and in 43 S. Cal. Law Review,
Berger, “Nobody Loves an Airport” (1970)
In many diverse sections of the County the question of in-
verse condemnation has placed severe restrictions on the pub-
lic’s right of travel. In effect this decision will negate the ef-
fect of Congressional legislation as Title 49 Section 1101 et.
seq. and Title 49 Section 1301 et. seq. will be overcome by
municipalities closing down airports by reason of their being
responsible for damages caused by the Federal Government
through the F.A.A. and by the air carriers in their quest for
profit. As was reported in the New York Times and distrib-
uted by the Associated Press, the City of Los Angeles is now
desirous of closing its airport by reason of the fact that the
already financially strapped cities have an added burden of
financing the air travel of the rest of the country — let the
Federal Government pay for all citizens’ rights to travel or
let the airlines raise ticket prices to pay these damage suits.
Pave
The holding below, if allowed to stand, will in effect re-
verse Griggs and Causby and reverse the multitude of Fed-
eral and State case law such as:
Boardman v. United States, 376 F.2d 895 (Ct. Cl. 1968);
Ferguson v. City of Keene, 238 A.2d 1;
United States v. 357.25 Acres of Land, 55 F. Supp. 361
(wd. La 1944);
Adaman Mutual Water Co. v. United States, 186 F. Supp.
658 (Ct. Ci. 1958);
Aaron v. United States, 311 F.2d 789 (Ct. Cl. 1963);
Avery v. United States, 330 F.2d 640, 643 (Ct. Cl. 1964);
Bacon v. United States, 295 F.2d 1936 (1961);
Batten v. United States, 292 F.2d 144 (10 Cir. 1961);
Freeman v. United States, 167 F. Supp. 541 (wd. Okla.
1958);
Schubert v. United States, 2A6 F. Supp. 1970 (S.D. Tex.
1965).
For these reasons a writ of certiorari should issue to re-
view the judgment of the Second Circuit.
Respectfully submitted,
The Petitioners
By Rocer J. FRECHETTE, Esq.
Their Attorney.
12
‘sme Co
SAGER MAR CEE SO RETR REA PIM ALA EET
Sup
FILE COPY FYL :
FEB 16 |;
In the MICHAEL RODAX,g
Supreme Court of the United States
JANUARY TERM, 1973
79=1137
Tue City Or NEw Haven,
Petitioners,
v.
THE Town Or East HAVEN, ET ALS.,
Respondents.
APPENDIX TO PETITIONER’S BRIEF ON
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO
THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
RoceErR J. FRECHETTE, Esq.,
215 Church Street,
New Haven, Conn. 06510
Attorney for Petitioner.
THE MACK CO., NORTH HAVEN, CONN.
CR psy. —_ :
ge a ee nu Peale Pusch ont SY ato Diets one oa SD ite. a Sy ERAT REN AES 7% pert ~~
i
INDEX
PAGE
Opinion of The United States Court of Appeals ...... la
Testimony in entirety of Real Estate Expert of Respond-
ent who estimated damages by formula :
Direct examination 0.0.0.0... .u-smmmunmmmnnnnnsnenrene 9a f
tli tne IR OEE eet ENR EN . ;
Redirect examination 00.0... 6la
REcross CxAMINATION oo eccccesereee Ce
ne Mi 8 osc ccrrcmentencosmryioon ‘Te i
FREER BEET ee ROPE IR NC REY LH ERE ALI EIS IRS BOLE : APE ate |
7 Patios Ua ha ATG woe AP
No. J2~ i/39
Yow. eon “aia
Tue City Or New Haven,
CURED 02 pp cllent - fe ferden?
Vv.
THe Town Or East HAVEN, ET ALS.,
Sea. Appellee ~ Plaml (/
APPENDIX TO PETITIONER’S BRIEF ON
PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO
THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
OPINION OF THE UNITED STATES COURT
OF APPEALS
Appeal from an award of damages for “inverse condemna-
tion” made by the United States District Court for the Dis-
trict of Connecticut, the late Edward C. McLean, Judge, to
—
nusee
indi RRS oe Re REI Sieg
easements as a result of turbo-prop and jet aircraft service
at its Tweed-New Haven Airport.
Of arr ween
Affirmed.
RocEr J. FRECHETTE, Assistant Corporation
Counsel, New Haven, Conn., for Ap-
pellant-Defendant.
Antuony V. DeEMayo, New Haven, Conn.
(Cohen and DeMayo, New Haven,
.. of counsel), for Plaintiffs-Ap-
pellees.
Moore, Circuit $dtige:<*@
The plaintiffs are the Town of East Haven and property
owners whose properties are in the vicinity of the Tweed-
New Haven Airport, an airport owned and operated by the
City of New Haven (the City). The defendants are the City
of New Haven, Eastern Airlines and Allegheny Airlines, Inc.’
After a non-jury trial, the District Court dismissed the action
against the Airlines and dismissed all claims against the City
except claims for compensation for easements taken by the
City in seven specific properties of seven plaintiffs. After a
‘ Originally the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Agency
was a party defendant. On motion the action against him
was dismissed. The City was added as a defendant in an
amended complaint.
di 2
: —
a,
3a
supplemental hearing as to damages, the District Court award-
ed various amounts ranging from $2,100 to $3,300 for a total
of $18,400.72 “Upon payment of the judgments, defendant
City of New Haven will acquire a permanent easement in the
properties of these plaintiffs for the operation of a similar
number of turbo prop planes and jet planes of the size in use
at the time of the trial [October 14-27, 1970].” 333 F. Supp.
338, 341 (S.D.N.Y. 1971). The City appealed from the award
of damages to those property owners.
The history of the development of the airport and its com-
mercial use by Eastern and Allegheny Airlines as well as by
private planes has been graphically and thoroughly set forth
in the late Judge McLean’s opinion, 331 F. Supp. 16 (1971).
The location of the properties owned by the individual plain-
tiffs (the recipients of the damage awards) in relation to the
airport and its runways has been described in his original and
supplemental opinions, 331 F. Supp. at 21-26 and 333 F. Supp.
338 (1971).
The airport serves the City of New Haven and accessible
cities and towns. It has been developed by the City aided
by federal funds, pursuant to the National Airport Plan auth-
orized by the Federal Airport Act, 49 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq.
. Michael Fusco . p Deadekeraee $2,500
I ne ncienenneionien $2,850
Leslie Munro .... ee
I nasser $3,200
Alphonse Guidone, Jr. $2,250
Louis Audette ........... _.. $2,200
Leon Amendola ......... . $3,300
ROE POP LO OARS oe
The appellate issues before us are exceedingly limited. In
fact the City concedes as much, saying (Brief, p. 11): “The
question is whether plaintifls have succeeded in proving the
amount of that damage with reasonable certainty.” The
City claims that plaintiffs have proven no damage. No issue
of injunctive relief is raised. The District Court denied any
such relief, stating: “The right of the public to travel by air
by means of modern airplanes far outweighs the disadvantage
to the relatively few persons, such as these plaintiffs, who are
adversely affected to some extent.” 331 F. Supp. at 30. More-
over, “Trespass, Annoyance and ‘Emotional Damage’,” as well
as nuisance were rejected as items of damage by the Court.
In short, the City questions only the award of damages for the
easements taken in these specific six properties.
The City’s arguments assert many grounds. First, the City
attacks the quality of, and the method used by, the plaintiffs’
damage appraiser and extols the opinion of its own. Differ-
ences in opinions of appraisers in real estate valuation cases
are not altogether surprising. The Trial Court had to, and
did, weigh the testimony presented by all the parties and ar-
rive at his own conclusions. Second, the City points to the
fact that the plaintiffs acquired their properties subsequent to
the creation of the airport. This fact alone is not determina-
tive because, as the Trial Court found, plaintiffs’ “grievances
are based on later operations of turbo-prop and jet aircraft,
particularly the jets.” 331 F. Supp. at 20. Although the City
takes issue with this conclusion, there can be no doubt that
the advent of the jets aggravated the situation. As to the
City’s third claim, that the Court found it guilty of trespass,
the Court held that “there should be no separate recovery by
peg
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ey :
PRL GET LEO LN OM LR OIL ENE IEEE NERS et . oa
. gue : + dae oes She ee : eed TINS
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'
:
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any plaintiff of damages for trespass, either against the City
or against the airlines. ° ° * Where there has been no taking
because there has been no significant invasion of plaintiffs’
property, it would seem to follow, at least as far as the City
is concerned, that there has been no trespass on that prop-
erty.” (Id. p. 35). Fourth, the City asks, “Can you have a
taking when the value of the property has appreciated?”
(Brief, p. 31). The answer is clearly “yes”. The Court,
after weighing all the testimony, quite properly found that
the fair market value of certain of the plaintiffs’ properties
had been reduced, even though this value exceeded the or-
iginal acquisition cost. 333 F. Supp. at 340. His discriminat-
ing approach is evidenced by the denial of damages to five
other party plaintiffs. Fifth, the attack upon jurisdiction
and the claim of res judicata made by the City are rejected.
Lastly, the City urges that there is “UNCERTAINTY oF JuDG-
ment” in that the judgment does not “indicate with reason-
able clearness the decision which the Court has rendered ° * °.”
The City asks (Brief, p. 61) what kind of “an easement which
is not defined as to length, width, height, or actual use,
* ¢ ©” will it receive upon payment of the judgment awards,
and in what form will such an easement be drafted in order
to be recorded in the Land Records office.
To a certain extent the last point is well taken but it does
not render the judgment void for uncertainty, as the City
argues. At the time of trial, the Court had before it the spe-
cific flight schedules of Allegheny and Eastern. Allegheny
operated five flights per day with Convair 580s (turbo-props )
which necessitated five landings and five departures. East-
ern operated two jet flights, with two arrivals and two depar-
. iii:
|
tures. In addition, numerous private and corporation-owned
planes (some jets) used the airport. The airport is operated
by employees of the Federal Aviation Agency who control all
traffic in and out of the airport. Directions for landing and
take-off are given from a control tower and the runways to
be used, of necessity, must be determined by wind, weather
and other conditions.
6a
Control of air navigation must be in the hands of the
Agency. Certain it is that the courts should give no direction
or even suggestion as to its operation. Even more so should
the courts make no brash predictions as to the future of air
transportation. The history of the development of the pas-
senger plane alone should be a deterrent to prophesy. Forty
years ago planes carrying a few passengers could land and
take off on short runways — virtually cow pastures. Soon
came a series of planes capable of carrying many passengers,
landing and taking off at high speeds and requiring ever
lengthening runways. Witness the DC series of 3s, 4s, 6s, 8s,
9s and 10s, and the 707s, 727s and now the giant 747.
The planes are available. Whether the City of New Haven
will wish to have them is, or should be, entirely a legislative
decision. Already the populace has apparently aligned itself
into two factions — those who wish to preserve the compara-
tive peace and quiet of their residential communities and ban
further expansion of the airport so as to prevent invasion by
even noisier planes, and those who would measure “progress”
by their ability to go from New Haven to some other city in
—_ Pe eee POA Ei get
7a
minutes or a few hours.* And in the background is always
the specter of the supersonic plane.
What the future will hold is not for present Court conjec-
ture. Were we to heed the wisdom of an earlier era, we
would know that “The Moving Finger writes; and, having
writ, Moves on; ° ° °.”* Aviation has indeed moved on.
Thus the past decision that have been “writ” dealing with in-
vasions of property rights are useful only for their attempted
creation of general principles. Obviously, a rule of reason
approach must be followed in the resolution of future prob-
lems.
The judgment of the court below does not require that the
City receive a formal easement from each plaintiff to whom
damages have been awarded. Nor do we. The opinion
states, as definitely as the situation permits, the basis for the
taking that occurred. For this the court has awarded dam-
ages, presently payable for the present invasion.
Neither the opinion below nor this opinion is to be construed
as a template for the future. Whether the Tweed-New Haven
Airport will be expanded to permit larger aircraft to land and
take off; whether the required glide paths of such planes will
‘The planning consultant of East Haven expressed the opin-
ion that the noise and pollution caused by the jets would ad-
versely affect the stability of the area; the chairman of the
Industrial Development Committee of the Greater New
Haven Chamber of Commerce spoke in glowing term of
the advantages of fast transportation as a stimulant to in-
dustrial development. 331 F.2d at 27.
*Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
a |
8a
affect other residents in a manner similar to that affecting the
six plaintiffs in this case; whether a substantial variation from
the type of air service in effect at the time of the District
Court trial will cause further harm to the present plaintiffs;
whether some agency of government will issue a decree which
will affect property rights — these conjectures are not within
the purview of this decision and no opinion is expressed there-
on. The judgment appealed from merely requires the City to
pay for that which it has already taken. We have considered
all of the City’s other contentions; none of them has merit.’
We affirm.
VOLUME 4— DEFENDANT’S APPENDIX
(317a)
Epwarp F. Hesercer, called as a witness by the Plaintiffs,
being first duly cautioned and sworn by Margherita Cun-
ningham, a Notary Public within and for the State of
Connecticut, was examined, and testified on his oath as
follows:
By the Notary Public:
Q. Would you please state your full name and address? A.
Mr. Name is Edward F. Heberger. I live 1215 Long Hill
Road, Guilford, Connecticut.
* The City has moved to file a supplemental brief. The mo-
tion is denied.
wy
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9a
Direct examination by Mr. DeMayo:
Q. Mr. Heberger, what is your present occupation? A. I
am a real estate appraiser.
Q. Would you advise the Court of your qualifications in this
field? A. I am a graduate of the University of Connecticut.
I am an M.I.A. member of the American Institute of Real
Estate Appraisers. I am a senior realty appraiser member
of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers. I am a senior mem-
ber of the American Society of Appraisers. I have been
(318a) appraising property full time since 1958. I teach
courses in appraising for the University of Connecticut Exten-
sion School.
Q. Have you qualified as an expert witness in states other
than Connecticut? A. Yes, I have.
Q. What states? A. Maine, Vermont and New York.
Q. Have you completed any advanced courses in real es-
tate appraising? A. Yes. I have successfully completed four
courses sponsored by the American Institute of Real Estate
Appraisers, and I completed a course at the School of Ac-
quisition of Real Estate in New York State.
Q. Have you frequently lectured to seminars and courses
on the subject? A. I would say occasionally.
Q. As a matter of fact, were you scheduled to lecture today
until this case was scheduled? A. I was scheduled to con-
duct, not lecture, just run a seminar which was a joint meet-
ing between the Connecticut Chapter of the S.R.E.A. and
A.LR.E.A.
on paeAADNT REAPING A IRINA ANS PONY rr
10a
Q. Your qualifications are set forth in each of the appraisal
reports that you have prepared for this matter, are they not?
(319a) A Yes, they are.
Q. Now, with respect to the present litigation, prior to em-
barking upon any of your work, did you read the judgment of
this Court in this case? A. Yes.
Q. That is Judge McLean’s judgment, a copy of which I
showed you? A. Yes.
Q. After reading the judgment and a conference with me,
what did you undertake to do? A. I undertook to prepare a
market study, a study of the reactions of the market in the area
influenced by the airport.
Q. Did you also examine various appraisal periodicals and
journals and theses? A. Yes, I did.
Q. What approaches were considered by you in arriving
at in this report? A. Over three recognized approaches were
given consideration, the cost approach, the value of the mar-
ket data approach to value, and the income approach to value.
Q. Did you utilize those approaches in preparing your re-
port? A. I utilized two approaches, the cost approach and
the market data approach.
(320a )
Q. As a result of your examination of this particular situa-
tion and the data you acquired, what did you decide upon
as the method to be employed in evaluating the damages to
each one of these property owners? A. Well, with respect
to six of the properties, the market data approach was used,
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and with two of the properties the cost approach to value
was used.
Q. These were utilized in arriving at what figures? A.
The before and after values of the properties being ap-
praised.
Q. Did you also apply to each of these properties an ad-
ditional method in determining the damages claimed by the
property owners? A. Yes. We used what is known as
the factor formula for estimating the damages caused by an
avigation easement.
Mr. DEMayo. If your Honor please, with your permission,
I think I might facilitate things if I gave your Honor
and Mr. Frechette Schedule “A” which would list the prop-
erties, and you wouldn't have to take extensive notes and fig-
ures. May that be marked? Is there any objection to this,
Mr. Frechette?
Mr. FRECHETTE. No.
The Court. We will just mark it for this hearing.
(321a)
Clerk Grimes. This will be DeMayo Exhibit 1 of 10/18/71.
(DeMayo Exhibit 1 of 10/18/71: Schedule “A”).
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. Now, do the figures listed on Schedule “A” set forth
your appraisal of the value of the property for the taking,
after the taking and also the damages which you computed?
ad — i.
12a
A. Yes, they do. May I say at this point that both Donald
Nitz and myself worked on these appraisals together.
Q. In other words, he worked with you and combined the
data, and this is a joint report? A. Yes, and we both signed
the appraisal reports.
Q. This is the case an all properties? A. Yes.
Q. Mr. Nitz isin Court? A. He is.
Q. Starting with the appropriate report for 52 South End
Road, property in the name of Mr. Erle Jones, is that the
first report on your schedule? A. Yes, it is.
Mr. DeMayo. If your Honor please, to facilitate follow-
ing this both by you and Mr. Frechette, I have a set of those
which I shall show you. I suppose I should probably offer
them (322a) one at a time so you can follow with Mr. He-
berger, so I will follow that procedure, and you follow it in
that fashion.
I would offer, then, the report on 52 South End Road on
the property of Mr. Jones.
(DeMayo Exhibit 2 of 10/18/71: Appraisal Report of 52
South End Road, East Haven, Connecticut. )
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. Mr. Heberger, in connection with your preparation of
52 South End Road, the property of Mr. Jones, would you ex-
plain to His Honor what the purpose of your appraisal was
and how you arrived at the various values? A. The purpose
of preparing the appraisal was to arrive at an estimate of the
damage created as a result of the avigation easement over
———eE——_— AN RRA EY IAS ERG INET IE TES WTC EE SNR OEE) NAPS ERIS ae
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13a
the property. In order to do this, we estimated the value of
the property before the taking.
In the case of 52 South End Road, we could locate no sales
of similar properties, so in this case we used the cost approach
to value to estimate the value prior to any taking.
Q. After you arrived at the value of the property as you con-
sidered it prior to the taking, did you then address yourself
to the question of computing a reduction in value occasioned
by the taking? (323a) A. Yes, and we did it based upon a
factor formula about which perhaps a little background would
be in order.
This factor formula has been utilized a number of times in
connection with airport cases, if that is a correct term. It was
developed by an M.A.I. appraiser in Macon, Georgia, and a
professor at the University of Georgia in 1955 or so, and the
formula is based upon analysis or studies of damages at various
airports as shown by market analyses, so we applied the formu-
la to the subject property, and we developed damages of
$2,300.
Mr. FrecuETTE. I object to that conclusion. I don’t think
it is time that his conclusion should come in. The specfiic rea-
son is there is no foundation for it at this time.
The Court. 1 will let him answer. He will develop it, I
am sure.
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. In discussing or explaining the factor formula, is this
the material that starts at page thirteen of your appraisal? A.
Yes, it is.
14a
Q. Would you explain briefly the factors that go into evolv-
ing the formula? A. All right. As set forth at the top of
page thirteen, there are three principal factors. The first
is the height (324a) from the ground surface. This is the
glide angle plane and we used a fifty to one glide angle plane,
which is the accepted way of doing this.
Q. Is this also the glide angle plane in use at Tweed-New
Haven Airport? A. Yes, it is.
Q. When you say the height from the ground surface or
glide angle plane, would you explain exactly what that di-
mension indicates just for the record? A. We start at the end
of the runway for zero, and we take a fifty to one line to a dis-
tance of 25,000 feet out from the end of the runway, and
based on this line we calculate the height at the bottom of
the glide angle plane from ground level to the bottom of
the glide angle plane.
Q. Is this shown on the diagram on page 16? A. Yes.
This diagram on page 16 is strictly for the example as shown.
Each of the appraisal reports has an example of the technique
as we used it.
Q. So the actual computation for this particular property
would be the diagram that is shown on page 21? A. That
is correct.
Q. After computing the height from the ground, I take it
you — by the way, when you say the height from the ground,
you mean the height over the subject property which a plane
passes on approaching at a fifty to one flight angle? (325a)
A. That is incorrect.
we dic LARP RAT NCEE SD STRELA NEN NE RAAT INT LIT LE RTE I BE CLRE SE ELL AI OPTI TE
15a
Q. Correct me, then. A. This glide angle plane — a plane
cannot fly below the glide angle plane. They do fly higher.
The glide angle plane is also established so no obstructions are
constructed above this height.
Q. How does the height from the surface of the glide angle
plane enter into your formula? Would you explain that to
His Honor either by use of the diagram or the text? A. On
page 15 at the top of the page it says, “Item one,” and with
respect to the example and not the specific property, we
used 3,000 feet, and we used 500 feet for height, and we cal-
culated 51 feet under the glide angle plane to ground level
as our third item, so the numbers are a little bit out of se-
quence, and 500 feet is considered to be the ultimate height.
In other words, anything above 500 feet, there is no loss of
any type; it is considered to be free air space and no damage
would result; so, we computed again on the case of the ex-
ample, 51 feet, and 51 feet into 500 feet is approximately 10
percent, rounded out to 10 percent, and this is built into a
weighted average, and we come up with 90 percent times
50 percent. Fifty percent is a total percentage of 100 per-
cent that is assigned to this category.
Q. In other words, in this formula 50 percent of the loss
factor is weighted in terms of the distance over the (326a)
property that a plane passes? A. That is correct, so what we
are trying to establish is what percentage of that 50 percent —
Q. In your formula, .45 is the factor that is computed to be
resulting from the height over the property of the airplane? A.
In the case of the example, that is correct.
Sik
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;
16a
Q. What are the other two? A. The second is, again, this is
item two on page 13, the distance at a right angle from the
center line of the ranway extended.
Q. Would you explain that? A. It is shown in the illus-
tration on page 16. This would be the 3,000 — it comes out
3,000 feet from the end of the runway, and in the case of the
illustration, it is 500 feet distant from the center line of the
runway extended at a right angle.
Q. So what you project into the formula with this factor
is the lateral distance from the runway to the subject property?
A. Yes.
Q. Finally, what is the third element of the formula? A.
The third element is the distance from the end of the run-
way to the property.
Q. As I understand vou, then, this formula takes into (327a)
account for the subject property the height at which planes
pass over the property, the distance of the property from the
center line of the runway or extended, if necessary, and finally
the distance of the subject property from the end of the run-
way? A. That is correct, and as pointed out in the analysis,
what this does, it sets up a relationship for each property
that is affected and falls into these zones, one to the other, and
it is based in part upon the value of the property being ap-
praised, and then these three factors are taken into considera-
tion so you can come up with a specific loss, if any, for any
property within the approach zones.
Q. As a necessary function, then, of this formula, the proxi-
mity to the airport runway and the closer the property is to
the runway or to the end of the runway and the lower the
17a
plane over the property, the greater would be the weight of
these factors, is that correct? A. That is correct, sir.
Q. That would also be affected by the value of the property?
A. That is correct.
By The Court:
Q. How do you apply this formula to the value of the
property? A. This is shown, your Honor, in the case of the
(328a) example on page 15.
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. May I suggest you follow through with this subject
property for His Honor on this? A. All right.
Mr. DeMayo. If your Honor would prefer that, I think it
would make it more sensible.
By The Court:
Q. This is a theoretical example? A. That is correct. That
was done to show any reader of the report how the formula
is used before we applied it to the specific property in ques-
tion.
Q. I don’t care whether you use the theoretical example or
the particular property. 1 was just interested in finding out
how vou apply this formula. A. All right. Why don't we
stay with the example?
18a
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. All right, go ahead. A. On page 15, your Honor, we set
up a weighted average at the top of the page of 85.10. After
we have worked out our percentages and computed the dis-
tances, we come up with 85.10, which is actually an 8.51
factor.
Q. May I suggest you start at the top of page 15 and ex-
plain the 3,000 divided by the 25,000 and the 12 percent so
His Honor can see every computation? (329a) A. The 3,000
feet in the case of the example is the distance from the end
of the runway. The 25,000 feet is for the purposes of the
formula, the ultimate distance. Anything beyond 25,000, cer-
tainly there would be no damage in our opinion, so 3,000
divided into 25,000 or vice versa equals 12 percent on this
complement, and 12 percent from 100 equals 88 percent, and
then 20 percent is that portion of 100 percent which has been
assigned for this particular factor. We multiply the 88 per-
cent by the 20 percent. That gives us 17.6.
This formula is something you just don't pick up all at
once. It took me a great deal of study and analysis before |
could apply it. Perhaps it is difficult to explain, but this is
the basis, and I think the rationale is set out in the explana-
tion itself.
Now, we did essentially the same thing for the other two
factors. The property being appraised or in the sample is
500 feet from the center line of the runway extended, and
according to the formula, anything beyond 2,000 feet, there
would be no damage of any kind whatsoever from the center
line of the runway extended, so 500 feet is 25 percent of 2,000
feet. Subtracting that from 100 percent, we come up with
EATON te
wa
,
19a
75 percent. We multiply 75 percent by 30 percent, which is,
again, that portion of that 100 percent assigned for this fac-
tor, giving us 22.5.
(330a)
For the third item, the bottom of the glide plane is 51 feet
above the ground level of the property. The ultimate is con-
sidered to be 500 feet. Fifty-one feet is approximately ten
percent of 500 feet. We subtract that from 100. It gives us
a 90 percent times 50 percent, which is that portion of 100
percent which has been assigned for this factor, which gives
us 45.
The total or sum of those three items is 85.1, which is divid-
ed by 10, which is a factor that is built into the formula, which
gives a final factor of 8.51 in the case of the example, so we
take 8% percent of the value. We just estimated a value of
$25,000 in going through the example, so 8% percent of
$25,000 is $2,125 in the case of the example. We subtract
that from the $25,000 estimated value before, and it results
in a value of $22,875 which is rounded out for practical pur-
poses to $22,900, leaving us a damage of $2,100 in the case of
the example. We followed this formula in estimating the
value of all the properties.
By the Court:
Q. The formula leads you ultimately to a percentage, as I
understand it? A. Yes.
Q. Which in the case of your example is 8.51 percent?
A. Yes, your Honor.
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20a
(331a)
Q. That percentage of what you think the value was before
the flights occurred represents your opinion as to the damage?
A. Yes, essentially yes, that is correct, your Honor.
Mr. DeMayo. Before I ask any other questions, does your
Honor want any part of the formula gone over or explained
further?
The Covrt. I think it will be clear when I read this. It
is reasonably clear now.
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. If I can just recap the computation, it is as you noted it
on lines 1, 2 and 3 above the three figures which are applied
to each of those phases, namely, the 25,000 feet, the 2,000 feet
and the 500 feet represent the point at which the formula ends
and anything beyond that is not considered to be damage-
worthy, shall we say? A. That is correct, and this is based on
the approach zone itself. It is not something arbitrarily ar-
rived at.
Q. Would you explain why those three measurements are
significant? If you want to use the diagram for clarity’s sake,
you are free to do so. A. All right. This is based upon the
typically recognized approach zones for modern runways, and
it is also based upon evidence that was introduced at what |
understand to be a previous hearing in this matter, and (332a)
these are established, I believe, through the F.A.A. with re-
spect to distances, and so on,
2la
Q. All the subject properties you examined would be with-
in the configuration of this schematic approach zone, would
they not? A. They would; they are.
Q. As a matter of fact, at least two of the properties are
actually within the boundary of the clear zone, are they not?
A. Yes. One definitely is.
Q. One and possibly two? A. Yes.
Mr. Frecuetre. I don’t want to object, but clearly this
was leading.
The Court. Yes. Don't lead him.
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. With regard to the subject property, then, Mr. Heber-
ger, you testified you arrived at a value for this property
based on the cost reproduction method, is that correct? A.
Yes.
Q. Then you applied this formula to that figure? A. I did.
Q. And reduced that figure that you arrived at from the
cost approach by that amount? (333a) A. That is correct.
Q. As a result of that, what did you conclude to be the
damages suffered by virtue of the taking? A. $2,300. I might
say this property itself does fall within the clear zone, and I
know in the cases of many or several airports that there aren't
supposed to be improved properties in the clear zone.
Q. With respect to that figure of $2,300, based on your own
knowledge of real estate and experience in the field, does the
figure which you have given us of $2,300 for this subject
BREE.
— 7
22a
property, is that figure consistent with your own professional
opinion as to the damage suffered by the property?
Mr. FrecHETTE. I object. I feel there is no foundation for
any further comments by this witness.
The Court. | will let him answer.
A. Yes.
By The Court:
Q. Am I correct with respect to this particular property —
and we are now talking about 52 South End Road — the factor
or percentages is 9.4 whereas in the example it was 8.51? A.
Yes, your Honor, you are correct, and the factor will vary
from property to property.
(334a)
Q. Depending upon their location? A. Yes, sir.
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. Mr. Heberger, I wonder if you would clear up one
possible point of confusion with regard to page 17 of this re
port entitled, “Appraisal Example of Factor Formula,” and
the third sentence on that first paragraph talks about the tota
width of the runway, 2,000 feet. I believe a word has beer
omitted from that which we should clarify so His Honor won’:
be confused when he reads it. A. Yes. It is the approact
zone.
Q. It is actually the width for that approach zone, is that
correct? A. Yes.
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Mr. FRECHETTE. Iam sorry. I missed that.
Mr. DeEMayo. On page 17, Mr. Frechette, I think this will
be clear when you read it the second time.
Mr. FrecHETTE. What paragraph?
Mr. DeMayo. The third sentence of the first paragraph.
It says that the total width of the runway is 2,000 feet. The
runway is not 2,000 feet wide. It is the total width of the ap-
proach zone with the runway extended, in other words. I
think a word has been inserted or a parenthesis omitted (335a)
there.
If your Honor please, I have not gone into a description of
the property since it is in the report, but if you want it on the
record, I will have him go through a discussion of what the
property consists of, the cost factors, the footage, and so on.
Do you think it is necessary?
The Court. I hardly think so. It is all set forth in the
report, and Mr. Frechette can cross-examine about that aspect
of it if he wants to. We will give him a chance when you
are through to read all this before he has to cross-examine
about it.
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. With respect to the next piece of property, 2 Meadow
Place owned by Mr. Amendola, is this the appraisal you have
prepared for that property? A. Yes.
Mr. DeMayo. I offer that, your Honor.
(DeMayo Exhibit 3 of 10/18/71: Appraisal Report of 2
Meadow Place owned by Leon Amendola. )
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. With respect to that parcel, did you arrive at a market
value figure representing what you felt to be the reasonable
market value of that property? (336a) A. Yes, I did.
Mr. DeMayo. Does your Honor want to take time to set
that up? You will recall this piece of property is sort of off
the beaten path.
The Court. I remember where it was.
Mr. DEMayo. There is a map in the appraisal which might
be of assistance to your Honor. It is on the extension of the
other runway. Let me see if I can find the map.
The Court. It was Eastern Airlines Exhibit A at the trial,
which is the map we all used so much, I think, and it is true
that Mr. Amendola wasn’t even on the map, but the record
shows where he is.
The Witness. May I show your Honor?
The Court. I cansee.
The Wrirness. O.K.
The Court. If we could somehow or other display this
where we could all see it, it would be helpful. Have we got
a board or anything we could tack this to?
The Cierx. I can get one at recess.
The Court. This shows the runways and zones and all of
the things he is talking about.
Mr. DeMayo. Yes.
25a
(337a)
The Court. Let's get one now.
(Whereupon, a recess was taken at 10:40 o'clock a.m. )
(The Hearing resumed at 10:50 o'clock a.m. )
Mr. DeEMayo. Your Honor, I was talking with Mr. Fre-
chette about the question of whether we had to burden your
Honor with a recitation eight times. I was going to make this
suggestion, that the appraisals are all here, and Mr. Heberger
will testify that this formula was applied as he explained to
all of the properties. If your Honor thinks there is any merit
to it, 1 would offer all of them with the understanding this
was the way it was arrived at. Each appraisal has sub-
stantiating data as to how the original figure was obtained,
and unless your Honor would like to hear more on any one
of them, it would be merely a repetition of what he has said.
Mr. FrecHETTe. I have no objection. I know your Honor
would let the reports in anyway, and it would save time.
The Court. Very well. We can mark them all.
By The Court:
Q. Did you apply this formula to each of those properties?
(338a) A. Yes.
Q. Inthe same manner? A. Yes.
Q. The formula varies, I suppose, depending on the loca-
tion of the property? A. It does.
Q. You didn’t always use the cost approach to determine
the original value? A. Only in two cases, your Honor.
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seni OREM AES AA SEMS SEN TO ELE tN 5 ET SR lias mane . —
26a
Q. We have already had one of them which is Jones. Which
is the other one? A. The one before you now, 2 Meadow
Place, your Honor. This is a unique pr. ty as the photo-
graph will show. It is a semi-luxury stone building, dwelling,
single-family residence with many rooms, and we could find
no comparable data of any kind to guide us in ascertaining the
value of the property. Therefore, we did this on the basis
of the cost approach.
The Court. I suggest you mark all of the appraisals. He
doesn’t have to explain the formulas in all of them each time,
but you might want to ask him something about how he reach-
ed the original value because, apparently, the first two are dif-
ferent than all of the others in that respect.
(339a )
Mr. DEMayo. Yes, your Honor.
This is the property at 110 Morgan Avenue owned by Leslie
Monroe.
(DeMayo Exhibit 4 of 10/18/71: Appraisal Report for 110
Morgan Avenue owned by Leslie Monroe. )
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. With respect to that property at 110 Morgan Avenue
— and your appraisal is now Exhibit 4, Mr. Heberger — how
did you arrive at the starting point, the market value figure
for this subject property? A. By analyzing what sales were
available that we thought would indicate a value for this
property because they were similar to it, similar to it with re-
spect to many factors.
Mr. DeMayo. The next property would be 25 Holmes
Street, the property of Michael Fusco.
EERE REE SENG ELE LMI LIE LE LIES PIE LORS ETE
27a
The Court. You have another Monroe, don’t you?
Mr. DeMayo. Yes, your Honor.
The Court. Wouldn't it be a good idea to make that the
next one to keep all of the Monroes together?
Mr. DEMayo. Let’s make 114 Morgan Avenue Exhibit 5.
That would be the other Monroe property.
The Cenk. What is the first name?
Mr. DEMayo. It is also Leslie Monroe, the (340a) same
person.
(DeMayo Exhibit 5 of 10/18/71: Appraisal Report of 114
Morgan Avenue owned by Leslie Monroe. )
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. With respect to the Monroe property at 114 Morgan
Avenue, what methods were employed to arrive at the market
value? A. We used the market data approach. I might say
that market data was limited in the area. We did find what
we felt to be a sufficient number of sales for the six properties
where the market data approach was applied, but the number
of sales was limited, and the sales were on somewhat varying
types of properties for the most part, especially those situated
on the water front, but we have interpreted the data to the
best of our ability.
Mr. DeEMayo. We will make 25 Holmes Street, Mr. Fusco,
Exhibit 6.
(DeMayo Exhibit 6 of 10/18/71: Appraisal Report of 25
Holmes Street owned by Michael Fusco. )
By Mr. DeMayo.
Q. Is there anything with respect to that property? A.
Again, we applied the market data approach to this property,
This is more, I suppose we could use the term, a standard type
of property. There was more market data available for this
property.
(34la)
Q. Holmes Street is at the opposite end of the north-south
runway, is it not? A. Yes, it is. 1 might say this property
is partly in New Haven and partly in East Haven.
Mr. DEMayo. Mr. Audette’s property on Silver Sands Road
would be Exhibit 7.
(DeMayo Exhibit 7 of 10/18/71: Appraisal Report of 735
Silver Sands Road owned by Louis Audette. )
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. With respect to Mr. Audette’s property, what method
did you employ there? A. We employed the market data
approach. We had to go a little bit outside of the area to
get our market data because this property was rather unique
for the area. It is sort of an old farmhouse-type dwelling
on the property, and we had to go to Thompson Street to get
our comparison information.
Mr. DeMayo. The next parcel would be 72 Morgan Ave-
nue, the property of Michael Criscuolo. That would be Ex-
hibit 8.
DeMayo Exhibit 8 of 10/18/71: Appraisal Report of 72
Morgan Avenue owned by Michael Criscuolo.
29a
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. How is your valuation determined there? (342a) A. By
the use of the market data approach. This property was
somewhat unique. It is split-level, single-family residence
on the shore, but we found what we believed sufficient sales to
estimate the market value through the use of this approach,
and in the analysis the pluses and minuses were the differences
likely between the property being appraised and the compari-
sion properties and how we analyzed the properties.
Mr, DeMayo. Finally, this is Exhibit 9, 6 Canna Drive,
the property of Mr. Alphonse Guidone.
(DeMayo Exhibit 9 of 10/18/71: Appraisal Report on 6
Canna Drive owned by Alphonse Guidone. )
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. Was this also arrived at by the market data approach?
A. It was. There were quite a number of sales available for
comparison to his property. It is part of a residential sub-
division.
Q. With respect to all of these properties, you testi-
fied you applied the factor formula to each of these so
all of the same three elements were involvd, is that correct?
A. That is correct.
Q. With respect to the area in general, the Morgan Point
area in particular, would you describe this as a (343a) neigh-
borhood or an area which has been fully developed or com-
pletely developed, I should say? A. No, it has not been
completely developed if by developed you mean with respect
to improvements upon the land.
2
“ i |
Q. Yes, that is what I mean. Are there open stretches of
undeveloped land? A. Yes, there are.
Q. To what do you attribute this lack of development, shall
we say?
Mr. Frecuette. I would object. I don't think there is
any foundation.
The Court. Sustained without a further foundation.
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. In the course of determining the data and evaluating
these properties and preparing these appraisal reports, did you
visit the Morgan Point, southend area of East Haven? A.
Yes, I did.
Q. Did you spend time yourself physically present in the
neighborhood and on these properties and on these streets?
A. Yes, I did.
Q. Had you had some previous knowledge of this (344a)
neighborhood? A. Yes, I had.
Q. How was that knowledge obtained previous to this? A.
I have been observing the neighborhood for a number of
years. As a matter of fact, during the Depression, my grand-
parents lived down at the southend. Since I have been mar-
ried and had children, I take my children to watch the planes
fly. I have been there more or less continually for a number
of years.
Q. In the course of your acting as an appraiser in the New
Haven area for some time, is it part of your continuing in-
3la
terest and pursuit of the real estate market to keep an eye on
areas such as this? A. Yes.
Q. As a result of all that background and your actual
physical presence, are you aware of what the area is actually
like? In effect, could you describe it to us? A. Yes, I could.
Q. For Mr. Frechette’s benefit, would you do that, please?
A. The area is heterogenous in character. Primarily, improve-
ments are single-family residential-type properties. These
properties vary considerably with respect to character. Along
the waterfront, there are some of the finer properties. There
are a few properties that are not so fine. In much of (345a)
the area, many of the homes, the single-family residential prop-
erties are, I would say, at the bottom of the real estate market
from a price standpoint. I think for the most part we are deal-
ing with properties that have a value of approximately $25,000
or so. I am speaking mostly now of the southerly approach
zone. This is where most of the subject properties are lo-
cated.
There are expanses of unimproved land. This is due to
several reasons. A lot of it is low land, sort of swampy, has
a tendency to be wet. 1 believe there is a tendency of some
people there to try and control their land.
Mr. Frecnetre. Your Honor, | would ask that be stricken.
There is really no basis for that comment.
The Court. I will let him answer it. You can cross-ex-
32a
By The Court:
Q. The land is swampy? Some of this is vacant land? A.
Yes, it is. It is covered with marsh grass.
By Mr. DeMayo:
Q. In your opinion, what other factors mitigate against full
utilization of all the availability realty?
Mr. Frecuette. I am going to object, your Honor.
The Court. Overruled.
( 346a )
A. The airport is undoubtedly a factor, the fact that peo-
ple don’t want to be located in an approach zone to an air-
port, generally speaking.
Mr. DeMayo. I have nothing further, Mr. Heberger, at
this time.
The Court. All right. We will take a recess to give Mr.
Frechette a chance to read some of these reports.
Mr. Frecuette. Thank you, your Honor.
(Whereupon, a recess was taken at 11:10 o'clock a.m.)
(The Hearing resumed at 11:30 o'clock a.m. )
Mr. Frecuetre. Your Honor, may | state this: I think it
will save your Honor some time: I am not seriously contest-
ing any of the market values this witness has given. I don't
want your Honor to think my appraisals are on the nose with
them, but they are close cnough as far as 1 am concerned,
and I state for the record I am in agreement with what he said
33a
with one exception, which is 110 Morgan Avenue in East
Haven.
The Court. When you say that you are not contesting
market values, do you mean the ultimate or original market
value?
Mr. Frecnette. The original market value.
(347a)
The Courr. What are you contesting is the ultimate mar-
ket values?
Mr. Frecuette. Yes, that is true.
The Court. Derived by applying his formula?
Mr. Frecnette Yes, that is true, with the exception of
110 Morgan Avenue, on which I might ask him a couple of
questions.
The Court. All right.
Cross-examination by Mr. F rechette:
Q. I notice, Mr. Witness, you use as sale number two 70
Seaview Avenue in Branford. That house, did it not, be-
longed to Charles Ely? A. Yes, it did.
Q. Have you been in that house? A. No.
Q. Seaview Avenue is in Hotchkiss Grove which is in Bran-
ford? A. Yes.
Q. Hotchkiss Grove itself is a rather lovely summer area
of Branford, is it not? A. I would say parts of it are.
a —
PETROS RE, Ea ee |
34a
Q. You don't think the whole of Hotchkiss Grove is? A.
As an entirety, not necessarily.
( 348a )
Q. Would you mind telling me, Mr. Witness, what part of
it you think is not? A. As I recall Hotchkiss Grove, there
are some parts out near the highway, 146, that are less desir-
able than other parts.
Q. By less desirable, what do you mean? A. Less expen-
sive, lesser value than the average.
Q. Is there anything in the entire Hotchkiss Grove that is
under $30,000? A. No, not to my knowledge.
Q. The Ely house has wall-to-wall carpeting throughout,
does it not?
Mr. DeMayo. 1 object. He has testified he was not in-
side the house.
The Court. He may answer that he doesn't know if he
doesn't.
A. I do not know.
By Mr. Frechette:
Q. Ely’s house, quite frankly, is a picture? It is lovely from
the outside?
Mr. DeMayo. I will object because Mr. Frechette through
this kind of questioning is testifying. I don’t think he should
be permitted to deliver this lecture.
—— P, ——— eee eee ee
35a
The Court. I will allow it. It is cross (349a) examination.
A. It is a nice home.
Q. There is nothing out of place as you look at it at all, is
there? A. I don’t know.
Q. Doesn't it have a stone wall in the front of Stony Creek
granite? A. I don’t know. I don’t recall.
Q. What color is it? A. I don’t recall that. I do not re-
call that.
Q. Can you tell us anything about the lawn and upkeep
of the property? A. Nothing. I viewed it briefly with Mr.
Nitz, and I cannot testify to that.
Q. Do you know how long it was on the market? A. No,
I don't.
Q. Referring to the sale number one which is on page 11 of
this report, the property that Dave Berdon purchased at 98
Morgan Avenue, comparing 98 Morgan Avenue with the sub-
ject property of 110 Morgan, is it a fair statement that 98
was considerably better kept? A. Possibly, yes.
Q. Isn’t it so that Dave Berdon also bought the furniture
that went with the house when he purchased it at the price
of 41-5? (350a) A. I am not aware that 41-5 included the furni-
ture.
Q. If it did, in fact, include the furniture, is it a fair state-
ment that would be anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 on the
price?
Mr. DeMayo. I would object again unless Mr. Frechette
is prepared to state he is going to introduce this into evidence.
— LOL AOS By Ee
Mr. FRECHETTE. As a matter of fact, I am, but I think it
is a legitimate question in any event.
The Court. Overruled.
A. I would say probably $2,000 to $3,000, Mr. Frechette.
Q. Let me ask you this: Would you seriously object to
a value of 37-5 for the property at 110 Morgen Avenue with-
out the personalty thrown in? A. Yes.
Q. You would? You would object to it? A. I would ob-
ject. It is my opinion that the property is worth more than
that exclusive of the personalty.
Q. If we get to the 41-5, how much do you take off for
the personalty? A. I would say two to three?
Q. That would bring it down to either 39-5 or 38-5, isn’t
thatso? A. It would bring it down to 39 and 40.
(35la)
Q. Isn't it 41-5? A. 110 Morgan is at $42,000.
Q. That's right. You do tell me that 98 Morgan is at least
in better condiiton than 110 Morgan as far as you can see?
A. Yes. With regard to condition, they are fairly similar, I
would say.
Q. Which one is older, do you know that? A. I am not
certain at this time, no.
Q. Let me ask you, if I might, in this summary you are
using, you are testifying about a dimension of 25,000 feet from
the end of the runway which would be affected by this for-
37a
mula about which you spoke? A. That is correct. That is
considered to be the approach zone.
Q. It is considered to be the approach zone by whom? A.
Well, this is based upon factors that have been evolved through
the studies of other airports. It was built into the formula as
I described before by the two individuals that developed it,
and I believe this comes from F.A.A. criteria.
Q. What do you mean, the formula comes from the F.A.A.
criteria? A. No, the approach zone.
Q. Your answer to that is no, the 25,000 foot figure (352a)
is nothing that comes from the F.A.A. as far as this formula
goes, it is not an F.A.A. formula? A. No.
Mr. DEMayo. We don't make that claim, your Honor.
Q. Is it your statement that two people have come up with
this formula, one of the factors of which is 25,000 feet from
the end of the runway? A. Yes.
Q. What are their names? A. Thomas Hall and Professor
Beaton.
Q. Were you ever employed by them? A. No, I was not.
Q. Where did you get this information? A. From two
sources. I spoke to Mr. Hall on the telephone at length, and
he has written two articles, one in conjunction with Mr.
Beaton, that were in the Appraisal Journal. One was January
of 1965. That is essentially where the information came from.
Q. So to recap, this is the theory of two fellows, and you
read it in a real estate appraisal journal? A. Appraisal Jour-
nal.
See a
c
e
38a
Q. And you talked to them on the telephone? A. Yes.
Q. How long did you talk to them on the ‘phone? (353a)
A. Twenty minutes, half-an-hour perhaps.
Q. When was that? A. About three weeks ago, four weeks
ago.
Q. How long is that article that is in the Journal? A. Oh,
I would say about sixteen pages.
Q. Sixteen pages? A. Yes.
Q. What edition of the Journal is it? A. January of 1965.
Q. Let me ask you this, if 1 might: What airports formed
the basis for this formula? A. Well, the initial study was
based upon a military airfield somewhere in Georgia. I for-
get the name of the field, but in my telephone discussion —
Q. Let me stop you there if I may. Are you telling us,
then, as far as the article written in the Journal, that is based
only on a study at a military airfield? A. That is correct.
Q. Would you finish up what you were saying? A. Mr.
Hall told me in a telephone conversation —
Q. He told you this? A. Yes.
Mr. DEMayo. I object, your Honor. I would ask your
Honor not to permit him to testify.
The Court. I will allow it. You wanted to (354a) know
where he got it, and I will let him answer it.
Mr. DEMayo. I hate to press this, but I think he has an-
swered the where. What I would object to is his how.
The Court. I will let him answer,
LES ALGAE LEO ES LON EE YE BEET OSI
39a
A. (Continuing) He said that this has been reinforced
through other work he has done. He had another article, I
believe, in the April, 1971, issue of the Appraisal Journal where
he also went into this a little bit but not to as great an extent
as he had done in his 1965 article, but he came up with es-
sentially the same conclusions.
By Mr. Frechette:
Q. What airport did that cover? A. This was based upon
his experience since the initial study.
Q. I understand that. In what airport does he have the
experience? A. I cannot tell you any specific airports.
Q. In the 1965 article, that was at a field in Georgia? A.
I believe it was, yes.
Q. In that article that was published in 1965, I take it it
takes into consideration facts that pre-existed 1965? Wouldn't
that beso? A. Yes.
Q. Over what period of time at the military base did (355a)
these facts exist? I am not certain, but they covered the
transition from propeller driven to jet aircraft.
Q. You don’t know what year? A. I believe the initial
study took place about two years prior to the article, 1963
or '64, in that area.
Q. So it would be a 1963 or 1964 study of one airport; is
that right? A. I cannot say if the whole study is based upon
one airport. This article was written in conjunction with
that one airport, but according to my conversation with him,
he has been doing this type of study for a number of years
and may have done others prior to that.
oe ]
z
CMPIR AS LON ERR ic OYE OAL SANTEE TERME STAINS
40a
Q. But as far as you are concerned, the 1965 article covers
one airport, is that so? A. Yes.
Q. Let me ask you this: What type of planes were flying
into that one airport, do you know that? A. The article
stated, I believe, it was varying types of aircraft, probably jet
bombers and fighter aircraft, and so on.
Q. Do you know that? A. I do not know that to be a fact.
Q. Can you tell Judge McLean what kind of aircraft were,
in fact, involved in the study that was written in 1965? (356a)
A. Not for sure. I believe he stated it in the article.
. Can you tell us for a fact, not what you haliows? A.No.
y y'
Q. Can you tell us how many flights per minute were in-
volved in the 1965 study? A. No, I cannot.
Q. Have you testified in any other courts besides this one
in Connecticut? A. Yes.
Q. Where? A. I testified in the Court of Common Pleas.
Q. What County, at New Haven? A. New Haven and
Hartford both.
Q. How often? A. I have been in Court in Connecticut
probably twenty, twenty-five times.
Q. Over what period of time? A. Three years.
Q. Let me ask you this: As an expert in real estate apprais-
ing — and I am going to have to go a little bit afield, but not
too far — in Bethany, for example, there is a substantial tract
of property, probably forty acres, about one-half of which has
been developed for housing, and the other half of this tract
which is zoned commercial has (357a) not been developed for
4la
housing and, in fact, is going to be used for commercial, as an
expert in the real estate appraisal business, if you were to ap-
praise the houses that are in this tract, you would have to dis-
count the fact of the zoning of the entire tract, wouldn’t you?
A. Not necessarily.
Q. Let me ask you another question: Wouldn't you as a real
estate expert be interested in the zone in which the properties
are located? A. Yes.
Q. The reason for that would be if a house was in an area
which had commercial zoning, it could have next to it, for ex-
ample, a shopping center with the lights, noise, and exhaust
pollution, couldn’t it? A. It could.
Q. Of course, that would decrease the value of the house,
would it not? A. Not necessarily.
Q. You don’t think so? A. I do not.
Q. But you think airplanes do? A. Perhaps —
Q. Just answer that yes or no. But you think airplanes
do? A. Yes.
(358a )
Q. Is it your testimony that what something is zoned for
has no bearing at all on the market value of the house in that
zone? A. That is not my testimony.
Q. It would be important to you to know what the zoning
was, wouldn't it? A. Absolutely.
Q. And the reason is that something next to it that is not
desirable might depreciate it, mightn’t it? A. It might.
Seen are Y AD A AAT ALPE
42a
Q. Being a real estate expert, you would know that before
the first house was built, wouldn't you? A. Possibly.
Q. When you say, “Possibly,” don’t you mean, “Certainly”?
A. I mean I take every factor into consideration.
Q. That is a factor you take into consideration? A. De-
‘finitely.
Q. So your answer would be yes, wouldn’t it? A. Would
you restate the question?
Q. What I am asking is simply this: If a house is in a com-
mercial area, even before it is built, you know it is going to
be worth less just because of its location, don’t you? A. No.
(359a )
Q. You don’t? Therefore, it would appear to you that the
zoning would have no effect on it? A. No.
Q. That is not so? A. May I explain?
Q. No. Let me ask you this: Is it your testimony that this
formula that you are using applied only to jet airplanes? A.
No.
Q. The values you gave Judge McLean are based on Sep-
tember 15 of 1971, is that right? A. That's correct.
Q. They have nothing to do with the commencement of
jet operations at this airport, do they? You didn’t make their
appraisal then, did you? A. The appraisal date — as of the
appraisal date, there were no jet aircraft flying, except for one
appraisal. The appraisal of 52 South End Road was dated —
I forget the exact date, but it was a 1969 date.
UF Pa ite id LE HE A ER BR SA Seal SNR Raed Ly BR ADAMI LP IN aE RT ate dha ae
*
&
43a
Q. Maybe I am misunderstanding. Doesn’t your appraisal
report speak as of September 15, 1971? A. Not in the case
of 52 South End Road.
Q. What dates does your appraisal report speak of? A.
With respect to 52 South End Road, we dated the appraisal
report January 1 of 1965. All of the other (360a) appraisal
reports are dated September 15 of 1971.
Q. They speak as of that date? A. With respect to the
market value, yes, sir.
Q. And with respect, I take it, to the diminution of value?
A. Yes.
Q. Is there any question about that? A. No.
Q. What you are telling us is that your market value and
your diminution of value both speak as of September 15 of
1971, is that right? A. That is correct.
Q. That is despite the fact no jets are flying? A. That is
correct.
Q. In your judgment, if a house was worth “X” in 1915 be-
fore an airport was there, would there be a minus factor for
that house’s value in 1931, for example, when the airport was
there? A. That is a variable factor. It depends upon —
Q. I tried to phrase it so you could answer it yes or no.
It is, I think, a simple question.
Mr. DeMayo. If your Honor, please, I will object. It is
impossible for anyone to give an answer to that. He doesn't
know the distance from the airport.
se i ste ntbhabiy bak
shinobi i Sea Bh NGS At
44a
(36la)
The Court. Please read the question.
(Whereupon, the question referred to was read by the
Court Reporter. )
Mr. DeMayo. You see my objection, your Honor. In
1915, you could have Mr. Audette’s house, and he wouldn't
be aware of the fact there was an airport at the other end of
the runway.
The Court. I think the question would have to be related
to the facts found way back in ancient history.
By The Court:
Q. Before you go any further, where in your reports
does it say your appraisal is as of September 15, 1971? A. I
believe it is on the final page (looking through documents).
The Court. I see.
Mr. DeMayo. On the signature page, your Honor.
By The Court:
Q. 1 am looking at Exhibit 4, and it appears on page twenty-
four of that one? A. That's right.
Q. That is true of all of them except Exhibit 2, 52 South
End Road, where you say you are appraising it as of January
1, 1969, is that right? A. That is right, your Honor.
45a
(362a )
Q. You used the same formula in each one of these? A.
That is correct.
Q. What puzzles me is did you use this formula without re-
gard to what type of airplane was flying on these dates? A.
No, your Honor.
Q. Can you explain what you did with it? A. Yes. The
formula can be modified according to the circumstances as
they exist. At the time we inspected the properties, there
was just these prop jets that were flying. The jet —
Q. You are speaking now of September or October, 1971?
A. Yes, your Honor, and pure jet aircraft were not flying from
the airport at that time. We modified the formula as set
forth in the original article according to several things: Number
one, my conversation with Mr. Hall on the telephone, and we
analyzed all of the sales in the area that had occurred in the
las three or four years. We saw by the analysis of these sales
that the formula as set forth in the article would not work
beeause the damages would have been substantially greater
that we had estimated them to be. We modified the factors
based in part upon what our market study showed. Essen-
tially, our market study — I probably shouldn’t say, “Showed.”
It was inconclusive. There were an insufficient number of
sales to really come up with a definitive study, and sales and
resales (363a) varied with respect to the average annual in-
crement in value.
In one case, I can't remember the specific property right
now, but there had been little or no increment in value over
a five-year period. In another case, there was a $500 increase
over a three-year period. We found ten or twelve sales and
ee
NS
OT ALA IEEE ES AP Ere OS a am
ba tie ea er eee
|
46a
resales in recent times. In some cases, there was a normal
increment in value, approximately five to seven percent per
year, in some cases three percent per year. The sales were
of varying types of properties, so it was difficult to relate
one to the other.
We had the waterfront properties that had substantial
value. There were properties that were worth $20,000 to
$25,000, five-room ranch type structures, inexpensive, relatively
inexpensive type homes. We investigated everything that we
could, and we made an attempt to key the formula to the
market as it existed in the sections of East Haven that are af-
fected by the approach zones to the runways, and this we
have done based in part upon judgment and in part upon
what some of the market sample told us. The formula we
have tried — again, to use the term — to modify to reflect
the circumstances as they existed with respect to these proper-
ties on the approach zones of the New Haven airport. Again,
if we had not modified that formula, the damage estimate
would have been substantially greater.
The Covrt. Forgive me if I pursue this for (364a) a min-
ute, Mr. Frechette.
Mr. Frecuette. Yes, your Honor.
The Court. I am just trying to understand it.
} By The Court:
You read about a formula by a man named Hall who wrote
an article about 1965? A. It was one of a number of articles.
Q. You recently called up Mr. Hall and asked him about it?
A. I did.
OO OES ECR IE OS FE BES IS
Sree
47a
Q. Do I understand the formula expounded in his article
differs from the one you testified to? A. No. The formula
isthe same. The weight of the factors varied.
Q. How have you varied Mr. Hall’s formula? A. Mr. Hall,
if | can refer your Honor again to, I believe, it was page 15
of the 110 Morgan Avenue, that will show the same — page
17, your Honor, I am sorry. It is on item three of the three
items at the top of the page, that fifty percent factor there is
the same. For item two—
Q. 1 will have to get the same exhibit. A. I have 110
Morgan Avenue.
Mr. DeMayo. Exhibit 4, your Honor.
Q. Page 17? A. Page 17.
(365a )
Q. All right. A. At the top of the page under the first
factor that we considered, we have used a 20 perceni weight.
The initial article called for a 5 percent weight for that fac-
tor. Under the second item, we have used a 30 percent weight
factor. The Hall-Beaton article called for a 45 percest factor,
and the third item, the 50 percent factor, is the same.
Q. The distances Mr. Frechette asked you with respect to
the first item, where did you get the 25,000 feet, and you
said you got that from Mr. Hall? A. That is correct.
Q. 1 will ask you where did you get the 2,000 in the sec-
ond factor? A. That was also derived from the article
48a
Q. All right. Where did you get the figures in the third
factor? A. The 500 feet in the third factor was also derived
from the article as well as other readings.
Q. So what you varied from the Hall formula was the
weight to be attributed to each factor? A. Yes, your Honor,
and there was one other change. The divisor was three rath-
er than ten. We have used a final divisor of ten rather than
three. As you can see, were a three to be used, the damage
also would have been greater. (366a) Those are the only vari-
ations.
Q. You don’t know exactly what kind of airplanes were fly-
ing at the fields Hall was considering when you developed
this formula? A. There was a reference in the article he did
mention jet aircraft, your Honor.
Q. What we are trying to do here is ascertain the damage
which these various parcels have sustained through the op-
eration of jet aircraft and turbo-jet aircraft. Do you under-
stand that? A. Yes.
Q. This case was tried in October, 1970, just about a year
ago, and my opinion citing the merits of that case is based
on fact which had occurred up to the time of the trial as it so
stands. Do you understand that? A. I do, your Honor.
Q. Apparently, since the trial, for reasons with which I have
no concern, the jets have stopped fly ing, but that doesn’t affect,
as I see it, the damages that | am trying to ascertain. 1 want
to know the situation as it existed at the time of the trial just
as though you had testified at the trial in October, 1970.
Now, you confuse me when you say your figures are all as
of September, 1971, when there are no longer any jets. Can
49a
you explain that? (367a) A. Yes, 1 can, your Honor. As stated
previously, we had read and, hopefully, digested your decision,
and these appraisal reports are tailored to those factors. The
date in the certificate does not state in most cases September
15, 1971. However, the factors are reflective of the jets, and
this was part of the reason why we did a three or four-year
study of sales. We interviewed a number of people, and it is
my opinion that this estimate of damage is effective as of
October of 1970, despite the date of September 15, 1971. We
have attempted to take the jet aircraft into consideration in
our appraisal report.
Q. Of course, if you were really doing it as of September,
1971, as your report states, and if it is true, as I assume it is,
that there are no jet flying now and were not in September,
1971, then your figures it seems to me would inevitably be
much lower than the figures I am talking about because I was
concerned in this trial with a situation where the properties
were damaged by the use of jets. Do you understand that?
A. Yes. A number of people pointed out the damage to us,
your Honor.
Q. You are telling me now you are reflecting the jet opera-
tion in your figures, despite the date on your reports, is that
right? A. Yes. There was a problem, if I may explain,
(368a) because of the length of time the jets flew and the lack
of the number of sales during that time period. These dam-
age figures could be substantially greater if jet service is re-
instated, and depending upon the frequency of flights, and
so on. As near as we can compute from the market evi-
dence we did have plus our judgment, these figures are re-
flective of the circumstances at that time.
merren ea |
So
Q. Let me just press this once again because I want to get
this clear. You said these figures could be different if jet
service was reinstated. I can’t accept that. I am talking
about the time when jet service was in operation. Do you
understand that? A. I do, your Honor.
Q. So there wasn’t any question of reinstating it, was there?
A. That is correct.
Q. And your figures you tell me are as of that time, namely,
October, 1970? A. Right. Again, we read your Honor’s de-
cision, and that was the basis. We built upon the decision
to the best of our ability.
Q. Is this the first time you have testified as to this formula?
A. Yes, it is, your Honor.
Q. This is your first testimony in an airport case? (369a) A.
Yes, it is.
Q. One more thing and then I will keep quiet. The factor
to which you attribute the greatest weight is the height of
the planes? A. That is correct.
Q. And your formula assumes a glide angle of two to one,
doesn't it? A. Yes.
Q. Two percent? A. Two percent. A fifty to one glide
angle is two percent.
Q. A two percent glide angle? A. That is correct.
Q. The testimony in the case was uncontroverted and I also
found that, in fact, the glide angle was three percent. Are
you aware of that? A. Yes, I recall a three percent.
. PE OE eS 2) Re ee cucu
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5la
Q. If it is three percent, the planes would be higher when
they pass over the houses than they would be if it is two
percent, would they not? A. They would.
Q. Don’t you think you ought to modify your formula a lit-
tle bit to take into account the actual facts? A. All right.
Everything that we read, your Honor, indicated that the
fifty to one glide angle was the accepted (370a) glide angle.
The three percent — I forget just how that was phrased, but
we did use the two percent, your Honor.
Q. Under the figures that you used, you assumed planes
passing over the properties at a lower point than they actually
do, isn’t that so? A. No, your Honor. It is the glide angle
path, as I understand it, which is the path below which no
plane can fly. Usually, they are higher. Usually, they are
higher. They are above the glide angle plane. This the path
below which no plane can fly nor can any obstructions be con-
structed.
The Court. I was given the benefit of exhaustive testimony
on this subject by people who know all about this, and they
certainly made clear to me that the angle which the planes
actually follow is three percent above the horizontal. There
isn’t any doubt about that, is there, Mr. DeMayo?
Mr. DEMayo. That was all the testimony about the VASI
system, your Honor, and every plane doesn’t come in on the
VASI.
Mr. Frecuetre. As I recall it, your Honor, we had this red,
white and pink thing so much before us that we were seeing
it in our sleep. I thought the magic figure was three. I
think (37la) the touchdown point was considerably different
ee eieaiianel WROD TIN SALA BP TPA dy ET PEL GE
52a
than this gentleman has testified to; the end of the runway
vis-a-vis where the plane actually touches down was further
away, I think.
The Court. Let me just find that. On page eight of my
opinion in this case, I found that the VASI device was set for
a glide slope at an angle of three percent above the hori-
zontal, which was the angle approved by the F.A.A., and we
went into a discussion of the red lights and white lights and
pink lights, all of which was testified to at great lengths, and
the airlines testified that their pilots followed this glide slope.
I found in the main they did, although they may have failed
to occasionally, but substantially they followed it, so I would
think that it is somewhat artificial to assume a lower glide
slope than the evidence indicated actually occurred.
Mr. DeMayo. If your Honor please, may I point out some-
thing? We have a photostat of the exhibit that was entered
by the City of New Haven, Defendant’s Exhibit A-7, Eastern
Airlines, showing the glide slopes for Tweed-New Haven Air-
port. The only one that is any different is the fifty to one
that is the threshold for the ultimate runway for the (372a)
next expansion which they claim is not going to happen. They
are also fifty to one. I think the three percent is not at
variance with the fifty to one.
Mr. FRECHETTE. Iam sure it is.
Mr. DeMayo. The three percent is a more gradual one
they use with the VASI if they are using it.
The Court. I can’t recreate the case, and I have already
made my findings. I am going to have to go by that. J am
satisfied there was ample evidence to support the finding that
ei
53a
the glide slope was three percent. Now, how much difference
this makes in my opinion I don’t know. It happens that this
height factor is the most important of these three factors, the
one to which you attribute the greatest weight, and if the glide
slope were, in fact, three percent as I found it was instead of
two percent, I don’t know how much higher that makes the
plane or whether it makes any real difference.
By The Court:
Q. I don’t suppose you have computed that, have you? A.
I have not, your Honor.
The Court. Maybe you ought to try to before (373a) you
get through. It may not make any practical difference on
these properties.
Iam through, Mr. Frechette, excuse me.
By Mr. Frechette:
Q. I did want to talk about one other question. You have
taken this fifty to one, whatever it is, from the end of the
runway, have you not? A. I have.
Q. Not from the touch-down point? A. That is correct.
Q. You know there is a difference? A. Yes.
Q. You know they are geared to come down at the touch-
down point, not at the end of the runway? Do you know
that? A. Yes.
Q. So that would make them even higher under your for-
mula? A. Yes.
we Sh ts
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54a
Q. Because the height is the important thing, it would
have a further variance on your figures, wouldn’t it? A. It
could, yes.
Q. It would, wouldn't it? A. Depending on the distance, it
would have a slight deviation.
(374a)
Q. It would affect it, wouldn’t it? A. Yes.
Q. So Judge McLean would have no question in his mind,
I thought you told me before that you have no knowledge of
what airplanes were involved in this Atlanta test, isn’t that
so? A. Nospecific knowledge, that is so.
Q. What I started to do with you before is this: If you take
the airport in 1915 with the subject houses the way they are;
in other words, there is no airport, just vacant land; you are
not going to have to depreciate that land at all because of air-
port purposes, are you? A. I would say probably not.
Q. It is not there, so you can’t, can you? A. Right.
Q. You wouldn’t depreciate it for something not there,
would you? A. No.
Q. But when you get te 1931 and there is an airport there,
is it your testimony you wouldn't depreciate these properties
in 1931 merely because of the airport? A. Considering the
type of aircraft in 1931?
Q. In 1931, would you depreciate it as an expert in this
field? A, I would say probably not.
55a
(375a)
Q. O.K. Then it would mean nothing to you as to what
these zoning laws of the properties that are adjacent and
close to the subject properties, isn’t that so? A. This is not
$0.
Q. How can you square your prior answer to me in which
it would make no difference for market value in 1931 when
an airport was there? A. It depends on the highest and best
use of the property, if it is consistent with the zoning. It has
to be consistent with the zoning.
Q. That has nothing to do with the neighboring property,
does it? The highest and best use has nothing to do with
value on the neighboring property?
Mr. DeMayo. If your Honor please, I will make the same
objection I made earlier, that the operation of an airport in
1915 or 1931 is considerably different than forty years later.
There is no possible way that that question can be accurately
answered or answered with any attempt at being professional.
The Court. I will let him answer it anyway he likes.
Do you want it read back?
The Witness. Please.
The Court. Please read the question.
(376a)
(Whereupon, the pending question was read by the Court
Reporter. )
A. It does.
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56a
By Mr. Frechette:
Q. If the use isn’t good, it depreciates it, doesn’t it? A. It
may, yes.
Q. And a real estate expert in 1931 with these properties
would have to depreciate them as far back as that because of
the existence of the airport, according to you, wouldn't he?
A. Not necessarily, Mr. Frechette.
Q. Wouldn't he probably do it? A. He might.
Q. Wouldn't the prudent real estate appraiser foresee air-
planes coming into an airport? A. Yes.
Q. For that reason, according to you, wouldn’t he de-
preciate it, or don’t you think it has any effect on it at all?
A. It definitely has an effect, but you have to consider the
circumstances as of that time.
Q. Does it have an adverse effect? A. In 1931?
Q. Yes, sir. (377a) A. Considering the properties we are
talking about today, it may not have had an adverse effect in
1931. Idonot know. My guess is it would not.
Q. Taking it up to 1951, would it have an adverse effect
then? A. On the properties we are discussing?
Q. Yes. A. Probably not.
Q. Did you know in 1951 that the runways were paved, that
the 2200 runway was 4,771 feet, and there were commercial
flights coming in? A. Yes.
Q. You say that had no effect on — A. (Interposing) I am
talking about the stuff down along the water.
ae UND idl Lb NANO ROUND Mamma werkt VN) Ne ww
57a
Q. I am talking about these eight properties we are dis-
cussing. Is it your testimony that they were not affected by
the aircraft use in 1951? A. Some of them may very well
have been.
Q. May very well have been? They were, weren't they?
A. Yes, some were.
Q. How much? A. I cannot say.
Q. What percent? A. I cannot say.
(378a )
Q. Five percent? A. I do not know.
Q. Taking this to 1960, would they be affected at that time?
A. Yes, somewhat.
Q. All of them would, wouldn’t they, according to your
theory? A. I would have to do an investigation, Mr. Fre-
chette.
Q. In other words, is it your testimony you don’t know? A.
In 1960, I do not know.
Q. You are unprepared as an expert in this field to venture
an opinion as of 1960, is that so? A. That is not so. Some
properties would be affected.
Q. Which ones? A. Those closest to the airport, closest to
the end of the runway directly under the flight path of the
airport.
Q. Which ones? Tell us which ones were affected in 1960?
A. I would say 52 South End Road may have been affected,
735 Silver Sands Road, 6 Canna Drive.
58a
Q. That's all? A. Yes; 25 Holmes Street possibly.
Q. In 1960, they were affected, is that right? A. I would
say they were.
(379a)
Q. Did you know we had scheduled commercial flights com-
ing in at thattime? A. I don't recall.
Q. That would be important to your determination as to
whether or not they would be affected? A. Definitely. I am
assuming they were.
Q. If they were coming in at that time, it would affect the
value of them? A. Yes.
Q. How about in 1965 when you get up to perhaps ten
flights a day from one and four from another, would that have
an adverse effect on the subject properties we are here about
today? A. Yes.
Q. Quite frankly, any real estate man would forsee this
coming because of the zoning analogy from 1931 on, wouldn't
he? A. Yes.
Mr. Frecuette. Thank you. May I have just a moment
to look over my notes, if it please the Court?
The Court. Yes.
( Pause. )
By Mr. Frechette:
Q. Are you familiar with Walters’ study of the effect (380a)
of jets on airports? A. Yes, I am.
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59a
Q. Do you agree with this? A. With respect to the study
he prepared for Chicago, I would say he is probably correct.
Q. Denver? A. I am not acquainted with his Denver study.
Q. Dallas? A. I am not acquainted with that.
Q. At least the one you are acquainted with is Chicago?
A. [have read three of his articles.
Q. He said that they did not depreciate, is that correct? |
A. Yes.
Mr. Frecuette. Your Honor, I have one other question I
can’t think of at the moment.
The Court. Very well. We will adjourn now for lunch.
You can think of the question over the lunch hour, and you
can ask it when we get back.
If it is feasible, it would be helpful to me if Mr. Heberger
could study these computations and see how much effect
there would be, if any, if we assume a three percent glide
angle instead of a two percent, and if we assume that planes
touch (38la) down 200 feet from the end of the runway — is
that the figure — rather than at the exact end of the runway,
I would like to know that. It may be those variances from
the actual facts of this case don’t make much of any difference
in the theoretical results but if you could figure it out, fine.
The Witness. I can.
Mr. FRECHETTE. May I ask one more question?
The Court. All right.
a
ISR LE LAE IRE RS ELE RIOTS een ee |
60a
By Mr. Frechette:
Q. Is it a fair statement that this area — and by, “This
area,” I mean south of runway 2200, the Morgan Point area —
as a general thing shows as much real estate activity as other
areas? A. By other areas, you mean the City or Town of
East Haven?
Q. Anywhere from West Haven through Branford. A. |
would say activity is reduced in that area as compared to
the general New Haven area, compared to the Town of East
Haven as a whole and the general New Haven area.
Mr. Frecuetre. Thank you.
The Court. We will adjourn until 1:30. That will give
us a little extra time.
(Whereupon, a recess for lunch was taken at 12:20 o'clock
p-m. )
(382a )
AFTERNOON SESSION
1:30 O’cLocK P.M.
Epwarp F. HEesercer, resumed the witness stand, testifying
further on his oath as follows:
Cross-examination continued by Mr. Frechette:
Q. Mr. Heberger, isn’t it a fact in the Macon study they
took into consideration 60,000 flights per year? A. Yes.
6la
By The Court:
Q. What is the Macon study? A. That was the study, your
Honor, that was the basis of the original article with the mili-
tary air base.
Mr. FrecHETTE. Thank you. You may inquire.
Redirect examination by Mr. DeMayo:
Q. During the recess, Mr. Heberger, in accordance with
his Honor’s suggestion, did you recompute the damage fig-
ures you came up with earlier, assuming in every case the
three percent as opposed to the previous two percent com-
putation? A. Yes, I did.
Q. With one exception, I believe you did this? (383a) A.
Yes.
Q. What was the exception? A. The exception was the
Amendola property at 2 Meadow Place where, according to
the graphs and charts that were introduced into testimony at
the previous hearing, there was a twenty to one glide angle.
Q. There was a different runway? A. Yes.
Q. To your knowledge, it does not have any VASI indicator
or any other landing guides? A. That is correct.
Q. For the ones you did recompute to make a Schedule A,
I guess, would you tell his Honor what differences resulted
first with the computation for Erle Jones, 52 South End Road?
A. All right. With respect to 52 South End Road, I com-
puted a damage of $2,250.
Q. So there is a difference of $50, is that correct? A. Yes.
62a
Q. Meadow Place, we did not recompute, is that right? A.
There is no change.
Q. Exhibit 4, Leslie Monroe, 110 Morgan Avenue, was there
a difference there? A. Yes. The damage was $2,843. |
suggest rounding it to $2,850.
(384a)
Q. The 114 Morgan Avenue, Mr. Monroe's other parcel?
A. I came up with a damage of $2,062, which could be round-
ed to $2,050 or $2,100.
Q. And the 25 Holmes Street property, Michael Fusco?
A. $2,503, which I recommend rounding to $2,500.
Q. And the Audette property, 735 Silver Sands Road? A.
$2,184, which could be rounded to $2,200.
Q. And 72 Morgan Avenue, Michael Criscuolo? A. $3,217,
which would round to $3,200.
Q. Finally, 6 Canna Drive, Mr. Guidone? A. $2,250.
Q. I note as you gave these revised figures, Mr. Heberger,
that the differences are in most cases small differences. What
does this indicate to you about the formula? A. Well, the
formula is weighted to reflect various factors. I think it indi-
cates that the formula is relatively realistic with respect to the
particular properties in question.
Q. Which would further indicate to you it would take
substantial distances to change the figures drastically? A. Yes.
Q. Just to clear up one thing that was touched upon by Mr.
Frechette in his cross-examination and in answer to his Honor's
a, Xm GI ARR Na RES OL OEE AEE BAS EEE EMR NOR IS EA ERT AE a
;
questions about the situation that you attempted (385a) to
evaluate with respect to the time of your appraisal, I believe
you testified you read his Honor’s judgment in this case, or
decision? A. Yes, I did
Q. The 64-page document? A. Yes.
Q. You took this set of facts as described in this document
into account when you performed these appraisals? A. They
were taken into account, yes.
Q. And you also examined the neighborhood situations that
were described in that document? A. Yes.
Q. Is it your best belief that you attempted to duplicate
the situation that existed as of the time of which this judgment
speaks? A. Yes.
Q. Now, Mr. F rechette asked you about your conversa-
tion with Mr. Hall. Did Mr. Hall indicate to you the extent
to which he has put this formula to use?
Mr. FRECHETTE. May I object to that, your Honor?
The Court. I will let him answer. I realize this is sec-
ond hand.
A. He did not specifically mention the number of times.
He said he has used it several times since.
( 386a )
Q. In what parts of the country, did he indicate? A. No,
he did not.
Q. At any rate, in your use of the formula prior to imple-
menting it, did you do other independent reading in conjunc-
Be foe x
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64a
tion with your reading of the Hall-Beaton articles? A. Yes,
I am not sure how many articles, probably thirty articles. |
wrote to the Library of the National Association of Real Es-
tate Boards and asked them to send me copies of any articles
pertinent to the problem and any books they had on hand,
which they did.
Q. Some place in your appraisal, I believe, you have de-
fined the avigation easement you attempted to be guided by,
is that correct? A. Yes.
Q. Is that definition in all of the appraisals? A. Yes, it is.
Q. Mr. Frechette questioned you with respect to residen-
tial property located near commercial property and sought to
elicit a yes or no statement with respect to the effect on the
residential property of the commercially zoned property.
What would be some of the considerations that would have to
be taken into account before you could make a definitive de-
termination as to what the effect on residential was of a com-
mercial zone nearby? A. Demand, growth factors, highest
and best use the (387a) zone itself would have permitted.
Q. What about the possibilities that the commercial prop-
erty nearby offers such as services that are not generally
available to those residential properties, would that be a fac-
tor that should be considered? A. Yes.
Mr. DeMayo. I have nothing further.
Recross examination by Mr. Frechette:
Q. I did have one other question. Did you refigure the
formula based on the point of touch down rather than the end
of the runway? A. Yes. I made a 200-foot definition.
Oo tes SP RECARO AGATE MORN MARE EEE REAR 8 LEE IR ON TEE,
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65a
Q. Was that in the figures you gave? A. Yes.
Mr. FrecueETtTe. I have nothing further.
Mr. DeMayo. I might just comment with respect to that
that there was no evidence that I recall at the trial to indicate
what the actual touch down point was nor that the touch down
point was always the same. As a matter of fact, we had evi-
dence quite to the contrary, as your Honor will recall.
Mr. FrECHETTE. It makes no difference anyway.
(3882 )
Mr. DeMayo. Did you take it into account?
The Witness. Yes.
Mr. DeMayo. I have nothing further.
Mr. FrecueTte. Nothing further.
(Witness excused. )
The Court. The Plaintiffs rest?
Mr. DeMayo. I have one short witness to put on, your
Honor. Lhope it is short. Mr. Nitz.
The Court. All right.
(4232 )
Mr. FrECHETTE. The Defendants rest.
The Court. Both sides rest?
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Patera he. QANTAS CORR a
Mr. DEMayo. Yes. The only thought I had was whether
you would be interested in reading the appraisal journal that
outlines this formula situation?
The Court. I think it will stick to the evidence at this
hearing.
Mr. DEMayo. I would like to comment very briefly. 1 am
not sure I can call this argument, but since the Defendants
have rested, I would like to ask your Honor to take into ac-
count in particular your Honor’s own observations with respect
to these properties, and I think at page 28 of your Honor’s de-
cision, it sums up the situation about as succinctly as I could
if I reproduce the testimony here.
Your Honor took into account on page 28 the testimony of
these people, which I believe your Honor observed, was at all
times assumed to be truthful and very candid. Despite any
claims by the City of New Haven and the airlines their planes
flew in these neat, regular little patterns, we had a multitude
of contradiction to those claims, and your Honor I think felt
this because on page 28 (424a) you say that this is a theo-
retical standard not invariably adhered to, and I think this
was a general trend of the testimony.
I think your Honor took this into account in filing — and
properly so, I claim — there was a taking.
The Court. That was with respect to the Audette prop-
erty?
Mr. DeMayo. Yes. This is true of other people. Other
people testified what they estimated the distances to be. I think
the only thing we are here for today is to determine not
whether there was a taking, but the value of that taking.
67a
Now, I submit to your Honor that to indulge in the niceties
of this appraisal world and assume they can prove these things
to the last nickel, basically I think it is obvious the appraiser's
methods are inexact at best.
Since I have tried this case last fall, I have been in Court
with respect to redevelopment property in the Town of East
Haven, and I am aghast and amazed at the fantastic differ-
ences appraisers can come up with on the same piece of prop-
erty, utilizing different methods.
Mr. Parente and I spent several days in Court (425a) this
past week and had a 100 percent discrepancy between two
apparently unbiased, unprejudiced appraisers. We had
$88,000 from one appraiser and $173.000 from another. You
couldn’t believe it was the same piece of property when it was
described. For this reason, the attempts to reconsider these
entirely on the basis of market data are not entirely infallible.
I submit to your Honor that what we have attempted to do
with the formula is something that may be novel, it may be
different, but if you take the basic concepts of the formula and
ask yourself what it basically attempts to do, I think it is the
closest thing to a standard measuring, the closest thing to a
standardized set of conditions we have come up with in the
appraisal field, and this is merely a part, but 1 think it is much
more reliable than looking at a list of sales and purchases and
not having before us the other factors which determine why
people buy houses, why they sell houses, why certain prop-
erties move, why certain properties don’t move. I am con-
vinced after listening to these appraisers testify that no one
can properly evaluate all of these sales and give any substan-
tial credence to the varying (426a) factors that go into them,
UNG eS OG TAT I AB AARC Seth CU MEE S88 AOL ALLL HE EPA a
68a
and I claim that this formula represents the closest thing to
a valid measuring stick that applies equally to all properties
under all conditions.
The one thing I point out to your Honor is I am aware of
the fact that my two appraisers weighted two of these factors
differently in assigning the weight, but the total they put to
them was not different. The 50 percent for height was the
same as the original, and the two other factors which Mr. He-
berger explained to your Honor that he assigned different
weights to was because he felt they were more significant in
this situation than the other, but the sum total is the same, and
the three elements are the same.
I think Mr. Heberger was very candid in pointing out to
your honor he had taken an approach on a hard, cold line
without taking into account the peculiarities of this situation,
what the market data indicated might be trends and he would
not be using sound judgment and sound principles, so he at-
tempted to apply less weight to certain of those factors.
I feel we have given the Court a logical, a (427a) plausible,
and a fairly accurate gauge of what we claimed all along
these people have been damaged by, no matter what Mr. Pa-
rente says, and I respect him as a gentleman and an appraiser.
I heard these people. The fact is we heard them testify
in the Courtroom, and we know what they look like, and you
heard them testify, and I think they impressed you with the
fact they had something to talk about and were deprived of
something. Mr. Heberger makes the point that the sum total
of the prices which these people started with has been reduced
by one. I think we have given your Honor something to be
guided by.
rae iss
69a
The Court. May I ask one question: In Exhibit 2, which
is the appraisal report on 52 South End Road, Mr. Jones’ gas
station, he winds up by saying that as of January 1, 1969, the
subject property had a market value of $25,000 which was re-
duced by the taking to $22,700, or a difference of $2,300.
Those figures were changed very slightly after lunch today,
and the damages claimed were reduced to $2,250 instead of
$2,300, but the value prior to the taking is still $25,000.
The fact is as I found and as shown by the evidence at the
trial was that on January 2, 1969, (428a) this property was
sold by Mr. Jones for $25,000, so how has he been damaged?
Mr. DeMayo. Well, I think the problem there was — may-
be I should address this to Mr. Heberger, but it is too late
for that — he had disposed of the property while this was in
Court, and the continuing situation which your Honor heard
described to you in 1970 had terminated as to him, his inability
to put up with it a year before, so there has to be a projection
backward to countenance Mr. Jones’ selling. It was also in-
dicated by Mr. Jones that included in that $25,000 sales price
was something for equipment.
The Court. No. The sales price was 27-5 to which he
ascribed $2,500 to the personal property, leaving $25,000 to
the real estate. He said that at least twice.
Mr. DeMayo. I honestly don’t remember that.
The Court. It appears on page 238 of the record which I
will show you.
Mr. DeEMayo. Iam sure your Honor is correct.
The Courr. Of course, the testimony goes on and on and
on, and he was asked about it again on cross-examination,
ee na
70a
but to the best of my knowledge and belief, he never waiver.
ed from the fact he got (429a) $27,500, and $2,500 was for
— I think at one point he said he got $27,000 and $2,000 of it
was for personal property, but he never waivered from the fact
that what he got for the real estate was $25,000. If I missed
some answer, whether he changed that, please let me know,
but I don’t think he did.
I said in my opinion on page 55 that if Jones can prove
because of the flights he received less for the property which
he sold than he would otherwise have received, an easement
may be granted binding on the purchaser and Jones may be
compensated for it. I said that in reliance on one case which
much to my surprise so held.
Now, leaving out the question as to whether you have
proved that the purchaser paid less than he otherwise would
have paid, which is what you have to prove under that case,
leaving that to one side, the evidence is he sold it for exactly
the figure which your expert says was its fair market value
before the taking.
Mr. DeMayo. I would have to concede, your Honor, that
would indicate he did not suffer that $2,300 worth of dam-
ages in view of the fact it had been sold, and —
(430a )
The Court. It indicates in my mind he didn’t suffer any
damage. If you can find some place where he changed the
figures in his testimony, please let me know and I will read
it again, but certainly on page 238 he said that flatly, that
$25,000 was the building and real estate, and I am sure he re-
ye eee dae —
SRA REE PTS NEA ERIE ARRAN TR OREN) SO ON
7la
peated that later on, so as far as I can see at the moment,
Mr. Jones is out.
Now, as to the others, the evidence here this time certainly
has more to support the experts’ opinion than it had last
time, and I am interested to see that the figures as to damages
are considerably lower than your previous expert testified to.
Granted that no expert is infallible and no formula is perfect,
still I feel as I said in my opinion, that these people have suf-
fered some damage. I will give Mr. Frechette a chance to
tell me why I shouldn’t accept substantially the figures which
this present witness or expert has testified to.
Mr. FrecHette. I think for this reason, if it please your
Honor, and this is subject to my recollection of the evidence,
I think both of the Plaintiffs’ witnesses said the same phras-
ing, the results were inconclusive in analyzing comparable
(43la) sales. I think basically that is what Mr. Parente said
the first time, and I think basically that is the fact; there is
no conclusion to be drawn from the evidence in this case
as to what happens to market values near the airport. I
wouldn't want to live near the airport, your Honor, but per-
haps your Honor wouldn't want to live on the corner of
Edgewood Avenue and hear the buses go by, but it hasn't
hurt the market value of my house.
Your Honor took an arrow from my quiver. I cite Jones as
authority for the proposition that the formula does not work,
and this is quite frankly the reason I stayed away from that
on my examination. They said before the taking the value
was $25,000, that is what he got. The formula didn’t work
for Jones. The formula doesn’t work.
iit. |
has Dap mt BOARS OLED 9th aT EE FARR ELIE DG AE
72a
Why doesn’t it work? That formula that has been put
forth before your Honor takes into consideration nothing that
is in this small regional airport. Your Honor will recall the
evidence about 20 flights per day. There aren't. I think at
the most there are 14, but taking 20 times 365 comes out to
about 7,000. This formula is based on a military operation of
60,000 flights per year. (432a) There is no similarity.
The Courr. Well, I found there was a taking with respect
to certain Plaintiffs. You don’t have to agree with that, but
so far that is what I found.
Mr. FRECHETTE. I understand that.
The Court. I found it on the basis of the number of flights
we have in this case.
Mr. Frecuetre. For these purposes, I agree with your
Honor. Your Honor has found the taking and should mea-
sure damages, and this is a hearing in damages.
What I am suggesting is that the formula used by the Plain-
tiffs witnesses does not apply to this airport. There is nothing
similar about it. It takes into consideration ten times the
amount of activity there is here for the measure of damages,
and in the one place we can measure the formula’s effective-
ness, is sales, and I would point out to your Honor the formu-
la that has been used here has never been used to your
Honor’s information in any courtroom; it has never been
used by these two witnesses in a courtroom. Your Honor
is hearing something published in a journal. Quite frankly, I
had something published in a law journal, and I (433a) hope
won't be used in a courtroom. All a journal article is is that
somebody has an idea and they run it in a journal. It is not
BLEED THROUGH POOR COPY
73a
proof of anything. The proof of this thing, which they all
agree to, is cost, comparables and income. Everybody, Pa-
rente and the other two, throw out income; it didn’t apply.
The cost, we have no problem. We agree for the purposes of
argument how much it cost to build a house, and we agree on
market value with one exception. The thing we get into is
where is the value of taking? They can’t substantiate the
formula with sales, and they admit they can’t. In fact, I ob-
jected to the offer of proof, and your Honor sustained me.
The Court. You can’t disprove it with sales either.
Mr. FrecHETTE. Yes, you can. I respectfully cite Jones.
That is proof to the contrary. What does Mr. Parente say —
and I cannot disprove it except for Jones. Jones in my opinion
disproves it.
I think Mr. Parente’s candid comment disproves it, which
is the two houses that were sold there went from $58,000 to
$70,000. That in my judgment disproves it.
The other thing I am relying on is Mr. Parente’s
Orie ere sé: . :
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. res RS SE OS REN ea
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74a
(460a )
(624a)
VOL. 7 — DEFENDANT’S APPENDIX
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT
THE Town oF East HAVEN, ET ALS)
Plaintiffs
vs. . Civil Action No. 12175
EASTERN AIRLINES, INC., ET ALS
Defendants 4
MOTION TO DISMISS
Pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the de-
fendant The City of New Haven hereby moves this court to
dismiss the complaint of Michael Fusco, Leslie Munro, Earl W.
Jones, Michael Criscuolo, Alphonse Guidone, Jr., Leon Amen-
dola and Louis G. Audette for the following reasons:
1. As to the plaintiffs Michael Criscuolo and Alphonse
Guidone, Jr., the principle of res adjudicata applies and they
are barred from recovery.
2. As to the plaintiffs Michael Fusco, Earl W. Jones, Al-
phonse Guidone, Jr., Louis G. Audette and Leslie Munro, their
claimed damages are insufficient to invoke the jurisdiction of
this court.
3. As to the plaintiffs Michael Criscuolo and Leon Amen-
dola, there is no federal question involved and the jurisdiction
should be in the State court.
, , MR ANTES EEOS
ESSER a RS BE EES RAR ESS PINES
BLEED THROUGH POOR COPY
75a
Dated at New Haven, Connecticut, this 21st day of Sep-
tember, 1971.
Defendant City of New Haven
By /s/ Rocer J. FRECHETTE
Rocer J. FRECHETTE
Its Attorney
Service certified pursuant to Rule 12a of F.R.C.P.
/s/ Rocer J. FRECHETTE
RoceR J. FRECHETTE
(625a )
NOTICE OF MOTION TO DISMISS
Please take notice that the defendant, The City of New
Haven, will bring its motion to dismiss before the United
States District Court for the District of Connecticut for a
hearing on the 24th day of September, 1971, at 2:00 p.m. at
New York, New York, or as soon thereafter as counsel may be
heard.
Dated at New Haven, Connecticut, this 21st day of Sep-
tember, 1971.
Defendant City of New Haven
By /s/ Rocer J. FRECHETTE
Rocer J. FRECHETTE
Its Attorney
76a
This is to certify that a copy of the within has been mailed
this 21st day of September, 1971 to:
AnTuHony V. DEMayo, 129 Church St.,
New Haven, Conn., and
TyLer, Cooper, GRANT, BOWERMAN & KEEFE
205 Church Street, New Haven, Connecticut
/s/ Rocer J. FRECHETTE
Rocer J. FRECHETTE
(626a )
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS
1. The defendant The City of New Haven is once again
raising the defense of res adjudicata as to the two plaintiffs
Michael Criscuolo and Alphonse Guidone, Jr., as both of them
were plaintiffs in the original suit in the Superior Court in
the State of Connecticut in which they, through their lawyer,
admitted they could prove no damages and consequently the
Superior Court awarded them no damages, all of which was
filed as a special defense and the complaint and judgment of
the state court case were offered and accepted as exhibits in
this case.
2. As to the plaintiffs Michael Fusco, Earl W. Jones, Al-
phonse Guidone, Jr., Michael Criscuolo and Leslie Munro,
both in their answer to interrogatories and their appraiser's
testimony their damages do not attain the required jurisdic-
tional minimum of this court and as a result thereof their
cases should be dismissed.
City of Boulder v. Snyder, 396 F.2d 853 (10th Cir., 1968),
cert. den. 393 U.S. 1051;
Jaconski v. Avisum Corporation, 359 F.2d 931 (3rd Cir.,
1966 );
F & S Construction Company v. Jensen, 337 F.2d 160
(10th Cir., 1964).
(627a)
3. As to the plaintiffs Amendola and Criscuolo their reme-
dy, if any, lies in the state court inasmuch as they are Con-
necticut residents and this defendant is a municipal corpora-
tion in the State of Connecticut and they have not made any
allegations of violation of federal statutes or the federal Con-
stitution which would place jurisdiction in this court as op-
posed to the state court. This defect also applies to all
plaintiffs.
Defendant City of New Haven
By /s/ Rocer J. FRECHETTE
RocerR J. FRECHETTE
Its Attorney
Service Certified pursuant to Rule 12a of F.R.C.P.
/s/ Rocer J. FRECHETTE
RoGcER J. FRECHETTE
SION T TAT IE LLIN OT TELS RI RR FIENNES li
78a
(628a )
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT
THE Town oF East HAVEN, ET AL
Plainti
Pa won - t Civil Action No. 12175
EASTERN AIR LINES, INC., ET AL January 9 » 1968
Defendants |
AMENDED MOTION OF THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN TO DISMISS
AND FOR OTHER RELIEF
The City of New Haven (“defendant”) respectfully moves
the court as follows:
1. To dismiss the action because the complaint fails to state
a claim against defendant upon which relief can be granted.
2. To dismiss the action on the ground that the court lacks
jurisdiction in that the action does not arise under the Con-
stitution and laws of the United States, there is no diversity of
citizenship, exclusive jurisdiction of plaintiffs’ action if any
is vested in the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Federal Avia-
tion Administration of the Department of Transportation, de-
fendant is immune from plaintiffs’ action if any, and the court
lacks the power to grant the relief requested.
(629a)
3. To dismiss the action on the ground that the plaintiffs
have failed to join the United States of America, the Civil
Aeronautics Board and all owners, users and operators of air-
craft at the airport, which are indispensable parties.
BLEED THROUGH POOR COPY
RD Tt : ¥ PM TRF OCIA RR a ee
79a
4. To dismiss the action of plaintiff Town of East Haven
on the ground that it is not the real party in interest as re-
quired by Rule 17 (a) of the Rules of Civil Procedure.
5. To dismiss the action of plaintiff Town of East Haven
on the ground that it does not have the capacity to sue in a
representative capacity.
6. To dismiss the action of plaintiffs New Haven-Com-
mittee Against Airport Expansion and East Haven-Committee
Against Airport Expansion on the ground that they are not the
real parties in interest as required by Rule 17 (a) of the Rules
of Civil Procedure.
7. To dismiss the action of the plaintiffs New Haven-Com-
mittee Against Airport Expansion and East Haven-Committee
Against Airport Expansion on the ground that they do not have
the capacity to sue in a representative capacity.
8. To dismiss the action of plaintiff Michael Rascati on the
ground that he is not the real party in interest as required by
Rule 17 (a) of the Rules of Civil Procedure and does not have
the capacity to sue in a representative capacity.
9. To strike plaintiffs’ prayer for money damages on ‘he
ground that the complaint fails to state specifically items of
special damage as required by Rule 9 (g) of the Rules of
Civil Procedure.
(630a )
10. To dismiss the complaint insofar as it purports to be a
class action on the grounds that the plaintiffs do not constitute
a class, the persons plaintiffs purport to represent are not so
numerous as to make it impracticable to bring them all before
ESSE DLO IIE ELIE LL TEESE LIN LES FE REET I Se RN et AOD Parr, |
PN ES Lod ARN NR NEY PRL 8 one ORDERS Eo TINE NTE i |
the court, and the character of the right alleged to be enforced
is not comprehended within Rule 23 (a) of the Rules of Civil
Procedure.
11. To dismiss the complaint on the ground that there js
improper venue and failure of service of process.
The Defendant City of New Haven
By Tuomas F, Keyes, Jr.
Its Attorney
(63la)
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION OF DEFENDANT CITY OF
NEW HAVEN, CONN. TO DISMISS AND FOR OTHER RELIEF
I. Jurisdiction
Plaintiffs have recognized in their Memorandum in Support
of Plaintiffs’ Motion to Add Defendant’ that in adding the
City of New Haven as a defendant diversity jurisdiction under
28 USC Sec. 1332 is wholly defeated, which of course it is.
Plaintiffs allege no jurisdiction of the City of New Haven
under 28 USC Sec. 1343. Therefore, the sole possible ground
for this court's jurisdiction owed the City of New Haven is
under 28 USC Sec. 1331: tag
“(a)The district courts shall have original jurisdiction
of all civil actions wherein the matter in controversy ex-
ceeds the sum or value of $10,000, exclusive of interest
and costs, and arises under the Constitution, laws, or
treaties of the United States.”
1 Neither the Memorandum nor Motion was served on The
City of New Haven. The Court’s action granting the motion
was without the benefit of a response by the City.
8la
(632a )
Plaintiffs seek no injunctive relief against the City as, in-
deed, plaintiffs cannot, since there is nothing the City could
do to stop the present or future “turbo-jet and jet operations of
the defendants to and from the Tweed-New Haven Airport.”
Plaintiffs’ claim against the City are solely the claims of al-
leged trespass, nuisance, and “taking”. Trespass and nuisance
involve no federal question.
The question, then, is whether each of the plaintiffs have
sufficiently alleged a cause of action as to the City of New
Haven which (a) exceeds $10,000 and (b) arises under the
Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States.
Looking beyond the conclusory allegations of paragraphs 18,
19, 20, 25, 29, and 33, we find no statement constituting a
claim which arises under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of
the United States.
There is no reference to any federal law or treaty under
which the plaintiffs have a claim against the City of New
Haven. The reference to the Fifth Amendment to the Consti-
tution of the United States must be considered an inadvertent
mistake since the Fifth Amendment applies to the federal
government and not to the City of New Haven.
The question is thus reduced to whether each of the plain-
tiffs have sufficiently alleged a “taking” of each of their “prop-
erty” by the City of New Haven in violation of the Fourteenth
Amendment.
* The City of New Haven is obligated by federal law and its
grant agreements with the FAA to keep the airport open for
all users.
sete , rane a
(633a )
The New Haven-Committee Against Airport Expansion and
the East Haven-Committee Against Airport Expansion must
clearly be dismissed as plaintiffs against the City of New
Haven because neither of these plaintiffs have any “Property”
which even allegedly could be “taken” by the City of New
Haven.*
82a
The remaining plaintiffs at least allegedly have “property”,
with the exception of Plaintiff Michael Rascati who has already
stated in a deposition before this court that he does not own
any property which allegedly was “taken”. As to these re-
maining plaintiffs, the court must decide whether the com-
plaint sufficiently alleges a “taking” under the Fourteenth
Amendment.
Even if plaintiffs have sufficiently alleged a “taking”, which
as shown below they have not, the law is clear that since plain-
tiffs would have adequate redress under state law there is no
violation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Federal Con-
stitution. The Fourteenth Amendment was intended to pro-
tect a citizen against state action which is in accordance with
state law and therefore no redress on the state’s courts would
be available. Plaintiffs believe and have stated that the City
of New Haven has “deprived the plaintiffs of their rights and
* To the extent that the Committee claim to represent persons
having “property” which could be “taken”, the property-hold-
ing persons are the real parties in interest who must bring
the action. Rule 17 (a), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
This same rule forbids the action by the named plaintiffs
who claim to bring their action on behalf of “those similarly
situated.” Para. 4 of Amended Complaint.
83a
privileges guaranteed by the laws and Constitution of the
State of Connecticut... .” (Paragraph 33 of Amended Com-
plaint ). If so, plaintiffs can and must go to the courts of
Connecticut for redress. They have no federal claim under
the Fourteenth Amendment.
(634a )
In Barney v. New York, 193 U.S. 430 (1904), plaintiff
claimed that the routing of a rapid transit railroad in front of
his house was a “taking” under the Fourteenth Amendment as
well as illegal under state law. The Supreme Court held that the
Fourteenth Amendment applie
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