Loveland v. Gardner

Paterson, J. — The defendants inclosed their land with a barb-wire fence, part of it running along a highway. The posts were thirty-six feet apart, and had fastened to them three strands of barb wire. The first strand was twenty-four inches above the ground; the second, thirteen inches above the first; and the third, fifteen inches above the second. Nothing was used in the construction of the fence but posts and wire. 'The fence was built entirely upon the lands of the defendants. Plaintiff, who is an adjoining owner, and a stock-raiser, alleged and proved that some of his horses came in contact with the fence without any fault or negligence on his part, and a number of them were killed, and others badly wounded. There was evidence tending to show that the wires of the fence were not properly stretched, but were left hanging loose between the posts in such a way that stock would not be likely to see them. The question of negligence in the construction of the fence was properly and fairly left to the jury under the instructions of the court.

The act of the defendants in constructing the fence upon their property and along the line of the public highway did not of itself render them liable to the plaintiff for the damages sustained; but if the fence was constructed and maintained insuch a manner as to constitute negligence, they were properly held liable. We cannot say that the evidence is insufficient upon the question of negligence to support the verdict. There [320]are many material circumstances which, added to the facts above stated, tend to show negligence, but we do not deem it necessary for the purposes of this decision to •relate them. A lawful wire fence has been defined by the legislature as follows: “Wire fence shall be made of posts not less than twelve inches in circumference, set in the ground not less than eighteen inches, and not more than eight feet apart, with not less than three horizontal wires, each one fourth of an inch in diameter. The first one shall be eighteen inches from the ground, the other two above this one at intervals of one foot between each, all well stretched, and securely fastened from one post to another, with one rail, slat, pole, or plank of suitable size and strength securely fastened to the posts not less thafi. four and one half feet from the ground.” (Pol. Code, sec. 19, subd. 23; Hittell’s General Laws, sec. 3032.) Of course the liability of the defendants does not depend upon the question whether their fence came up to the legislative standard,—which fixes the liability of owners of trespassing animals in certain counties,—but the act quoted shows what the legislature of the state considered a good fence. The defendants were not bound to maintain any fence at all, but having undertaken to maintain one, they were bound to see that it was not made a trap for passing animals. It is the duty of the land-owner to take notice of the natural propensity of domestic animals, and to exercise reasonable care to prevent his fence from becoming dangerous. The fact that the fence was constructed entirely upon defendants’ land is no defense, if negligently constructed or maintained. The case comes within the rule established by a recent decision of this court in Malloy v. Savings and Loan Society (filed April 22, 1889). In that case the defendant had negligently suffered a privy vault and cess-pool to remain open upon its premises, about ten feet from the sidewalk of a public street in the city of San Francisco, without any inclosure,■ and plaintiff’s minor child, without any