Article 4.

Adjustment of Conflicting Claims.

§ 74-32.  Liability for damage for trespass.

If any owner or person in possession of any mine or mining claim shall enter upon, either on the surface or underground, any mine or mining claim, the property of another, and shall mine or carry away any valuable mineral therefrom, he shall be liable to the owner of the mine so trespassed upon for double the value of all such mineral mined or carried away and for all other damages; and the value of the mineral mined or carried away shall be presumed to be the amount of the gross value ascertained by an average assay of the excavated material or vein or ledge from which it was taken. If such trespass is wrongfully and willfully made, punitive damages may be allowed. (1913, c. 51, s. 1; C.S., s. 6927.)

 

§ 74-33.  Persons entitled to bring suit.

The owner of a mine in this State, or any person in possession under a lease or other contract, may maintain an action to recover damages to such property arising from the operation of any adjacent mine by the owner thereof or other person in possession and working the same under lease or contract, and also to prevent the continuance of the operation of the adjacent mine in such a manner as to injure or endanger the safety of the complainant's mine. (1913, c. 51, s. 1; C.S., s. 6928.)

 

§ 74-34.  Application and order for survey.

The person entitled to bring an action, as provided in G.S. 74-33, may apply to any judge of the superior court having jurisdiction to grant injunctions and restraining orders, and obtain an order of survey in the following manner: He shall file an affidavit giving the names of the parties and the location as near as may be, of the mine complained of; the location of the plaintiff's mine, and that he has reason to believe that the defendant, or his agents or employees, are or have been trespassing upon his mine, or working the defendant's mine in such a manner as to damage or endanger the plaintiff's property. Upon the filing of the affidavit, the judge shall cause a notice to be issued to the defendant or his agents, stating the time and place and before whom the application will be heard, and requiring them to appear, in not less than 10 nor more than 20 days from the date thereof, and show cause why an order of survey should not be granted. Upon the hearing, and for good cause shown, the judge shall grant an order directed to some competent disinterested surveyor or mining engineer, or both, as the case may be, who shall proceed to make the necessary examination and surveys, as directed by the court, and report their action to the court. The persons selected by the judge to make the survey and examination shall be residents of the State, and, before entering upon the discharge of their duty, shall take and subscribe an oath that they will fairly and impartially survey the mines described in the petition. In all other respects, except as stated above, the surveyors appointed by the judge shall proceed as in surveys in disputed boundaries. (1913, c. 51, s. 2; C.S., s. 6929.)

 

§ 74-35.  Free access to mine for survey.

Upon the order made for the survey in the manner, at the time, and by the persons mentioned in the order, which shall include a representative of the party making the application, who shall not be one of the surveyors, there shall be given free access to the mine for the purpose of survey, and any interference with the persons acting under the order of survey shall be contempt of court and punished accordingly. If the persons named in the order of survey so require, they, with their instruments, shall be carefully lowered and raised in and out of the mine with the cage, bucket, or skip ordinarily used in the shafts of the mine; and they may demand of the owner of the mine, or his manager or agent, that they be so raised and lowered at a speed agreeable to them and not to endanger their comfort and safety or to injure the accuracy of their instruments. The owner of the mine, his managers or agents, shall be liable in damages to the persons making the examination for any injury to them or to their instruments, caused by the careless and negligent operation of any bucket, cage, or skip at such a high rate of speed as to injure the persons or their instruments while being lowered or raised in the mine. (1913, c. 51, s. 2; C.S., s. 6930.)

 

§ 74-36.  Costs of the survey.

The costs of the order and survey shall be paid by the person making the application; but if he shall maintain an action and  recover damages for the injury done or threatened prior to such survey and examination, the costs of the order and survey shall be taxed against the defendant as other costs in the action. The party obtaining the survey shall be liable for any unnecessary injury done to the property examined and surveyed in making the survey. (1913, c. 51, s. 2; C.S., s. 6931.)