general motors corporation argued decided january vernon wilkinson washington petitioner john thomas smith new york city respondent justice roberts delivered opinion case one first impression presents question decisions federal courts conflict problem involved ascertainment compensation required fifth amendment constitution exercise power eminent domain temporary occupancy portion leased building taken tenant holds long term lease section tit ii second war powers act march provides part secretary war may cause proceedings instituted jurisdiction acquire condemnation real property temporary use thereof interest therein shall deemed necessary military war purposes act provides filing condemnation petition immediate possession may taken property may occupied used improved respondent leased one story warehouse building chicago term twenty years storage distribution automobile parts fitted premises use became subtenants portion floor space building remained possession respondent square feet spring secretary war requested attorney general institute proceedings condemnation occupancy remaining space term ending june pursuant request june filed petition district order condemning temporary use granting government right immediate possession use improvement military purposes day entered order declaring property condemned term ending june granting right immediate possession order served respondent shortly thereafter began removing personal property area dismantling demolishing bins fixtures space available government use june trial ascertainment compensation due respondent attorney government proving authority taking called real estate expert gave opinion fair rental value space cents per year per square foot government rested respondent called expert witnesses testified opinion fair rental value cents per square foot witness permitted testify rent paid respondent landlord varied years inclusive cents respondent offered prove various items cost caused removal contents consisted inter alia salaries employees engaged work compensation due employes put work removal wages janitors watchmen protection building moving cost shipping contents building points compensation executives employes whose time required connection moving property freight haulage charges rental storage space articles moved value bin equipment destroyed estimated original cost installation fixed equipment completely lost result dismantling area sustained objection offer jury awarded compensation lump sum rate approximately cents per square foot term one year respondent appealed circuit appeals assigning error refusal offer proof might sustained district ruling ground respondent entitled prove certain expenditures losses question independent items damages additional value interest taken condemnation however considering substance rather form vote reversed judgment holding items actual loss direct necessary result respondent exclusion leased area might proved independent items elements considered arriving sum compensation interest government condemned cause remanded trial accordance ruling circuit appeals think review ruling inasmuch fundamental conduct case correctness decision depends upon scope meaning constitutional provision shall private property taken public use without compensation conditions otherwise unrestrained power sovereign expropriate without compensation whatever needs critical terms compensation conceivable first used vulgar untechnical sense physical thing respect citizen exercises rights recognized law hand may employed accurate sense denote group rights inhering citizen relation physical thing right possess use dispose point fact construction given phrase latter sovereign exercises power eminent domain substitutes relation physical thing question place formerly bore relation thing denominate ownership words deals lawyers term individual thing question interest may comprise group rights shorthand term fee simple may interest known tenancy years present instance constitutional provision addressed every sort interest citizen may possess primary meaning term seem signify something destruction might well claimed one take destroys construction phrase narrow courts held deprivation former owner rather accretion right interest sovereign constitutes taking governmental action short acquisition title occupancy held effects complete deprive owner interest subject matter amount taking observed whether sovereign substitutes occupant place former owner destroys existing rights subject matter fifth amendment concerns solely owner relation physical thing collateral interests may incident ownership light principles held compensation paid value interest taken sense receive value true owner must put good position pecuniarily property taken ordinary case want better standard market value called criterion value cases criterion used either interest condemned market value circumstances market value furnishes inappropriate measure actual value trial case parties presented evidence market value occupancy bare floor space term taken respondent offer prove additional items claimed compensation overruled award therefore limited market value occupancy vacant building question whether element value inhered interest taken sovereign ordinarily takes fee rule case compensation interest include future loss profits expense moving removable fixtures personal property premises loss inheres location land like consequential losses ensue sale property someone sovereign doubt elements considered owner determining whether price sell doubt therefore owner made whole loss consequent sovereign seizure property elements properly considered courts generally held reckoned part compensation fee taken government taken departing rule laid think sound even state constitutions command compensation made property damaged public use many generally held taken damaged group rights owner exercises dominion physical thing damage rights ownership include losses business consequential damage question posed case shall different measure compensation apply taken right temporary occupancy building equipped condemnee business filed commodities presumably reoccupied used end lease term termination government use right occupy day month year series years without reference actual use needs collateral arrangements occupier value value interest affected course kind building occupied location susceptibility various uses conveniences reverse many factors go set value occupancy taken consideration fixing market value floor space taken space bare market rent said government power take short period demand possession space taken freed equipment personal property therein denied three questions emerge presented taken fee interest land rental value sole measure value occupancy carved long term taking necessitates removal personal property stored building conformity normal use building necessary expense removal considered computing compensation tenant equipment fixtures taken destroyed reduced value government action must compensate value thus taken destroyed addition paying rental value occupancy government need pay rental empty building temporary taking tenant way found defeat fifth amendment mandate compensation condemnations except contemplated public use requires taking fee simple title case government may need private property devise condemnation specify term day month year optional contingent renewal indefinite periods certainty need pay owner long term rental rate unoccupied building short term period premises already lease market rental whatever minimum term may choose select fixed according usual modes arriving rental rates though owner may damaged ouster ten score perhaps hundred times amount found due rental value present case respondent offered prove actual expense moving property exceeded loss due destruction removal fixtures fixed equipment exceeded addition continuing liability pay rent year approximately whereas award result sustained see limit utilization device none amendment guaranty becomes one compensation taken instrument confiscation fictionalizing compensation concept common law idea peppercorn law seizin later one received contractual consideration value paid case like present confined matter law long term rental bare space owner secure either rights property right compensation substitute government takes use benefit use warehouse short time taken property might general motors factory several plants modest store home whatever property citizen government may take takes property fee lease whatever may terminating altogether interest established law must pay taken must stand whatever indirect remote injuries properly comprehended within meaning damage conception defined cases even consequences often harsh whatever remedy may exist lies congress altogether another matter government take entire interest form proceeding chops bits takes wants however minute leaves holding remainder may altogether useless refusing pay rental value use chips cut neither compensation fifth amendment contemplates value occupancy ascertained treating taken empty warehouse leased long term market rental value building lease tenant temporary occupier case retried principle ruling suggest rental value may shown bearing market rental value temporary occupancy taken may evidence value taken criterion value case elements certainly directly affect market price agreed upon tenant sublessee extraordinary unusual transaction reasonable cost moving property stored preparing space occupancy subtenant cost include labor materials transportation might also include storage goods sale cost return leased premises items may proved independent items damage aid determination asked paid temporary occupancy building use long term lease respondent offered detailed proof amounts actually necessarily paid purposes think proof received purpose limitation indicated proof costs affecting market value distinguished proof value peculiar respondent value injury business respondent case case condemnation fee must excluded reckoning fixtures permanent equipment destroyed depreciated value taking respondent entitled compensation owner rights less property within meaning fifth amendment rights land structures thereon erected matters whether taken government destroyed since said destruction tantamount taking true whether fixtures equipment considered vendor tenant trade fixtures respect tenant whose occupancy taken entitled compensation destruction damage depreciation value since property distinct right occupancy compensation awarded part addition value occupancy judgment circuit appeals modified opinion affirmed chief justice justice fankfurter justice murphy took part consideration decision case justice douglas concurring part agree respondent entitled compensation fixtures permanent equipment destroyed depreciated value taking likewise agree spondent entitled increase award award granted less rental continuing obligation pay lessor occupying premises paying square foot respondent continues pay landlord special circumstances difficult see lessee receives compensation entitled unless pays full rental indeed novel rule law allowed government oust person portion leasehold occupy premises pay part rent leaving balance paid though ousted holds balance term believe allow cost removing personal property premises reflected award fee interest condemned exclude expenses award consequential losses injuries resulting taking compensable fifth amendment mitchell miller powelson takes act congress make adhere rule allow consequential damages shown see refuse offer proof year lease year lease fee interest condemned cost moving relevant market price one case say irrelevant one type consequential damage relevant market price see almost type may allow offer proof present case result let consequential damages new guise take step demonstrate hard cases indeed make bad law give constitution interpretation promises swollen verdicts act congress cure justice black joins opinion footnotes compare decision gershon national laboratory supply entire fifth floor improved premises certain parcels land acres land building known brannan street wm wrigley howard stat appendix judgment entered verdicts government motion opened judgment permitted government amend petition condemnation describe interest taken term years expiring june renewable additional yearly periods thereafter election secretary war specified notice intent renew entered new judgment awarding amount verdict respondent retaining jurisdiction ascertainment compensation damage property beyond ordinary wear tear due government occupancy understand facts alter question us case presented involves original taking one year remand case treated involving government option renewal additional value interest must included compensation awarded express opinion government power condemn service furnishing heat light lewis eminent domain see welch richards washington terminal bothwell mitchell mullen benevolent orgel valuation eminent domain chap pp orgel patterson city boston getz philadelphia reading philadelphia reading getz mcmillin ptg pittsburgh north coast kraft national laboratory supply supra note jackson state new york block bounded misc willcox bales wichita city new york water front matter city new york widening gratiot cf pause city atlanta seagren matter application city new york app div city louis louis mo people ganahl lumber cases cited note