Philip B. Chambers and Gladys Chambers v. Colonial Pipeline Company

The appellants filed a complaint in the District Court seeking to set aside a State Court judgment entered in an eminent domain proceeding involving a pipeline right-of-way. The same parties are before this Court who were litigants in the State Court action. The protractéd State litigation began in 1962.

District Judge Frank W. Wilson granted defendant’s motion for summary judgment and dismissed the complaint, applying the doctrine of res judicata. In his opinion the District Judge said:

“* -x- * there must be an end to litigation. Without it [the doctrine of res judicata], litigation would be…