Alamogordo Improvement Co. v. Prendergast

109 P.2d 254, 45 N.M. 40
CourtNew Mexico Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 13, 1940
DocketNo. 4574.
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 109 P.2d 254 (Alamogordo Improvement Co. v. Prendergast) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Alamogordo Improvement Co. v. Prendergast, 109 P.2d 254, 45 N.M. 40 (N.M. 1940).

Opinion

BRICE, Justice.

In a former appeal of this case (Alamogordo Improvement Co. v. Prendergast, 43 N.M. 245, 91 P.2d 428, 122 A.L.R. 1277) we held that the complaint stated a cause of action. The question was whether a reciprocal negative easement, imposed by the plaintiff, Alamogordo Improvement Company, one of the appellees herein, as the common vendor for the benefit of itself and all other purchasers of lots and their assigns, was divested as to the lot in controversy by its sale for taxes, so that the common vendor and owners of other lots within the restricted area were deprived of all right to have such restrictions enforced as against the tax sale purchaser; and we held that such tax sale did not divest that right.

The pleadings have been amended and new issues interposed that will sufficiently appear herein.

From a decree on the merits in favor of plaintiff and interveners, who are grantees (immediate or otherwise) of plaintiff, the defendant (appellant) appeals.

The defendant has attacked certain findings made by the trial court, but in no case has complied with sec. 6 of Rule 15, which is as follows: “ * * * A contention that a verdict, judgment or finding of fact is not supported by substantial evidence will not ordinarily be entertained, unless the party so contending shall have stated in his brief the substance of all' evidence bearing upon the proposition, with proper references to the transcript. Such a statement will be taken as complete unless the opposite party shall call attention in like manner to other evidence bearing upon the proposition.”

However, we have examined the record and find that there is substantial evidence to support each of the findings attacked, except, perhaps, Finding No. 16, in which the court stated that liquor had been sold on said lot since 1936, when in truth it had been sold thereon since 1935. However, if we strike this finding it will be to the disadvantage of defendant. Also, certain dates placed in this finding were stipulated by the parties and it does not appear that this was not one of the stipulated dates.

The facts found by the trial court, material to a decision, are substantially as follows :

The plaintiff was incorporated under the laws of the Territory of New Mexico in 1898, and was authorized, among other things, to establish towns and dispose of lots therein, etc. In pursuance of this authority it established the town of Alamogordo, New Mexico, and filed the plat thereof in the office of the probate clerk, as provided by law; and since statehood it has been on file in the office of the county clerk of Otero County as a part of the public records.

As a part of the general plan for the establishment of the townsite of Alamogordo and its subdivision into lots, blocks, parks, streets, and alleys, the plaintiff determined to prohibit the manufacture, salé and other disposition of intoxicating liquors within the platted area of the said town “except by the plaintiff or such persons as it might from time to time designate on block 50 within said platted area;” and in pursuance of said determination, the plaintiff caused to be incorporated in each and every original deed of conveyance given by it, conveying land within the platted area, substantially these words: “Whereas, the first party has among its purposes that of laying out and founding towns, and in pursuance of such object has acquired all of the real estate in the town of Alamogordo, in Otero County, State of New Mexico (Territory of New Mexico in the older deeds) and has laid out and platted the same into lots and blocks for the purpose of sale and improvement; and whereas,.it is deemed advantageous to the development of said town, and to the best interests of the inhabitants thereof, to restrict the manufacture, sale or other disposition of intoxicating liquors at all places therein, except by the grantor or such persons as it may from time to time designate, on Block 50 of said town, which policy respecting said sale of intoxicating liquors is approved of and consented to by the second party; Now therefore, the said first party, for and in consideration of the premises and of the approval and consent of the second party to said policy with reference to said manufacture, sale or other disposition of intoxicating liquors and the sum of $-- to it paid by the second party the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, and also for the further consideration of an agreement between the parties hereto for themselves, their heirs, successors and legal representatives that intoxicating liquors shall never be manufactured, sold or otherwise disposed of, as a beverage or medicine, in any place of public resort in or upon the premises hereby granted, or any part thereof, and it is herein and hereby expressly reserved by the said first party that in case any of the above conditions concerning intoxicating liquors are broken by the second party or their heirs, assigns, lessees or legal representatives, thereof, then this deed shall become null and void, and all right, title and interest in and to the premises hereby conveyed shall revert to the first party or its successors; and the said second party by accepting this deed for his heirs, assigns, lessees and legal representatives consents and agrees to the reservations and condi-, tions aforesaid; * *

That said plan for restricting the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors was intended to and did in fact enhance the value of the lots sold by plaintiff, as well as the lots retained by it in said restricted area. That lot 12 in Block 12 of said town, being the lot involved in this suit, owned by defendant, was originally sold to one J. T. Lewis, and the deed conveying said lot to him contained the provisions and restrictions which have been copied herein. Said deed was duly acknowledged and recorded in the deed records of Otero County, New Mexico, in 1905. The defendant had knowledge at the time he purchased said lot, of plaintiff’s plan to restrict the sale of intoxicating liquor in Alamogordo, and knew that said lot was within said restricted district. At the time this suit was instituted the defendant Prendergast was preparing to engage, or permit another to engage, in the business of selling intoxicating liquors on said lot, and since the institution of this suit he has been permitting such sale thereon.

The plaintiff has sold several hundred of the lots thus platted and has retained and now owns approximately seventy thereof. The intent and purpose of plaintiff in imposing the restrictions mentioned was to limit the sale of intoxicating liquors to block 50 of said town, and to develop such restricted area as desirable residence and business property and to further the best interests of the inhabitants thereof. Such plan was for the benefit of the restricted property.

Each of the interveners is an owner of a lot within the restricted district mentioned; and such restriction entered into the considerations for the purchase thereof and has enhanced its value.

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Bluebook (online)
109 P.2d 254, 45 N.M. 40, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/alamogordo-improvement-co-v-prendergast-nm-1940.