Anthony J. Giger v. Joshua L. Hogue

CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 24, 2025
Docket25A-PL-00448
StatusPublished

This text of Anthony J. Giger v. Joshua L. Hogue (Anthony J. Giger v. Joshua L. Hogue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anthony J. Giger v. Joshua L. Hogue, (Ind. Ct. App. 2025).

Opinion

IN THE

Court of Appeals of Indiana Anthony J. Giger, et al., FILED Oct 24 2025, 8:57 am Appellants-Plaintiffs CLERK Indiana Supreme Court Court of Appeals v. and Tax Court

Joshua L. Hogue, Appellee-Defendant

October 24, 2025 Court of Appeals Case No. 25A-PL-448 Appeal from the Brown Circuit Court The Honorable Mary Wertz, Judge Trial Court Cause No. 07C01-2410-PL-423

Opinion by Judge DeBoer Chief Judge Altice and Judge Pyle concur.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-PL-448 | October 24, 2025 Page 1 of 17 DeBoer, Judge.

Case Summary [1] Anthony Giger and his wife (collectively, the Gigers) own property accessible

by an easement partially located on Joshua Hogue’s land. After Hogue

installed five gravel speed bumps to slow down vehicles on the access easement

road, the Gigers filed a complaint requesting a permanent injunction that would

have required Hogue to “[i]mmediately remove the speed bumps[.]”

Appellants’ Appendix Vol. 2 at 13. The trial court denied the request, and the

Gigers now appeal. We affirm.

Facts and Procedural History [2] In 2020, Hogue purchased property in Nineveh where he lives with his wife,

their children, and several working dogs. Since 2006, the Gigers have owned

an adjacent property they use for hunting and recreation. That property is

legally landlocked, meaning it does not have access to a public roadway. The

Gigers’ deed grants them “[a]n easement for ingress and egress over a [t]wenty

[] foot wide easement for roadway and utilities[,]” part of which runs across

Hogue’s property. Exhibits at 36. Hogue’s deed recognizes their “right of

ingress and egress” over the easement. Id. at 37.

[3] In early 2024, Hogue became concerned about the safety of his children and

dogs after he saw contractors who were working at a nearby property driving

quickly on the easement road. He spoke with the contractors, asked them to

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-PL-448 | October 24, 2025 Page 2 of 17 slow down, and installed a sign stating, “slow down, children and dogs

present.” Transcript at 54. But when vehicles continued driving in what Hogue

considered to be an unsafe manner, he installed five gravel speed bumps on the

road.

[4] Giger asked Hogue to remove the speed bumps after the contractors completed

their work. When Hogue refused, the Gigers filed a complaint alleging that

“[t]he existence of the speed bumps . . . impairs . . . [their] ability to utilize the

[e]asement for its intended purpose, which is to provide vehicular access to and

from” their property. Appellants’ App. Vol. 2 at 13. They requested that the

trial court

issue a permanent injunction against [Hogue] enjoining [him] from interfering with [their] free use and enjoyment of the [e]asement, . . . [and] order [him] to immediately remove the speed bumps and restore the [e]asement area to a condition that it was in prior to the speed bumps being installed, . . . to not place or permit the placement of any structures, objects, or anything within the [e]asement area, and to not perform any construction or other work within the [e]asement area unless agreed to by [the Gigers] or authorized by order of [the] court.

Id. at 13-14.

[5] At a bench trial, Giger testified that the speed bumps “cause[] [him] to speed up

and slow down” and create a “rough ride” when he drives on the easement

road. Tr. at 33, 44. He conceded, however, that they do “not stop [him] from

using [the] easement.” Id. at 44. In his testimony, Hogue admitted that he had

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-PL-448 | October 24, 2025 Page 3 of 17 installed the speed bumps with the intent to force traffic to slow down. He

offered a picture of one of the speed bumps into evidence, which showed that

they were approximately four inches high when he first installed them:

Ex. at 47. He then offered a picture of the speed bumps taken five months after

their installation, which showed that they had become worn down and, in his

opinion, were “barely” noticeable, Tr. at 57:

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-PL-448 | October 24, 2025 Page 4 of 17 Ex. at 48.

[6] During closing arguments, the Gigers asserted that the speed bumps improperly

“obstruct and block [their] use of [the] easement.” Tr. at 79. Hogue countered

that while the speed bumps technically interfere with the use of the easement

because they force vehicles to slow down, that interference is not unreasonable

because the speed bumps do not prohibit the Gigers from exercising their “very

limited right” to use the easement “to access the[ir] property.” Id. at 80.

[7] Following the hearing, the trial court issued an order denying the Gigers’

request for an injunction. In doing so, it issued findings of fact and conclusions

of law that provided, in part:

9. The hinderance [sic] caused by the speed bumps does not, and has not, unreasonably interfered with the Gigers’ right to ingress and egress. The speed bumps do not, and have not, prohibited reasonable passage of a vehicle on the easement. Therefore, the Gigers have not succeeded on the merits of their [request for an injunction].

10. The Court cautions [Hogue] that had the speed bumps been constructed in a manner that materially impaired or unreasonably interfered with the reasonable passage of a vehicle, its ruling may have been for the [Gigers].

Appellants’ App. Vol. 2 at 10. The Gigers now appeal, and Hogue requests an

award of appellate attorneys’ fees pursuant to Indiana Appellate Rule 66(E).

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 25A-PL-448 | October 24, 2025 Page 5 of 17 Discussion and Decision

1. Injunctive Relief. [8] The Gigers present two issues on appeal, one of which we find dispositive.

Specifically, they contend that the trial court misinterpreted the law in

concluding that they had to prove that Hogue unreasonably interfered with their

easement rights because, according to the Gigers, “Indiana law is clear that the

owner of property upon which a roadway easement is located . . . may not

install obstacles with the intent to hamper the passage of vehicles over the

easement[.]” Appellants’ Brief at 9. We disagree and find that the court

correctly applied the law.

A. Standard of Review

[9] It is well established that “[t]he grant or denial of an injunction is within the

trial court’s sound discretion and will only be reversed upon a finding that the

court has abused that discretion.” Hayworth v. Schilli Leasing, Inc., 669 N.E.2d

165, 167 (Ind. 1996). A court abuses its discretion if its decision was “clearly

against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances” before it, or if it

misinterpreted the law. Doe 1 v. Boone Cnty. Prosecutor, 85 N.E.3d 902, 911 (Ind.

Ct. App. 2017). Where, as here, the court has entered findings of fact, we apply

Indiana Trial Rule 52(A)’s two-tiered standard to determine whether the

evidence presented at trial supports the findings and, if so, whether the findings

support the judgment. Garling v. Ind. Dep’t of Nat. Res., 766 N.E.2d 409, 410

(Ind. Ct. App. 2002), on reh’g of 756 N.E.2d 1029 (2001), trans. denied.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Marsh v. Pullen
623 P.2d 1078 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1981)
VanCleve v. Sparks
132 S.W.3d 902 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2004)
McCarty v. Walsko
857 N.E.2d 439 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2006)
Drees Co., Inc. v. Thompson
868 N.E.2d 32 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2007)
Rennaker v. Gleason
913 N.E.2d 723 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2009)
Garling v. Indiana Department of Natural Resources
756 N.E.2d 1029 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2001)
Orr v. Turco Manufacturing Co.
512 N.E.2d 151 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1987)
McCauley v. Harris
928 N.E.2d 309 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2010)
Thacker v. Wentzel
797 N.E.2d 342 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2003)
Hayworth v. Schilli Leasing, Inc.
669 N.E.2d 165 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1996)
MANOUS, LLC v. Manousogianakis
824 N.E.2d 756 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2005)
Indiana Michigan Power Co. v. Runge
717 N.E.2d 216 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1999)
Garling v. Indiana Department of Natural Resources
766 N.E.2d 409 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2002)
Myers v. Deets
968 N.E.2d 299 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2012)
Kwolek v. Swickard
944 N.E.2d 564 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2011)
Holland v. Steele
961 N.E.2d 516 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2012)
Phillip J. Troyer v. Tracy L. Troyer
987 N.E.2d 1130 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Anthony J. Giger v. Joshua L. Hogue, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anthony-j-giger-v-joshua-l-hogue-indctapp-2025.