Arath II, Inc. v. Heukels County Drain District

288 Mich. App. 324, 2010 WL 1727546
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 29, 2010
DocketDocket No. 288725
StatusPublished

This text of 288 Mich. App. 324 (Arath II, Inc. v. Heukels County Drain District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Arath II, Inc. v. Heukels County Drain District, 288 Mich. App. 324, 2010 WL 1727546 (Mich. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

O’CONNELL, J.

Plaintiffs, Arath II, Inc., and Arath IVJ Inc., appeal as of right the final order of the Kent Circuit Court granting summary disposition in favor of defendants, Heukels County Drain District (the drain district) and the Kent County Drain Commissioner, pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(8) and (10). We affirm.

The drain district, located in Kent County, was established by a final order of determination on August 28, 1937.1 When the drain district was established, a special assessment district was created that encompasses approximately 217.3 acres in Sections 22,23, and 27 of Grand Rapids Township. The special assessment district is bounded on the north by Bradford Street, on the west by Leffingwell Street, on the south by Michigan Street, and on the east by East Beltline. Interstate [326]*32696 cuts through the district, which is located immediately to the west of the East Beltline/I-96 interchange. The Kent County Drain Commissioner (drain commissioner) has jurisdiction over the district pursuant to the Drain Code, MCL 280.1 et seq.

Plaintiffs are related Michigan corporations.2 Arath states in its complaint that it owns property located within the drain district. Apparently, this property is in an industrial park immediately south of 1-96 and north of the Mid-Michigan Railroad tracks. There is a wetland subject to the regulatory authority of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)3 located on part of Arath’s property.

Arath filed its complaint in this case on June 6, 2008, alleging that the design of the drain district caused flooding on its property. According to Arath, the Heukels Drain diverted storm water exceeding natural flow volume and rate from the area north of 1-96 through 48-inch-diameter culverts under both westbound and eastbound 1-96 to Oak Industrial Court. When the water entered Oak Industrial Court, it apparently traveled south over a portion of Arath’s property and through a 24-inch-diameter culvert under the Mid-Michigan Railroad tracks. From there, the water would continue to flow south to 2925 Michigan Street, a parcel of land owned by the city of Grand Rapids, and flow under Michigan Street, where an overflow structure had been installed.4 In its complaint, Arath claimed that [327]*327the culvert under the Mid-Michigan Railroad tracks and the overflow structure at Michigan Street were inadequate, causing water to be retained on Arath’s property.

In its complaint, Arath first sought an order for superintending control to compel the drain commissioner to construct a 48-inch-diameter culvert under the Mid-Michigan Railroad tracks and to remove the overflow structure under Michigan Street. Arath also argued that defendants’ failure to undertake the maintenance and improvements necessary to prevent excess storm water from being diverted onto and detained on Arath’s property constituted a trespass on Arath’s property. In its request for relief, Arath asked that the trial court “enter an Order in Plaintiffs’ favor enjoining Defendants from continuing their trespass, and further Order Defendants to complete the necessary maintenance, repair and improvements more specifically identified above.”

Defendants moved for summary disposition pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(8) and (10), claiming, in pertinent part, that Arath could not seek an order for superintending control to compel the drain commissioner to act. Instead, defendants argued, the Drain Code required Arath to petition the drain commissioner to act before the drain commissioner would have the authority to make repairs and improvements to the Heukels Drain. Defendants then provided information indicating that Arath had never pursued a petition under the Drain Code to obtain work on the Heukels Drain. Douglas Sporte, the deputy drain commissioner for Kent County, noted that in November 2004, he provided Arath’s attorney with the form of the petition needed to initiate a drain project pursuant to the provisions of the Drain Code, as well as a form listing the procedures [328]*328needed to accomplish drain work in accordance with the code. However, Arath never filed a petition seeking to initiate a project on the Heukels Drain. Because no petition had ever been filed, the drain commissioner never convened a board of determination to consider whether a project on the Heukels Drain would be necessary.

In 2007, Arath’s president, James Azzar, apparently attempted to install a 48-inch-diameter culvert near the Mid-Michigan Railroad tracks in order to address the flooding on Arath’s property. The MDEQ issued a public notice regarding the project on June 26, 2007. When the drain commissioner’s office received the notice, it informed Azzar that he was required to receive a permit from the drain commissioner’s office in order to continue the project and the drain commissioner’s office enclosed a permit application. However, on August 21, 2007, the MDEQ refused to approve the project and denied Azzar’s request for a permit to install the 48-inch-diameter culvert. In explaining its decision, the MDEQ noted that “the proposed project will have a greater adverse impact to regulated resources than is required to achieve the project purpose.” Azzar petitioned for reversal of the denial, but the record does not indicate whether this petition was successful.

The trial court granted defendants’ motion for summary disposition pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(8) and (10), finding that summary disposition was appropriate because Arath “did not follow the law and did not file a petition with the drain commission[er].”

On appeal, Arath claims that the trial court erred by dismissing its underlying cause of action in this case. According to Arath, it was not required to file a petition with the drain commissioner before commencing this cause of action because it did not seek the repair or [329]*329maintenance of an existing drain. Instead, Arath appears to argue that because there is no “public drain” on its property, it is somehow exempt from filing a petition and, instead, is entitled to seek injunctive relief requiring defendants to repair and maintain the drain in order to prevent an overflow of storm water onto its property.

However, in its complaint, Arath indicates that it is simply seeking an injunction to force defendants to make repairs and improvements to certain portions of the Heukels Drain that it believes are necessary to prevent the overflow of storm water onto its property.5 In claiming that defendants are “trespassing” on .Arath’s property by “detaining” and “diverting” excess storm water in the drainage district onto its property, Arath appears to assert that the alleged “trespass” is simply the overflow of water onto its property, as opposed to a more overt act. Although Arath presents its cause of action as a plea to protect infringement of its property rights, the relief it seeks reveals the true nature of the case: Arath simply wants the trial court to order defendants to improve the Heukels Drain so that excess water no longer overflows onto Arath’s property.

However, the Drain Code, MCL 280.1 et seq., makes clear that when a landowner whose property is in a particular drain district wants the drain to be cleaned [330]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
288 Mich. App. 324, 2010 WL 1727546, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arath-ii-inc-v-heukels-county-drain-district-michctapp-2010.