Armbrust v. York

2003 MT 36, 65 P.3d 239, 314 Mont. 260, 2003 Mont. LEXIS 37
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 4, 2003
Docket02-409
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 2003 MT 36 (Armbrust v. York) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Armbrust v. York, 2003 MT 36, 65 P.3d 239, 314 Mont. 260, 2003 Mont. LEXIS 37 (Mo. 2003).

Opinions

JUSTICE LEAPHART

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

¶1 Appellants, Dan and Deborah York, appeal from the judgment of the Twenty-First Judicial District Court, Ravalli County, requiring them to remove a newly constructed garage from their property. We affirm.

¶2 The following issue is raised on appeal:

¶3 Whether the District Court erred in determining that the Yorks’ construction of a second garage on their property violated the one-garage restriction to which the property was subject.

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

¶4 Raymond Monk, Randy Armbrust, and the Yorks own real property in the Home Acres Orchards subdivision near Stevensville, Montana. Their properties are subject to the same restrictive covenants, recorded on August 13,1971. A family dwelling and garage existed on the Yorks’ lot when they purchased the property in 1997.

¶5 Prior to constructing the building in dispute, the Yorks reviewed the subdivision’s restrictive covenants and discovered a 100-foot setback restriction and a limitation of one garage per property owner. The setback restriction provided that “[n]o buildings (including any roof overhang) shall be located nearer than one hundred (100) feet to the outside perimeter line of the owner’s track, except as approved by the Architectural Committee.” The one-garage restriction provided that “[s]aid lot or lots may be improved by the erection of a one (1) family dwelling, garage, guest house, or any other building necessary for the family pets or animals ....”

[262]*262¶6 In the summer of2000, the Yorks began construction on a second garage next to their home. They sought approval from the architectural committee identified in the restrictive covenants but discovered that the committee no longer existed. Nonetheless, the Yorks proceeded with the project. The Yorks failed to inform Armbrust and Monk about the project, and since neither Armbrust nor Monk reside on their property year-round, they only first discovered the Yorks’ building in October 2000. Because the building was located approximately 61 feet from the northeast corner of the Yorks’ lot and 55 feet from the northwest comer, Armbrust and Monk notified the Yorks by letter that the building was in violation of the setback restriction, and requested that the Yorks stop working on the building.

¶7 Armbrust and Monk then filed suit to enforce the restrictive covenant and enjoin construction. Since neither Armbrust nor Monk knew that the building would be a garage, their Complaint made no mention of the one-garage restriction. They sought only to enforce the setback restriction and to relocate the building. However, during trial, Dan York testified that the building was, in fact, a garage separate and apart from his house, and admitted that this second garage would violate the one-garage restriction.

¶8 The District Court issued its findings of fact and conclusions of law, and entered judgment in favor of Monk and Armbrust. The court determined that the building violated both the setback and one-garage restrictions, and ordered the Yorks to remove the garage from their lot within 90 days. The Yorks appealed from that portion of the court’s decision requiring them to remove the garage. In addition, Monk and Armbrust filed a motion to amend their Complaint to conform to the evidence at trial pursuant to Rule 15(b), M.R.Civ.P. The new evidence, according to Monk and Armbrust, included Dan York’s admission that the second garage violated the one-garage restriction. Although the District Court has not ruled on the motion, it appears that the court’s judgment was based on this evidence.

DISCUSSION

¶9 The pivotal question raised by this appeal is whether the issue of the one-garage restriction was tried by the implied consent of the Yorks. In its conclusions of law, the District Court determined that the building constructed by the Yorks was, in fact, a second garage, and that the Yorks had, accordingly, violated the one-garage restriction. To effect compliance with the restrictive covenant, the court ordered the Yorks to remove the garage from their lot.

[263]*263¶10 On appeal, the Yorks argue that the District Court’s conclusions amount to an abuse of discretion, and specifically, that the court improperly based its judgment on a legal theory not presented in the Complaint filed by Monk and Armbrust. As the Yorks observe, Monk and Armbrust requested only that the District Court order the Yorks to move their building to comply with the 100-foot setback restriction. The Yorks contend that the issue of the one-garage restriction was not tried by the express or implied consent of the parties since it was never raised in the pleadings and because they subsequently objected to the introduction of any evidence regarding that issue. The Yorks conclude that the District Court should have confined its judgment to the issues raised in the Complaint, and that the court erred when it determined that the Yorks’ building constituted a second garage in violation of the one-garage restriction.

¶11 In response, Monk and Armbrust argue that the issue of the one-garage restriction was tried by the implied consent of the Yorks by virtue of the fact that, on direct examination, Dan York testified that the building was intended as a garage, and that it is separate from his house. Monk and Armbrust also contend that they were unaware of the purpose of the Yorks’ building prior to filing their Complaint and that, pursuant to Rule 15(b), M.R.Civ.P., they properly sought to amend the Complaint to conform to this new evidence.

¶12 Our standard of review of a trial court’s conclusions of law is whether the court’s interpretation of the law is correct. Carbon County v. Union Reserve Coal Co. (1995), 271 Mont. 459, 469, 898 P.2d 680, 686. See also Kreger v. Francis (1995), 271 Mont. 444, 447, 898 P.2d 672, 674; Steer Inc. v. Dep’t of Revenue (1990), 245 Mont. 470, 474-75, 803 P.2d 601, 603-04.

¶13 Under Rule 15(b), M.R.Civ.P., “issues not raised by the pleadings may be tried by the express or implied consent of the parties. If this occurs, then the pleadings can be amended to conform to the issues actually litigated.” Glacier Nat’l Bank v. Challinor (1992), 253 Mont. 412, 416, 833 P.2d 1046, 1049. Furthermore, “it is within the discretion of the trial court whether to allow such amendments ....” Challinor, 253 Mont. at 416, 833 P.2d at 1049.

¶14 The record supports the District Court’s decision to consider the one-garage restriction as an issue consented to by the Yorks. During direct examination, Dan York testified that the building under construction on his lot was, in fact, a garage. The following excerpts from the trial transcript of statements made by Dan York to his attorney during direct examination, are illustrative:

[264]*264Q. When you purchased the property, was there already a house located on that lot No. 2?
A. Yes, there was a house on lot No. 2.
Q. And at some point — Or let me rephrase that.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2003 MT 36, 65 P.3d 239, 314 Mont. 260, 2003 Mont. LEXIS 37, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/armbrust-v-york-mont-2003.