Arnold v. Town of Ball

651 So. 2d 313, 1995 WL 38188
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 1, 1995
Docket94-972
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 651 So. 2d 313 (Arnold v. Town of Ball) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Arnold v. Town of Ball, 651 So. 2d 313, 1995 WL 38188 (La. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

651 So.2d 313 (1995)

David ARNOLD, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellees/Appellants,
v.
TOWN OF BALL, Defendant-Appellant/Appellee.

No. 94-972.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Third Circuit.

February 1, 1995.
Rehearing Denied April 7, 1995.

*315 Thomas Taylor Townsend, Natchitoches, for David Arnold et al.

Henry H. Lemoine, Jr., Pineville, for Town of Ball.

Lauren Gay Coleman, Alexandria, for C.L. Miller et al.

Before KNOLL, SAUNDERS and AMY, JJ.

AMY, Judge.

The Town of Ball (hereafter the Town) was sued by Plaintiffs, who own property that is located in close proximity to the sewerage treatment facility owned and operated by the Town. These landowners allege that they have sustained damages because the Town clear-cut trees from a strip of undisturbed forest established as a buffer zone between their properties and the plant, and also because the Town failed to properly maintain and operate the plant.

All Plaintiffs allege that the market value of their properties has diminished because the Town clear-cut the trees from the buffer zone; however, three additional sources of harm have been asserted by various plaintiffs: the Arnold plaintiffs[1] and Mr. Lanney Williford maintain that they suffered damages from smoke, noise, and odors emitted by the plant: Mr. Williford seeks additional damages because sewer water from the plant's sprinklers has fallen onto his property; and the Miller plaintiffs[2] allege that they have suffered damages because the Town has released partially-treated sewerage into a creek that flows through their properties.

JUDGMENT OF THE TRIAL COURT

On March 14, 1994, the trial court gave written reasons for its judgment. It found that the plant was a nuisance, and it awarded David Arnold, James Mercer, Robert Gary Mercer, Debbie Mercer, Don Mercer, Debra E. Mercer, Lanney Williford, James Fountain, Greg Waldrop, and Lauri Waldrop $3,000 each for the loss of use of enjoyment of their property, mental anguish, irritation, anxiety, discomfort, and embarrassment. Shirley Miller and C.L. Miller were awarded $6,000 each. Rick Miller, DeeDee Miller, Scott Miller, and Wesley Miller were awarded $5,000 each.[3] Although plaintiffs Ronnie *316 Mercer, Linda Mercer, and Mike Wahlder owned land near the sewerage treatment facility, the trial court did not award them nuisance damages because they did not reside on their properties. Additionally, the trial court ordered that the facility be operated in a proper manner at all times.

The trial court found that cutting the trees in the buffer zone did not result in a diminution in the value of Plaintiffs' property. The court noted that although the buffer zone is not as thick and as dense as it was before, it believed that it continued to serve the purpose of camouflaging the plant. The trial court did not award attorney's fees because it noted that they are not a proper element of damages in an action for nuisance damages. Costs were assessed equally between Plaintiffs and Defendants. Expert witness fees in the amount of $200 for each of Plaintiffs' expert real estate appraisers were ordered.

On appeal, the Town contends that the trial court erred in finding it negligent for allowing sewerage to flow onto the Millers' property. The Town also maintains that it obtained approval from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (hereafter DEQ) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (hereafter EPA) before it cut the trees. It asserts that because the trees were cut in a lawful manner it is not liable to Plaintiffs for any damages that were caused by cutting the trees.

Plaintiffs also appealed, maintaining that the trial court erred in failing to award damages for the diminution in Plaintiffs' property values. The Arnold plaintiffs and Mr. Williford argue that the trial court erred in failing to award attorney's fees. All plaintiffs contend that the general damages award and the expert witness fees were inadequate and should be increased.

FACTS

In 1975, the Town retained the engineering firm of Meyer, Meyer, LaCroix and Hixson to develop plans to build a sewerage treatment plant. After the EPA issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (hereafter FONSI) in 1979, the Town received federal funding to plan the layout of the plant. The FONSI issued by the EPA concluded that the proposed construction of the sewerage plant would not result in adverse environmental consequences.

The Town began negotiations with the United States Forestry Service (hereafter Forestry Service) during the early 1980's to obtain a 120-acre site on which to locate the sewerage plant. At a public hearing held by the Town on January 27, 1981, landowners located near the proposed site expressed concerns over a possible diminution in the market value of their properties due to noise, odor, and an unsightly view. To alleviate the landowners' concerns, the Forestry Service and the Town's engineers agreed that the proposed 120-acre site would be increased to 160 acres and that the plant would be realigned so that an existing strip of forest would serve as a buffer zone between the sewerage plant and the landowners. On May 21, 1981, the EPA amended the 1979 FONSI to provide: "[t]o mitigate possible impacts ... it will be a grant condition that the application area must be surrounded by a 45.7 meter (150 foot) buffer strip of undisturbed forest on the west." (emphasis added). The Amendment to the FONSI enabled the Town to continue receiving federal funding for the project.

On February 9, 1982, a public hearing held by the Forestry Service allowed landowners who lived near the proposed site of the plant to voice their objections before it transferred the land to the Town. Mr. Clyde Todd, who conducted the meeting on behalf of the Forestry Service, testified at trial that the Forestry Service was sensitive to the concerns of the neighboring landowners and that withdrawal of their objections was necessary before his office would approve the land transfer to the Town. According to Mr. Todd and Plaintiffs, the landowners withdrew their objections in exchange for the Town's agreement to maintain the buffer zone of undisturbed forest between their land and the plant. Once the property was transferred to the Town, construction commenced. From 1986 when the plant became operational until 1992, the buffer zone of forest was not disturbed.

*317 On January 9, 1992, Mr. Robert Gary Mercer, one of the Arnold plaintiffs, observed a timber harvester placing bids on the timber in the buffer zone. On February 10, 1992, Mr. Mercer called the mayor of Ball and advised him of the Town's agreement to never disturb the timber in the buffer zone. Notwithstanding Mr. Mercer's efforts, the trees in the buffer zone were clear-cut on February 17, 1992, and the instant lawsuit resulted.

The Arnold plaintiffs and Mr. Lanney Williford claimed damages from smoke, noise, and odors emitted by the plant. At trial, Plaintiffs testified that before the trees were cut, they occasionally noticed odors or noise emanating from the sewerage plant but felt that the problem was not serious. After the trees were cut, Plaintiffs maintained that the noise and odor from the sewerage facility have interfered with the use of their properties. Mr. Williford testified that the odor from the plant prevents him from barbecuing in his yard, has forced him from his home on three or four occasions, and was present every day for a period of time. Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
651 So. 2d 313, 1995 WL 38188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arnold-v-town-of-ball-lactapp-1995.