Beener v. Spahr, Unpublished Decision (12-15-2000)

CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 15, 2000
DocketC.A. Case No. 2000-CA-40, T.C. Case No. 97-CV-914
StatusUnpublished

This text of Beener v. Spahr, Unpublished Decision (12-15-2000) (Beener v. Spahr, Unpublished Decision (12-15-2000)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Beener v. Spahr, Unpublished Decision (12-15-2000), (Ohio Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

OPINION
This case arises out of a dispute over use of a driveway between Plaintiff-Appellants Ralph and Brenda Beener ("Beeners"), Defendant-Appellees and Cross-Appellants Richard and Jane Becraft ("Becrafts"), and Defendant-Appellees Thomas and Mary Ann Spahr ("Spahrs"). A gravel driveway, approximately ten feet wide used by all parties exists within the boundaries of the Beener property. The three properties involved form somewhat of a triangle, with the Becraft and Beener properties sitting side by side facing St. Paris Pike, and the Spahrs located to the rear of these properties. The driveway lies on the Beener property, approximately ten feet from the Becraft property line. It originates at St. Paris Pike and extends back to the Spahr property.

The land now occupied by the Beeners, the Becrafts, and the Spahrs was once known as the Edwards farm, and only contained the house now owned by the Spahrs. In the 1950's, the Edwards divided the farm so that members of the family could build homes on separate tracts. As a result, two homes were built by a sister and brother of the Edwards family facing St. Paris Pike. Marjorie Smith owned the property now owned by the Beeners, and George and Genevieve Edwards owned the property now owned by the Becrafts.

In 1976, Marjorie Smith granted an easement to George and Genevieve Edwards for ingress and egress from their property, purportedly on the driveway that was then and is now in existence. Two children of George and Genevieve Edwards testified at trial that the driveway suggested in this easement had been in existence as long as they could remember, which was the early 1950's, and had not changed. Moreover, they explained that the driveway has always been used by all individuals needing access to any part of the farm, particularly the three homes located on the property.

One of the witnesses, John Edwards, grew up in, and as an adult purchased what is now the Becraft property. He testified that he always thought that the driveway bordered the Becraft property, and as a result, the area just southwest of the driveway was always maintained by whoever owned the Becraft property. As a matter of fact, he did not discover the true location of the driveway until this lawsuit was filed. According to a survey completed after the Beeners and Becrafts had purchased their homes, there is actually about a ten-foot strip of grass that lies between the driveway and the Becraft property line. The legal description in the written easement granted in 1976 actually encompassed this grass strip and only a fragment of the driveway, instead of the gravel driveway in its entirety. Nevertheless, according to John and Kent Edwards, all of the individuals who lived or worked on the property had shared the driveway amicably without any problems.

When Mr. Beener purchased the property in 1997, everything changed. Once the Beeners realized that the Becrafts used the driveway for ingress and egress purposes, they approached the Becrafts and asked if they would lay their own driveway at the Beeners' expense. This never materialized apparently because a large tree sits at the edge of St. Paris Pike in the only location where the Becrafts could place a driveway. Additionally, the Beeners had a survey completed which revealed that the legal description for the written easement did not define the driveway, but instead the aforementioned strip of grass between the driveway and the Becraft property line.

Soon after the Beeners moved in, the Becrafts claim that they began blocking access to the driveway and harassing them. The Becrafts testified that Mr. Beener blocked the driveway at separate times with his car, his garbage cans, and a makeshift gate. Additionally, the Becrafts discussed incidents where Mr. Beener drove his car toward their eleven-year-old son while he mowed the lawn, quickly drove his car up the driveway while Mr. and Mrs. Becraft were walking, making them jump out of the way, and drove his car in their grass to pass Mrs. Becraft while she was driving on the driveway. The Becrafts further claimed that Mr. Beener constantly drove in their grass beside the driveway instead of on the driveway, causing damage to the grass and the trees.

On the other hand, the Beeners testified that Mr. Becraft harassed them by constantly taking pictures or videos of them while driving their cars. Moreover, Mrs. Beener testified to an incident where Mr. Becraft removed the crossbar to the "gate" they put up which blocked the driveway. Mrs. Beener alleged that when she asked Mr. Becraft to stop, he rapidly approached her in her yard, yelling about them blocking the driveway. Both parties deny these allegations against them.

Mrs. Becraft and her therapist testified about the effect of Mr. Beener's behavior on her mental health. In this regard, Mrs. Becraft explained that she has suffered from panic attacks and anxiety. The therapist testified that she was not aware whether Mrs. Becraft had any anxiety problems prior to these incidents with the neighbor, but did opine that Mr. Beener's behavior could either cause these symptoms or exacerbate any existing condition. However, she could not confirm that Mrs. Becraft's condition was caused by Mr. Beener's activities.

The Beeners filed this lawsuit initially against the Spahrs and other defendants who were later dismissed. In October of 1998, the Beeners amended their complaint to add Mr. and Mrs. Becraft as defendants. Soon after, the Becrafts requested a Ctemporary restraining order to prevent the Beeners from blocking the driveway, driving on their grass or harassing their family. On December 11, 1998, an agreed preliminary injunction was ordered, preventing the Beeners from engaging in any of the activity previously mentioned, and preventing the Becrafts from harassing the Beeners in any way.

Following a bench trial, the court concluded the following as is pertinent to this appeal:

A prescriptive easement existed in favor of both the Becrafts and the Spahrs over the gravel driveway;

None of the parties could interfere with the other parties' use of the driveway;

Both Mrs. Becraft and Mrs. Beener's claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress were denied;

Becrafts' motion for contempt was denied;

Becrafts' rights to the land referred to in the written easement was limited by the express terms thereof.

The Beeners have appealed this decision of the trial court raising the following assignments of error:

The trial court erred in concluding that the Becrafts and Spahrs have an easement by prescription over the Beeners' property because the use of the Beeners' driveway by the Becrafts' and Spahrs' predecessors in title was not adverse to the interest of the Beeners' predecessors in title.

The trial court erred in concluding that the Becrafts and Spahrs have an easement by prescription over the Beeners' property because any use of the Beeners' driveway by the Becrafts' or Spahrs' predecessors in title was with the permission of the Beeners' predecessors in title.

The trial court erred in concluding that the Becrafts and Spahrs have an easement by prescription over the Beeners' property because that conclusion is inconsistent with the grant of a specific ten-foot wide easement for ingress and easement [sic] by a prior owner of the Beener property to prior owners of the Becraft property.

In response, the Becrafts cross-appealed raising the following four assignments of error:

The trial court erred in denying the Becrafts' motion to amend their counterclaim to include a claim for reformation of the deed of easement based upon a mistake in the legal description.

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Bluebook (online)
Beener v. Spahr, Unpublished Decision (12-15-2000), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/beener-v-spahr-unpublished-decision-12-15-2000-ohioctapp-2000.