Bourne v. Town of Madison, et al. 05-CV-365-JD 05/12/10 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
Samuel J. Bourne
v. Civil No. 05-cv-365-JD Opinion No. 2010 DNH 092
Town of Madison, et a l .
O R D E R
Samuel J. Bourne, who is proceeding pro se, brought federal
and state claims against the Town of Madison, its selectmen, and
a resident of Madison, challenging their actions in regard to
property he owns in Madison and a right-of-way that runs across
his property. Through motion practice, all but one of the claims
have been resolved against Bourne, leaving his claim for
intentional interference with contractual relations. Bourne and
the defendants each move for summary judgment on that claim and
each opposes the other's motion.1
1The defendants argue in part that Bourne's motion for summary judgment is untimely. Under the scheduling order, as amended by the defendants' assented-to motion, motions for summary judgment were due before October 21, 2006. However, both the plaintiff and defendants now contend that the single remaining claim in this case can be resolved through summary judgment. Therefore, before the court and the parties commit the resources necessary for a trial, it is prudent to consider motions for summary judgment. Standard of Review
Summary judgment is appropriate when "the pleadings, the
discovery and disclosure materials on file, and any affidavits
show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and
that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law."
Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). The party seeking summary judgment must
first demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of material fact
in the record. See Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323
(1986). A party opposing a properly supported motion for summary
judgment must present competent evidence of record that shows a
genuine issue for trial. See Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.,
477 U.S. 242, 256 (1986). All reasonable inferences and all
credibility issues are resolved in favor of the nonmoving party.
See id. at 255.
When parties file cross-motions for summary judgment, the
court must consider the motions separately to determine whether
summary judgment may be entered under the Rule 56 standard. Pac.
Ins. Co., Ltd. v. Eaton Vance Mqmt., 369 F.3d 584, 588 (1st Cir.
2004); Bienkowski v. Northeastern Univ., 285 F.3d 138, 140 (1st
Cir. 2002). In assessing the motions, the court must determine
whether either of the parties deserves judgment as a matter of
law on facts that are not disputed." Estrada v. Rhode Island,
2 594 F .3d 56, 62 (1st Cir. 2010)
I. Properly Supported Motion for Summary Judgment
The defendants challenge the factual basis Bourne provided
to support his motion for summary judgment. Instead of filing an
affidavit to support the factual statements in his motion. Bourne
attempted to verify the entire nineteen-page motion with the
following statement, known as a jurat: "Respectfully Submitted,
under oath and under the pains of perjury that each and every
detail stated within this motion for Summary Judgment is believed
to be the truth and nothing but the truth." Bourne signed and
dated his motion following that statement.
To support a motion for summary judgment, an affidavit must
"be made on personal knowledge, set out facts that would be
admissible in evidence, and show that the affiant is competent to
testify on the matters stated." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e)(1). "This
'requisite personal knowledge must concern facts as opposed to
conclusions, assumptions, or surmise.'" Livick v. Gillette Co.,
524 F.3d 24, 28 (1st Cir. 2008) (quoting Perez v. Volvo Car
Corp., 247 F.3d 303, 316 (1st Cir. 2001) ) . Personal knowledge,
for purposes of an affidavit, cannot be based on a belief that
certain things are true. See, e.g., Quinones v. Buick, 436 F.3d
284, 291 (1st Cir. 2006); Nat'l Tower, LLC v. Plainville Zoning
3 Bd. of Appeals, 297 F.3d 14, 24 n.4 (1st Cir. 2002); Perez, 247
F.3d at 315.
Therefore, because Bourne's jurat states only that he
believes the facts in his motion are true, it is ineffective to
convert the motion to an affidavit for purposes of summary
judgment. Under the local rules of this district, "[a]
memorandum in support of a summary judgment motion shall
incorporate a short and concise statement of material facts,
supported by appropriate record citations, as to which the moving
party contends there is no genuine issue to be tried."2 LR
7.2(a)(1). Although Bourne attempted to cure the deficiency of
the motion jurat in his reply, even if the jurat used in the
reply met the requirements of Rule 56(e), a reply cannot be
substituted for the motion.3
To the extent the facts Bourne states in the "Background"
2Bourne did not file a memorandum, as required by Local Rule 7.1(a)(2), or incorporate a statement of material facts, as required by Local Rule 7.2(a)(1), with his motion for summary judgment.
3Bourne concluded his reply with the statement: "Respectfully Submitted, under oath and under the pains of perjury that each and every detail stated within this reply to defendant's objection to Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is based on personal knowledge and believed to be the truth and nothing but the truth." Bourne's reply, however, does not meet the personal knowledge requirement because it is rife with statements of his opinion, conclusions, and assumptions.
4 section of his motion are properly supported by citations to the
record, those facts will be considered for the purpose of
deciding his motion. Facts stated in the motion that are not
properly supported will not be considered. Bourne used the same
jurat in signing his objection to the defendants' motion for
summary judgment that he used in his reply. The defendants did
not challenge Bourne's attempt to convert his objection to an
affidavit. In the absence of an objection from the opposing
party, any inadequacy in the jurat is waived for purposes of the
pending motion for summary judgment. See Desrosiers v. Hartford
Life & Accident Co., 515 F.3d 87, 91 (1st Cir. 2008) .
11. Background4
In 2002, Bourne, a resident of Massachusetts, bought a
fifty-acre parcel of land, with a small cabin, in Madison, New
Hampshire, which parcel abuts a large tract of conservation land
where the town permitted snowmobile use. Access to the cabin was
provided over a roadway known as Solomon Harmon Road, which at
that time the town considered to be a Class VI highway under
state law. Before Bourne bought the property, the town had
4The background information is taken from the factual statement included in the order dated June 29, 2007, and the parties' properly supported facts, submitted in support of the motions and objections.
5 adopted a regulation that allowed snowmobiles to use certain
Class VI roads. The dispute that arose between Bourne, the town,
and Bourne's neighbors was due, at least in part, to Bourne's
efforts to bar the public from using Solomon Harmon Road for
snowmobiling.
In November of 2002, Bourne hired the New Hampshire Electric
Co-op to construct electric lines to the cabin on his property
with an estimated cost of $6,662. Problems developed between
Bourne and the town about the installation of poles and electric
lines along Solomon Harmon Road. In addition, a dispute arose
between Bourne and his neighbors, the Cyrs, about the use of
Solomon Harmon Road.
A. Dispute with the Cvrs
In late 2002, the Cyrs filed an action in state court
seeking injunctive relief to protect their use of that part of
Solomon Harmon Road which ran over Bourne's property. In his
answer. Bourne charged that the Cyrs had blocked New Hampshire
Electric Co-Op from beginning pole installation along the
roadway. Bourne also filed suit against the Cyrs in state court,
alleging interference with his use of the roadway.
On May 7, 2003, the state court found that the Cyrs had
satisfied their burden for the issuance of a preliminary
6 injunction to enjoin Bourne "from obstructing in any way the use
of the subject right-of-way by the Petitioners. Neither party
shall cut trees or modify the said right-of-way in any way
without prior Court approval." The court also ordered that the
Cyrs did not have the right to delegate use of the right-of-way
to anyone other than their immediate family for the use of a
"mechanized vehicle" and that all use was limited to the " 'marked
trail.'" A few months later, the state court ordered, pursuant
to an agreement reached between the parties:
that [Bourne] may cause to be installed an electrical pole(s), anchors, and wires to service his property. Said electrical pole(s), anchors, and wires shall be placed only within the subject 30-foot right-of-way and shall not obstruct the use of same. Further, in installing said electrical pole(s), anchors, and wires trimming of the trees, regardless of their location, will be allowed. No tree shall be destroyed and or [sic] removed.
Cvr v. Bourne, 02-E-130 (N.H. Superior C t . Sept. 15, 2003) .
On November 6, 2003, the state court approved an agreement
between the Cyrs and Bourne which provided that the access road
to Bourne's property was a Class VI highway, known as Solomon
Harmon Road; that under Bourne's agreement with the town. Bourne
was responsible for maintenance of the road; that Bourne would be
allowed to repair the road "with oversight by the Madison
Selectmen"; that before making necessary repairs. Bourne must
meet with the selectmen to gain approval for his proposed
7 repairs; that notice of the repairs would be provided to the
Cyrs; and that after the road was repaired. Bourne would be
"permitted to snow plow and sand the said roadway in the normal
and customary manner."
An inspection of the road area was done on November 18,
2003, by a group that included the superior court judge.
Following a meeting of the selectmen, town counsel sent a letter
to Bourne's counsel on November 19, 2003, which detailed the
actions the selectmen had approved for the road. The letter
confirmed that Solomon Harmon Road was a Class VI road, stated
its location and required Bourne to agree to that location, and
stated that Bourne was required to provide a survey of the road
before any permanent improvements were made. The letter further
provided that if the stated conditions were met. Bourne would be
allowed to make temporary improvements to the road by filling
ruts and spreading "one and a half inch crushed bank run gravel"
but would not be allowed to cut or remove trees within the road's
right-of-way or spread or use any of the stone that was then
piled on Bourne's property. With respect to permanent
improvements to the road. Bourne was required to make a written
proposal with certain specifications to the Board of Selectmen.
The letter also stated that the selectmen had agreed to accept,
review, and approve Bourne's application for installing utilities within the right-of-way for Solomon Harmon Road. The letter
summarized the remaining issues to be resolved with Bourne and
addressed the current use status of the property and improvements
Bourne had made to the cabin without a building permit.
During the fall of 2003, Bourne hired Richard Verrochi to
repair the road. In early December, 2003, Verrochi used crushed
stone, topped with bank run crushed gravel, to fill ruts and to
cover the road, contrary to the directions given by the town for
repair work on the road. The Madison police chief ordered
Verrochi to stop all repair work on the road.
In January of 2004, the superior court issued a decision in
consolidated cases Cvr v. Bourne, 02-E-130, and Bedrock Realty
Trust v. Cvr, 03-E-120, allowing Bourne to maintain the right-of-
way during the winter by plowing and lightly sanding the surface,
as provided in the parties' agreement that had been approved by
the court in November of 2003. The order prohibited Bourne from
putting down "heavy levels of gravel and crushed stone" and from
obstructing the Cyrs' use of the right-of-way. The court granted
Bourne's motion to remove timber within the right-of-way
conditioned on Bourne showing a purchase and sale agreement for
the modular home that he represented he was buying and on Bourne
hiring a professional tree removal service to do the work.
In the same order, the superior court held that Bourne was
9 in willful contempt of the court's previous orders (issued on May
6, 2003, and November 6, 2003) pertaining to improvements to
Solomon Harmon Road. The court ordered Bourne to remove all
stone that he had caused to be spread on the right-of-way and to
comply with all of the terms of the court's previous orders. The
court also awarded attorneys' fees to the Cyrs, concluding that
Bourne's oppressive, vexatious, arbitrary, capricious, or bad
faith conduct had begun or unnecessarily prolonged the litigation
and that the Cyrs had been forced to litigate when Bourne's
position was patently unreasonable. The court granted the Cyrs'
motion to dismiss Bourne's suit, 03-E-120.
A hearing was held in Cvr v. Bourne, 02-E-130, on May 3,
2005. At the hearing. Bourne offered the testimony of Larry
Martin, who worked for the New Hampshire Electric Co-op. Martin
testified that the town police chief ordered his crew to stop
work along Solomon Harmon Road, where they were cutting trees in
preparation for installing utility poles, and that Roger Cyr was
present when that occurred. During a deposition. Selectman
Graves testified that the selectmen told the police chief to stop
the work on Solomon Harmon Road.
On May 18, 2006, Bourne and the Cyrs entered a stipulation
10 concerning work to be done on the roadway.5 The Cyrs agreed to
allow Bourne to cut several marked trees within the roadway
easement for purposes of installing electric poles and lines.
They also agreed that the power lines would be erected on the
easement Bourne obtained from another neighbor, Davis, not on
Solomon Harmon Road. Bourne also agreed that the Cyrs could cut
trees necessary to install underground power lines to their
house.
B. Dispute with the Town
During the same period. Bourne sought a building permit for
his property. The town required Bourne to sign a waiver
agreement to relieve the town of maintenance and liability with
respect to Solomon Harmon Road. The town faxed a standard form
agreement to Bourne, which Bourne sent to his attorney. Bourne's
attorney revised the agreement, adding provisions that the town
could not use the part of Solomon Harmon Road that crossed
Bourne's property and that the town would not reclassify the road
without Bourne's consent. Bourne signed the revised waiver and
5Bourne represents that the litigation with the Cyrs ended in a settlement, after the court ruled that the Cyrs did not have deeded rights to the roadway over Bourne's property, and that the Cyrs paid Bourne $8,450 as part of the settlement. Bourne did not file any evidence to support his statement.
11 sent it back to the town. The town recorded the revised waiver
without reading it.
Once the waiver form was recorded. Bourne erected a chain
across Solomon Harmon Road at the entrance to his property. The
Madison code enforcement officer removed the chain. In November
of 2002, Bourne hired a contractor to build a gate across the
road. The code enforcement officer informed the contractor that
the town would remove the gate if it were constructed. The town
removed the gate on December 4, 2002.
Selectman John Arruda discovered that the recorded waiver
form was not the standard form and sent Bourne a letter stating
that the waiver was, therefore, invalid because the selectmen
lacked authority to restrict public access to a town road without
first convening a town meeting to consider the issue. Arruda
told Bourne that if he wanted a building permit it would be in
his best interest to sign the standard waiver which Arruda
attached to the letter. A dispute arose between Bourne and the
town about whether Bourne's cover letter, which accompanied the
revised waiver, notified the town that the provisions of the
waiver had been changed.
On November 11, 2002, Robert King, a resident of Madison who
had served on the Class VI Road Study Committee in 1998, sent a
memorandum to the selectmen about granting building permits for
12 property on Solomon Harmon Road. King advised that the waiver
Bourne signed was invalid, that a new agreement should be signed
and recorded, and that the town's defense to a suit brought by
Bourne should be that the selectmen did not add the provisions
that invalidated the waiver. The code enforcement officer denied
Bourne's request for a building permit on November 12, 2002.
The town filed suit on January 10, 2003, in state court,
seeking rescission of the recorded revised waiver and an
injunction to prevent Bourne from interfering with the public's
use of Solomon Harmon Road. Bourne filed a petition, also in
state court, accusing the town of forging the cover letter that
it represented it had received with the revised waiver and asking
the court to uphold the waiver and to order the town to issue
Bourne a building permit. Before a ruling in the town's case,
Arruda offered a settlement that if Bourne signed a new waiver,
the town would drop its suit and issue a building permit.6 The
case was settled in May of 2003. Bourne signed a new waiver; the
parties signed a release; and the town issued Bourne a building
permit on May 7, 2003.7 The town's suit was dismissed.
6Bourne remembered that the town also offered to relocate the public trail, after a hearing, so that use of the trail would not interfere with Bourne's use and enjoyment of his property.
7The record shows that in a letter dated February 6, 2004, the town code enforcement officer notified Bourne that his
13 Bourne filed four suits against the town. In the three
suits filed in 2003, Bourne sought relocation and widening of the
roadway (03-E-061), removal of the road's Class VI status (03-E-
114), and injunctive relief to prohibit the town from allowing
snowmobiles and other vehicle use of the road (03-E-144). Later,
on February 24, 2005, Bourne appealed the decision of the
selectmen to lay out Solomon Harmon Road as a Class VI road (05-
E-014). All four suits were eventually consolidated.
Following a hearing before the selectmen, the town denied
Bourne's petition to relocate Solomon Harmon Road to a location
at the perimeter of his property, concluding that it would be
contrary to the public interest to locate the public trail at a
place away from the recorded easement. In October of 2003, the
town denied Bourne's request to subdivide his property into four
lots due to the inadequacy of the access road. Bourne had the
right-of-way area surveyed, which was completed on April 28,
2004 .
At a selectmen's meeting on November 18, 2003, Bourne
raised the subject of erecting electrical poles along Solomon
Harmon Road. The meeting notes state that Bourne's counsel would
building permit was revoked due to his failure to meet the condition that the land area for building had to be taken out of current use designation.
14 submit a proposal for that project. A letter from town counsel
to Bourne's counsel, sent on November 19, 2003, summarized the
issues that then existed between the town and Bourne. The letter
stated, among other things, that before the selectmen would
approve improvements to Solomon Harmon Road, Bourne would have to
provide a survey of the road by a licensed surveyor. Once a
survey was obtained. Bourne would be permitted to make temporary
improvements to the road by filling in ruts and spreading "one
and a half inch crushed bank run gravel." Bourne was prohibited
from removing trees or using the stone located on his property on
the road.
In Bedrock Realty Trust [Bourne! v. Town of Madison, 03-E-
144 (N.H. Superior C t . November 25, 2003), the court granted in
part and denied in part Bourne's request for temporary injunctive
relief. The court imposed "temporary provisions" on the parties
"pending final resolution" of the case. The court ordered Bourne
not to "interfere with or limit the public use or access to the
so-called Solomon Harmon roadway in any way; nor shall the [town]
interfere with the reasonable use of Lot 19 by [Bourne]." Id.
The remainder of the order pertained to the town's obligations
with respect to Solomon Harmon Road for public snowmobile use.
After the winter of 2003 to 2004, Bourne hired Hanson
Excavation to repair the roadway and to make improvements that
15 were necessary before electrical poles could be installed. In a
letter to Bourne's counsel, dated April 14, 2004, town counsel
stated that the selectmen had reviewed the proposed construction
but voted not to approve it. The letter stated that if Hanson
submitted a new proposal that did not include cutting trees the
selectmen would consider it. The letter also advised Bourne's
counsel about the procedure for submitting a request for current
use assessment.
In May of 2004, the New Hampshire Electric Co-op submitted a
revised pole plan, with an estimated cost of $9,753, and also
notified Bourne that the selectmen had informed the Co-op that
the location of the Class VI road was being surveyed and that the
Co-op would have to obtain pole setting permits before beginning
work. Counsel for the town notified Bourne's attorney about a
letter Bourne sent to the selectmen and explained that the
selectmen were reluctant to approve the repairs Bourne proposed
because of the "liberties" Bourne had taken in the past and
because the survey was not complete. Counsel also stated that
the selectmen had driven on the road and found that it was
passable in its current condition.
On October 19, 2004, Bourne submitted a memorandum to the
selectmen addressing a variety of issues. He stated that the
access road needed repair before the first snow in order to
16 permit access during the winter, that the New Hampshire Electric
Co-op notified Bourne that the town was preventing them from
installing power lines to Bourne's property, and that he should
be issued a building permit immediately. During a deposition
taken in this case. Selectman Graves testified that the selectmen
told the chief of police to stop the electrical service work on
On April 25, 2006, Bourne purchased an easement from another
neighbor, David Davis, to allow electrical service to be brought
from the street to Bourne's house. The new easement ran along
Solomon Harmon Road. The same day, the selectmen granted the New
Hampshire Electric Co-op a license to install electric service
under the plan submitted the year before. A construction
estimate, dated April 7, 2006, to install electric service to
Bourne's property totaled $22,967.05.
Bourne filed suit in this court on October 17, 2005,
alleging federal civil rights claims and state law claims against
the town; selectmen Arruda, Graves, and Crafts; and Robert D.
King. The state court litigation continued at the same time. On
June 29, 2007, the court granted summary judgment in favor of the
defendants on all of Bourne's claims except his claim of
intentional interference with contractual relations. The state
court actions continued. The court also granted the parties a
17 limited opportunity to move for reconsideration of that order
based on the outcome in the state court litigation.
A bench trial was held in state court in March of 2007 on
the consolidated cases brought by Bourne against the town. On
August 10, 2008, the superior court ruled that it lacked
authority to relocate the Kelsey Easement (which provided the
right-of-way known as Solomon Harmon Road) to a different place
on Bourne's property, that the Kelsey Easement prohibited public
use of snowmobiles and other mechanized vehicles (with limited
exceptions); and that the town had not shown the existence of
Solomon Harmon Road by prescription or an occasion to lay out
Solomon Harmon Road as a Class VI road. The superior court
denied Bourne's request for attorneys' fees, stating: "Although
the Town did not prevail on any of the issues presented, the
court finds the town did not conduct itself or respond to this
litigation in a manner warranting attorneys' fees." Bedrock
Realty Trust v. Town of Madison, 03-E-0061, 03-E-0114, 03-E-0114,
05-E-0014, at *17-*18 (N.H. Superior C t . Aug. 10, 2008) .
Bourne moved for an award of damages and for a hearing. On
June 30, 2008, the superior court awarded Bourne $698 in damages
for the cost of reinstalling his gate but denied his request for
other damages because those claims were not "sufficiently
causally related to the injunction previously issued by the
18 court." The court concluded that a hearing was not warranted.
The court also noted that Bourne's request for damages caused by
the injunctions could not be granted because he failed to request
an injunction bond.
Bourne appealed the superior court's decision to deny his
request for an award of fees and for damages, and the town
appealed the superior court's determination that the easement was
not a Class VI highway. The New Hampshire Supreme Court
reiterated the superior court's holding that the town had "no
right to allow public snowmobile access to [Bourne's property]
pursuant to an easement granted to the town by [Bourne's]
predecessor (easement) or a Class VI prescriptive highway, and
that the town had no 'occasion' to lay out a portion of the road
approaching the property . . . ." Bedrock Realty Tr. v. Madison,
Case No. 2008-0550, at *1 (N.H. Supreme C t . May 14, 2009). The
supreme court affirmed the superior court's ruling that the
easement was not a Class VI highway.
The supreme court also affirmed the superior court's
decision not to award attorneys' fees, rejecting Bourne's
argument that he had a " 'clearly defined' right to preclude
public snowmobile access to [his] property that should not have
required litigation." Id. at *2. The supreme court concluded
that the record did not show "that the litigation was instituted
19 or unnecessarily prolonged through the town's oppressive,
vexatious, arbitrary, capricious or bad faith conduct, or that
the town's position was patently unreasonable." Id. (internal
quotation marks omitted). The court further stated: "While the
town's position as to the existence of a Class VI highway may not
have been persuasive, it was not so lacking in evidentiary
support as to have entitled [Bourne] to attorney's fees." Id. at
*3.
With respect to Bourne's request for a hearing and for
damages, the Supreme Court vacated the award of $698. The court
concluded that Bourne's failure to request an injunction bond
precluded an award of damages arising from the injunctions. The
court also concluded that Bourne was not entitled to a hearing on
his claims for damages and for an award of attorneys' fees.
After the New Hampshire Supreme Court issued its decision.
Bourne moved for reconsideration in this court of this court's
decision granting summary judgment in the defendants' favor on
his claims except for his claim of intentional interference with
contract. His motion was denied. His subsequent motions for
reconsideration and for relief from judgment were also denied.
20 III. Bourne's Motion for Summary Judgment
In support of his claim for intentional interference with
contract. Bourne alleges: "Defendants Board of Selectmen, John
R. Arruda, Jr., Clifford A. Graves, and Eileen T. Crafts
wrongfully interfered with the installation of electrical power
service and road maintenance being performed by contract by
Plaintiff and third parties (viz. New Hampshire Electric
Cooperative and various road maintenance contractors)[.]" 2d Am.
Compl. 5 70. The claim against Crafts has been dismissed
voluntarily, leaving the town, Arruda, and Graves as defendants.
Bourne contends that he is entitled to summary judgment on
his claim against the town, Arruda, and Graves for intentional
interference with contract. The defendants object, asserting
that Bourne cannot show that their interference with maintenance
of the roadway was improper and that he cannot show that they
caused any damages with respect to interference with utility
service because of the interplay between the Cvr litigation and
the town's actions.8
8Bourne urges the court to ignore the defendants' references to the Cvr litigation, arguing that "the defendant's [sic] are
21 When the party with the burden of proof moves for summary
judgment, the moving party "must provide evidence sufficient for
the court to hold that no reasonable trier of fact could find
other than in its favor." Am. Steel Fabricators, Inc. v. Local
Union No. 7 , 536 F.3d 68, 75 (1st Cir. 2008). A claim for
intentional interference with contractual relations requires
proof of the following elements: "'(1) the plaintiff had an
economic relationship with a third party; (2) the defendant knew
of this relationship; (3) the defendant intentionally and
improperly interfered with this relationship; and (4) the
plaintiff was damaged by such interference.'" Singer Asset
Finance Co., LLC v. Wvner, 156 N.H. 468, 478 (2007) (quoting
Hughes v. N.H. Div. of Aeronautics, 152 N.H. 30, 40-41 (2005)).
Bourne provides evidence showing that at the time in
question he claimed as his property the right-of-way then known
as Solomon Harmon Road. Bourne also provides evidence that he
contracted with the New Hampshire Electric Co-op to install
electric service along the roadway to his property and with
attempting to confuse the court with issues of a non-party Roger Cyr's interference with the Plaintiff's deeded rights, in order to side track the Court's attention from the defendant's [sic] outrageous conduct." Bourne, however, also discusses and provides evidence of his disputes and litigation with the Cyrs. Therefore, Bourne provides no persuasive ground for ignoring the circumstances that involved the Cyrs.
22 contractors to repair the roadway. Evidence also supports
Bourne's charge that the town knew of his plans to install
electric service and to make repairs to the roadway and acted to
stop or limit Bourne's plans. The defendants object, contending
that Bourne cannot show that their interference with repairs and
improvements to the right-of-way was improper or that their
actions caused his damages with respect to the delay in
installing electrical service to his property.
A. Interference with Road Maintenance and Improvement
Only improper interference with contractual relations is
actionable under New Hampshire law. Tsiatsios v. Anheuser-Busch,
Inc., 2009 WL 114557, at *5 (D.N.H. Jan. 16, 2009). Factors to
be considered in determining whether an actor's interference is
improper are:
(a) the nature of the actor's conduct, (b) the actor's motive, (c) the interests of the other with which the actor's conduct interferes, (d) the interests sought to be advanced by the actor, (e) the social interests in protecting the freedom of action of the actor and the contractual interests of the other, (f) the proximity or remoteness of the actor's conduct to the interference and (g) the relations between the parties.
Roberts v. Gen. Motors Corp., 138 N.H. 532, 540-41 (1994)
(quoting Restatement (Second) of Torts, § 767 (1977) ) . In
23 contrast, conveying truthful information and honest advice to a
third person do not constitute improper interference with
contractual relations, and, further, actions taken in good faith
to protect a party's own legitimate interests are not improper
interference. Tsiatsios, 2009 WL 114557, at *5 (citing
Restatement (Second) of Torts § 772, cmt. b and § 773 (1979));
see also Roberts, 138 N.H. at 541.
Bourne contends that the defendants' actions in interfering
with repairs to the roadway were improper because the town did
not have a legal right to control the roadway. Bourne relies on
the state court's subsequent conclusion that Solomon Harmon Road
was not a Class VI highway, that the town did not show that it
was a highway by prescriptive use or due to an "occasion" to lay
out the road, and that the town's easement along the road did not
include the use of snowmobiles. The state court also concluded
that the record pertaining to the status of the right-of-way was
sufficiently ambiguous that Bourne did not have a clearly defined
right to exclude snowmobile access to the roadway and that the
town did not begin or prolong the litigation through "oppressive,
vexatious, arbitrary, capricious or bad faith conduct." Bedrock
Realty Trust v. Madison, Case No. 2008-0550 (N.H. Supreme C t . May
14, 2009) .
At the time in question, therefore, from 2002 through 2006,
24 the town could have believed, reasonably, that the roadway was a
Class VI highway, giving the town authority to control access and
work done to the road. Indeed, Bourne agreed in the settlement
reached with the town in May of 2003, that Solomon Harmon Road
was a Class VI highway. Further, the superior court's orders
pertaining to maintenance of the road in the context of the
litigation with the Cyrs justified the town's actions taken in
accord with the orders.
Bourne's suspicions, assumptions, and surmise about
malfeasance by the defendants do not provide evidence of an
improper purpose to support summary judgment in his favor. In
addition, the state court's rulings about the status of Solomon
Harmon Road do not support Bourne's theory that the defendants
acted improperly in their earlier dealings with him while the
town believed that it had the authority to control the road.
B. Interference with Installation of Electric Service
Bourne contends that the defendants' interference with the
installation of electric service to his property delayed the
project which resulted in higher costs. The defendants argue
that because the installation of the electric utility service was
delayed by the litigation between the Cyrs and Bourne, any
interference by the town during that period did not cause
25 Bourne's damages.
As Bourne points out, the superior court ordered in
September of 2003 that pursuant to the agreement between the Cyrs
and Bourne that Bourne could "cause to be installed an electrical
pole(s), anchors, and wires to service his property. Said
electrical poles(s), anchors, and wires shall be placed only
within the subject 30-foot right-of-way and shall not obstruct
the use of same." 02-E-130 (Sept. 15, 2003) at *2. In January
of 2004, however, in the litigation between Bourne and the Cyrs,
the court addressed maintenance of the roadway for winter travel,
clearing trees along the roadway to allow delivery of a modular
home, and Bourne's contempt of prior orders pertaining to road
maintenance. The superior court issued an order on the same day,
January 15, 2004, in the consolidated cases Bourne brought
against the town, and granted the town's motion for preliminary
injunctive relief, enjoining Bourne from "making any improvements
in the Solomon Harmon Road except in accordance with the
provisions as provided in the letter (dated 11/19/03) . . . ."
Bedrock Realty Trust, 03-E-120 (January 15, 2004) . The record
shows that road improvements, including cutting trees, was
necessary for electrical service installation.
As presented by Bourne in support of his motion for summary
judgment, the record leaves factual issues as to whether the
26 town's actions or the Cyrs' actions caused the delay in
installing electrical service. Therefore, the record Bourne
provides does not support summary judgment in his favor.
IV. Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment
As in their opposition to Bourne's motion for summary
judgment, the defendants argue that Bourne cannot show that their
interference with his road maintenance and improvement efforts
was improper and that he cannot prove that the defendants caused
his damages with respect to the delay in installing electrical
service.9 In response. Bourne again accuses the defendants of
false representations, harassment, forgery, frivolous litigation,
fraud on the court, and "outrageous abuse." Bourne challenges
the superior court's decisions related to maintenance of Solomon
Harmon Road. He also contends that the Cvr litigation did not
delay the electrical service installation.
A. Road Maintenance Work
The defendants show that their actions in preventing Bourne
from doing certain work on the right-of-way, then known as
9To the extent the defendants argue that Bourne's claim for damages due to improper interference with contract is barred by Bourne's failure to obtain an injunction bond, that argument is not sufficiently developed to permit consideration.
27 Solomon Harmon Road, were reasonable, based on their belief that
it was a Class VI highway and on the superior court's orders.
Bourne's disagreement with the superior court's orders does not
undermine their import. The state courts' later decisions which
establish that the right-of-way is not a Class VI highway and is
not a town road do not affect the context in which the accused
interference occurred, when the town believed it had authority to
control the right-of-way as Solomon Harmon Road.
Both the superior court and the New Hampshire Supreme Court
held, in the context of denying Bourne an award of attorneys'
fees, that the town did not act unreasonably in defending its
position as to the status of Solomon Harmon Road. Federal courts
give full faith and credit to state court judgments and "give
them the same preclusive effect as would a court of that state."
Vaaueria Tres Moniitas, Inc. v. Irizarry, 587 F.3d 464, 481 (1st
Cir. 2009) (citing 28 U.S.C. § 1738). Under New Hampshire law, a
party to prior litigation is barred "from relitigating any issue
of fact actually litigated and determined in the prior action."
In re Zachary G., 159 N.H. 146, 151 (2009) (internal quotation
marks omitted). For collateral estoppel to apply, three
conditions must be met: "(1) the issue subject to estoppel must
be identical in each action; (2) the first action must have
resolved the issue finally on the merits; and (3) the party to be
28 estopped must have appeared as a party in the first action, . . .
." Stewart v. Bader, 154 N.H. 75, 80-81 (2006).
Although the claim for an award of fees in the state case is
different from the claim here that the defendants improperly
interfered with Bourne's efforts to maintain the roadway, the
underlying factual issue is the same: whether the town acted
reasonably in asserting authority and control over Solomon Harmon
Road. The New Hampshire Supreme Court resolved the issue on the
merits, and Bourne was a party in the state court cases. Under §
1738, this court must give full faith and credit to the state
court decisions, despite Bourne's charges that the state court
erred and was defrauded. Therefore, Bourne is estopped from
asserting that the town acted unreasonably in maintaining its
position that the right-of-way, known then as Solomon Harmon
Road, was a Class VI highway subject to the town's authority and
control during the period between 2003 and 2006.
As is amply shown by the record of events between 2002 and
2006, the town did not improperly interfere with Bourne's
contractual relations with third parties to maintain or improve
the right-of-way.
B. Electrical Service Installation
The defendants assert that the delay in installing
29 electrical service to Bourne's property was caused by the Cvr
litigation that blocked improvement of the right-of-way which was
a necessary predicate before the poles and wires for electrical
service could be installed. Once the Cvr litigation was
resolved, the defendants point out, the town approved the
proposal for electrical installation. Bourne argues that the
defendants, not the Cvr litigation, blocked electrical service
installation from September 15, 2003, to April 25, 2006, when
approval was granted.
The record establishes that during the time in question the
town and the individual defendants believed that the disputed
right-of-way was a town road known as Solomon Harmon Road.
During the same time. Bourne and the Cyrs disputed the right to
use and control the right-of-way. Bourne's litigation with the
Cyrs involved injunctions that prevented improvements to the
right-of-way, such as cutting trees, that were necessary before
electrical power installation could begin. For example, in
November of 2003, the court ordered that Bourne could improve the
right-of-way but only to the extent allowed by the town, which
was presented in a letter from town counsel. Bourne was later
found to be in contempt of that order. Taken in the broader
context of Bourne's dispute with the Cyrs and the state court
orders generated in the course of that litigation, the defendants
30 have shown that their actions with respect to interfering with
the installation of electrical power to Bourne's property were
not improper.
Bourne attributes bad faith and improper motives to the
defendants, based on his interpretation of various occurrences,
communications, and interactions. Seen from Bourne's vantage
point, the opposition Bourne encountered from the town and
several of its residents understandably might lead him to
conclude that they wanted to exclude him, as an outsider, and
wanted to preserve control over Solomon Harmon Road at any cost.
Bourne felt victimized by the treatment he encountered and sought
retribution. The town's handling of the situation at times
appeared to be inept and ill-advised. As is evident from the
traverse of this case, which has been discussed in some detail,
common sense and reason were relegated to the sidelines while the
disputes between the parties escalated into years of costly
litigation, which is continuing in state court.
However, inhospitable actions and ineptitude as shown in
this case do not prove a claim of improper interference with
contract. "To defeat a motion for summary judgment, evidence
offered by the non-movant must be significantly probative of
specific facts." Prescott v. Higgins, 538 F.3d 32, 40 (1st Cir.
2008) (internal quotation marks omitted). Bourne's evidence in
31 support of his version of events does not provide sufficient
proof to show a genuine factual dispute, which is necessary to
avoid summary judgment. Instead, the record supports the
defendants' position that their actions did not cause the delay
in electrical service installation. Therefore, the defendants
are entitled to summary judgment on Bourne's claim of intentional
interference with contract.
Conclusion
For the foregoing reasons, the plaintiff's motion for
summary judgment (document no. 148) is denied. The defendants'
motion for summary judgment (document no. 187) is granted.
The clerk of court shall enter judgment in accord with the
order issued on June 29, 2007, (docket no. 104) and this order
and close the case.
SO ORDERED.
(X3)tCjb^LO.jfl• V J j o s e p h A. DiClerico, Jr. United States District Judge
May 12, 2010
cc: Samuel J. Bourne, pro se Brian J.S. Cullen, Esquire Richard D. Sager, Esquire