Brumbaugh v. Mikelson Land Co.

2008 WY 66, 185 P.3d 695, 2008 Wyo. LEXIS 68, 2008 WL 2369258
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedJune 12, 2008
DocketS-07-0218
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 2008 WY 66 (Brumbaugh v. Mikelson Land Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brumbaugh v. Mikelson Land Co., 2008 WY 66, 185 P.3d 695, 2008 Wyo. LEXIS 68, 2008 WL 2369258 (Wyo. 2008).

Opinion

KITE, Justice.

[T1] In the early 19708, developer Flying L Skytel (Skytel) established the Skytel Country Estates subdivision in Park County, Wyoming by filing a plat and a declaration of restrictive covenants. After Eugene R. and Elizabeth D. Brumbaugh's (the Brumbaughs) predecessor in interest purchased two Skytel Country Estates lots, Skytel partially vacated the plat, amended the restrictive covenants and sold the remaining property to Mikelson Land Company (MLC), which incorporated it into a larger subdivision. In 2003, the Brumbaughs purchased their lot and sought to construct a home on the land. MLC, however, denied their requests for easements for power, sewer and access; to tap into a water system; and to build central livestock facilities.

[¶ 2] The Brumbaughs filed a declaratory and injunctive relief action against MLC seeking to enforce the rights they claimed pursuant to the Skytel Country Estates restrictive covenants and plat. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of MLC, holding the Brumbaughs were not entitled to any of their requests for relief. On appeal, we hold, as a matter of law, the restrictive covenants and plat granted the Brumbaughs, as owners of a lot in the original Skytel Country Estates subdivision, the rights to easements for power, sewer and access. Because the seope and location of the easements were not set out in the subdivision documents, those matters must be determined on remand considering what is reasonable and convenient under the cireum-stances. The subdivision documents do not, however, grant the Brumbaughs the rights to connect to a water system or to locate central livestock facilities on subdivision property. In addition, we conclude that MLC does not have the right to amend the declaration of covenants for the Skytel Country Estates subdivision and the appointment of MLC as the architectural committee for the subdivision was invalid. Consequently, we affirm in part, reverse in part and remand.

ISSUES

[ ¶13] Although the parties present a convoluted statement of the issues, we believe they can be distilled to:

1. What was the effect of the partial vacation of the Skytel Country Estates plat and corresponding amendment to the declaration of restrictive covenants?

2. Whether the restrictive covenants and/or plat of the Skytel Country Estates subdivision grant the Brumbaughs easements for power, access, and a sewer system; the right to connect to a water system developed for an adjacent subdivision; and/or the right to place central livestock facilities in the common area of the original subdivision?

8. Can MLC amend the Skytel Country Estates declaration of covenants?

4. Was MLC properly appointed as architectural control committee for the Skytel Country Estates subdivision?

FACTS

[¶14]) On January 1, 1970, Skytel, a Wyoming corporation, conveyed to the Brum- *699 baughs' predecessor-in-interest, Vincent Pas-cale, Lots 81 and 82 of the Skytel Country Estates subdivision. The deed stated it was "subject to reservation, exceptions, easements and rights-of-way in existence or of record and to declaration of restrictive covenants for Skytel Country Estates."

[¶ 5] On February 9, 1970, Skytel recorded a plat for the Skytel Country Estates subdivision. The plat showed numerous subdivision lots which were cireular in shape. The lots were surrounded by areas referred to by the parties as "common areas" or "buffer areas." The plat showed some roads in the subdivision, and the certificate of dedication stated:

Access for the lots within the Skytel Country Estates is provided by a private road system linked to the Park County road system.

[T6] On March 30, 1971, Skytel executed a Declaration of Restrictive Covenants for Skytel Country Estates, which specifically incorporated the plat by reference. The covenants stated in relevant part:

plans and restrictions
The following general use and building plans and restrictions for said land and area are hereby established. It is covenanted, agreed and declared that all said land is held subject to these plans and restrictions, all of which shall be covenants running with the land and shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the undersigned, its grantees, successors and assigns. It is further covenanted, agreed and declared that all subsequent grants of said land or any part thereof shall be subject to these plans and restrictions.
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2. .... All residence buildings shall be modern and have septic tanks with leaching fields or tanks according to the standards of the Wyoming State Health Department.
3. No livestock may be kept on the land{,] but livestock may be kept in central facilities to be provided for the area at reasonable cost....
4. If water should become scarce[,] meters will be installed in an approved manner at the property owner's expense....
5. All residences, buildings and sewerage systems must be approved before installation or construction by an architectural committee appointed annually by the undersigned to serve for one year.
6. All easements required for sewer, water[,] power and other utilities across said lands either for lots in the subdivision or for access to and from the subdivision are hereby specifically reserved.
violations
The general plans and restrictions contained herein inure to the benefit of the purchasers of all lots within said subdivision and the undersigned. If any grantee, his heirs, successors or assigns violates or attempts to violate any of the plans, covenants and restrictions herein it shall be lawful for the undersigned or any other person or persons owning any land in said subdivision to take appropriate proceedings against the person or persons violating or attempting to violate these plans, covenants and restrictions for the purpose of restraining such violation and recover any damages resulting therefrom. Invalidation of any one of these covenants or restrictions by judgment or court order shall not affect any of the other covenants and restrictions herein, all of which shall remain in full force and effect.
These restrictive covenants may be modified at any time by vote of the owners of at least two thirds of the land area within the Skytel Country Estates.

[¶7] On January 10, 19783, Skytel recorded an amendment to the declaration of restrictive covenants and a partial vacation of the plat for the Skytel Country Estates subdivision. The amendment to the declaration of restrictive covenants stated, in relevant part:

All of the restrictive covenants pertaining to Skytel Country Estates except insofar as they pertain to Lots 77, 81 and 82 are hereby annulled and cancelled and shall be superseded by the protective covenants pertaining to Cody's Country, ac *700 cording to the plat to be filed thereof, which plat shall include the land now de-seribed as Skytel Country Estates, together with other lands.

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Bluebook (online)
2008 WY 66, 185 P.3d 695, 2008 Wyo. LEXIS 68, 2008 WL 2369258, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brumbaugh-v-mikelson-land-co-wyo-2008.