Burton v. Stapely

4 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 65, 17 Ohio Dec. 1, 1904 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 152

This text of 4 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 65 (Burton v. Stapely) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Common Pleas of Ohio, Hamilton County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burton v. Stapely, 4 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 65, 17 Ohio Dec. 1, 1904 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 152 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1904).

Opinion

Littleford, J.

The plaintiffs in this case ask for an injunction against the defendant to restrain her from building an apartment house [66]*66on the lot which they have recently sold to her, on the ground that she is violating a restriction on the use of the property, contained in the deed to her. The facts in the case are not in dispute. Plaintiffs were the owners of a lot of ground situated on the south side, of Clinton Springs avenue, in Cincinnati, directly oppositte the point where Mitchell avenue runs diagonally into Clinton Springs avenue.

This lot is Lot 1 of A. O. Tyler’s subdivision in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the .only lot owned by these plaintiffs in that subdivision, on the south side of Clinton Springs avenue, but they have an interest in tracts of land on Mitchell avenue, not far from the lot in question. There is no “plan” governing the lots in that part of Tyler’s subdivision — that is, the owners of the lots in that subdivision can build to the street line if they see fit.

In August, 1903, the plaintiffs in this case sold the lot in question to the defendant, and in the deed’to her inserted the following clause:

“Subject, however, to the conditions and restrictions hereinafter contained which are to run with the land herein conveyed and to be observed and performed by, and to be binding upon said grantee, her heirs, representatives and assigns, with the right in the grantors herein, their successors and assigns, or any present or future owner or owners of any lot or lots in said subdivision, their heirs, representatives or assigns', to enforce any or all of said conditions or restrictions; together with all the privileges and appurtenances to the same belonging, and all the rents, issues and profits thereof; to have and to hold the same to the only proper use of the said Mabel A. Stapley, her heirs and assigns forever, subject to the following restrictions and conditions, to-wit: That said grantee, her heirs or assigns, shall use said -premises hereby conveyed, for residence purposes only, including necessary outbuildings thereon, and a stable. That no dwelling house shall be erected or re-erected or maintained on said premises to cost less than four thousand dollars, and that the front of said dwelling house or any part thereof, or any structure thereon, shall not be nearer than the house next east of said property from the front line of said premises; and said premises or any dwelling house which may be erected thereon, shall not be used for any mercantile, manufacturing or business purposes; or for a public or private hos[67]*67pital, or for infirmary purposes; and no fermented, distilled or other liquors shall be sold on said premises hereby conveyed. All building materials of all kinds used in building upon or the improving of said lot, shall be deposited on the lot herein conveyed. The w^ilk and curb shall be protected from any and all damages. All the restrictions and conditions herein are binding upon the said Mabel A. Stapely, her heirs and assigns, until the year A. D. 1917; and this conveyance is accepted by said grantee for Mabel A. Stapely and for her heirs and assigns subject to the foregoing restrictions.”

The petition in the case alleges that the defendant, disregarding the covenants in her deed, threatens to build, and is now building a large flat building on said lot; and, furthermore, that she is about to locate her said fiat building so that its front wall will be nearer to the front of her lot than the front wall of the dwelling house next east of her property is to the front of its lot. Said dwelling house is alleged to be 65 feet distant from the front line of the lot on which it stands. The testimony of the defendant’s own witnesses is to the effect that she is about to erect on her lot a very large apartment house, intended to accommodate from fifteen to twenty families, and to cost $100,000. The building is to be three stories high, in length 170 feet 6 inches, and in depth 53 feet 3 inches. Furthermore, it is to have no front porches, and the edge of the building itself is to be 55 feet from the front of the lot, while the stone steps in front of it will be 51 feet from the front of the lot. It is admitted that the building will be considerably closer to the street than the front wall of the dwelling house next east, but the testimony shows that the front wall of the apartment house will be on a line with the front porch of the said dwelling house next east.

The questions presented in the case are four in number.

Have the plaintiffs a right of action against the defendants under the circumstances, even conceding that she is about to violate the restrictions of the deed?

Will she violate the restrictions of the deed by erecting an apartment house?

Will she violate the restrictions in the deed by building as close to the front line of her lot as she admits she is about to build ?

[68]*68Ought a court of equity to enjoin the defendant, even if the three preceding questions be answered in the affirmative?

It seems to the court that these facts present a case quite different from the very common case where a tract of land is sold off in lots to different persons, and covenants exacted from the several purchasers imposing restrictions upon the use of the lots sold in pursuance^ of a general plan ■ for the mutual advantage of all the owners.

Many cases- of the latter sort have been cited by the learned counsel for the defendant, and at least one (Burton v. Cooper, 8 N. P., 406) by the learned counsel for the plaintiffs; but the principles enunciated in those decisions do not assist in the determination of this case as the court sees it.

Counsel for plaintiffs have, however, cited numerous other cases in support of the principle which the court has adopted as determining this case.

Cases like many of those cited, of a violation of restrictions in subdivisions which have a “plan” — that is, whose houses must be of a certain value, and be situated a certain distance from the street — have given rise to numerous long and learned opinions on whether or not the restrictions in the deeds are covenants running with the land, or create easements — whether or not such restrictions can be enforced by a vendor against the vendee after the vendor himself has broken the “plan” by making a deed to some one without any restrictive clauses, or by allowing some prior vendee to disregard the “plan”; whether or not prior vendees can enforce ah observance of the restrictions on the part of subsequent vendees, and whether or not a court of equity ought to interfere, etc., with many other like difficult questions.

It is the opinion of the court that this case should not be complicated with a discussion of any such propositions, and that all cases dealing with subdivisions- with a “plan” ought to be put aside in determining the ease in hand. There can be no doubt that where a part only of a tract is sold, either the part sold or the part retained may be made subject to a restricr tion in favor of the other part, or the two parts may be made mutually servient and dominant; or, where the whole tract is [69]*69sold in lots, a restriction may be imposed on each lot in favor of all the others; bnt, admitting all these propositions to be true, they can not be applied to a solution of the case before us.

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Bluebook (online)
4 Ohio N.P. (n.s.) 65, 17 Ohio Dec. 1, 1904 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 152, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burton-v-stapely-ohctcomplhamilt-1904.