Cameron v. Bartels

573 N.E.2d 273, 214 Ill. App. 3d 69, 157 Ill. Dec. 855, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 911
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMay 30, 1991
Docket4-90-0854
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 573 N.E.2d 273 (Cameron v. Bartels) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cameron v. Bartels, 573 N.E.2d 273, 214 Ill. App. 3d 69, 157 Ill. Dec. 855, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 911 (Ill. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

JUSTICE McCULLOUGH

delivered the opinion of the court:

The trial court entered a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary injunction against defendant, David Bartels, enjoining him from taking any further action regarding the removal of timber from land owned by plaintiff, Edith Cameron. Defendant appeals the injunction, and raises the following issues for our consideration: (1) whether the trial court abused its discretion in granting the preliminary injunction where the parties are cotenants in the “timber estate” and an adequate remedy of an accounting is available; (2) whether the trial court erred in granting the TRO without all of the necessary parties to the lawsuit being joined; (3) whether the order for injunctive relief must be reversed because it fails to comply with section 11—101 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Code) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 110, par. 11—101); and (4) whether the TRO is supported by the evidence. We affirm the entry of the preliminary injunction.

We note at the outset that the defendant refers to the TRO and preliminary injunction in his arguments. Defendant appealed from the preliminary injunction entered on November 13, 1990. We will consider the arguments raised in relation to the preliminary injunction.

Before his death in October 1990, plaintiff’s brother, Wayne Cameron, and plaintiff were coowners of real estate in Schuyler County, Illinois. Before his death, Wayne executed a “timber deed” with defendant whereby Wayne sold to defendant “all marketable timber logs” standing and growing on Wayne’s Schuyler County real estate, together with the right, for a specified period of time, to enter upon said real estate for the purpose of cutting and removing said timber. Wayne died on October 25,1990.

On October 31, 1990, plaintiff filed a petition for declaratory and injunctive relief, seeking (1) a judgment that the timber deed from Wayne to defendant was void and unenforceable, and (2) an order enjoining defendant from going onto plaintiff’s property. In her petition, plaintiff alleged (1) her brother was under duress or mistake of fact when the timber deed was signed; (2) she did not sign the timber deed as cotenant; (3) defendant had entered her property to remove timber; and (4) such actions by defendant would cause irreparable damage to the real estate and constituted an illegal taking of plaintiff’s property. A TRO was entered on November 1, 1990, without notice to defendant, and the court set November 13, 1990, as the date for a hearing on the request for a preliminary injunction. The TRO stated it would expire immediately following the hearing on November 13, 1990.

At the hearing on November 13, defendant testified he and Wayne entered into a timber deed contract on February 13, 1990, whereby defendant, for $10,000, was given all marketable timber logs on Wayne’s property. Defendant testified he was sure plaintiff was aware he was cutting timber on her property before Wayne’s death in October 1990. At the time of the hearing, defendant stated he had removed 18,000 board feet of timber pursuant to the timber deed and he estimated there were 150,000 to 200,000 board feet left on the whole property.

During closing arguments, defendant’s counsel asked that the TRO be extended for a period of 10 days in lieu of a preliminary injunction. The court granted a preliminary injunction, entered the order on November 13, 1990, and set the matter for bench trial, November 29, 1990. In the transcript of the November 13 hearing, the court indicated it was also granting a TRO.

The parties do not dispute that plaintiff and Wayne were coowners of the property in question at the time the timber deed was signed. Each owned six-thirtieths of the property as joint tenants and an undivided nine-thirtieths interest as tenants in common. At Wayne’s death, plaintiff inherited his nine-thirtieths interest by will and succeeded to his six-thirtieths interest as surviving joint tenant.

A preliminary injunction is a provisional remedy granted to preserve the status quo pending a hearing on the merits of the cause. (Bryant v. Village of Sherman (1990), 204 Ill. App. 3d 583, 561 N.E.2d 1320; Lee/O'Keefe Insurance Agency, Inc. v. Ferega (1987), 163 Ill. App. 3d 997, 516 N.E.2d 1313.) In order for a preliminary injunction to issue, the plaintiff must establish, by a preponderance of the evidence, that (1) he possesses a clearly ascertained right in need of protection; (2) he will suffer irreparable harm without the injunction; (3) there is no adequate remedy at law; and (4) he is likely to be successful on the merits of his cause. (Buzz Barton & Associates, Inc. v. Giannone (1985), 108 Ill. 2d 373, 387, 483 N.E.2d 1271, 1278.) An applicant for a preliminary injunction need not make out a case which will entitle him to the ultimate relief he seeks, but need only raise a fair question as to the existence of the right claimed, making it appear advisable that the positions of the parties should remain the same until the court has an opportunity to consider the case on its merits. (Hoover v. Crippen (1987), 151 Ill. App. 3d 864, 867, 503 N.E.2d 848, 851.) Once a protectable interest is established, irreparable injury is presumed if that interest is not protected. (Donald McElroy, Inc. v. Delaney (1979), 72 Ill. App. 3d 285, 389 N.E.2d 1300.) In addition to consideration of the above criteria, the trial court must conclude that the benefits of granting the injunction outweigh the possible injury which a defendant might suffer as a result thereof. Lee/O'Keefe, 163 Ill. App. 3d at 1003, 516 N.E.2d at 1317.

The decision to grant or deny a preliminary injunction rests within the sound discretion of the trial court and will not be disturbed absent a showing of abuse. (Kolstad v. Rankin (1989), 179 Ill. App. 3d 1022, 534 N.E.2d 1373.) The reviewing court’s role is limited to determining whether the court’s findings are against the manifest weight of the evidence. Bryant, 204 Ill. App. 3d at 587, 561 N.E.2d at 1323; Kolstad, 179 Ill. App. 3d at 1031, 534 N.E.2d at 1379.

Initially, defendant contends the trial court erred in granting the injunction because he is a cotenant with plaintiff in the surface “estate” in the land, which includes the timber. Since cotenants are free to use and dispose of their interest in the property as long as the other cotenant is not excluded, injunctive relief is improper. Further, he argues plaintiff has an adequate remedy at law in an action for an accounting.

Plaintiff responds that standing timber is a part of the real estate, that inappropriate removal of timber is waste and the commission of waste by a party may be enjoined. Plaintiff contends defendant’s actions amount to exclusive ownership over the timber, which can be enjoined.

The parties’ arguments address the merits of their controversy by focusing on the legal effect of the so-called timber deed signed by defendant. We note that although designated a timber deed, the document was a written agreement.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
573 N.E.2d 273, 214 Ill. App. 3d 69, 157 Ill. Dec. 855, 1991 Ill. App. LEXIS 911, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cameron-v-bartels-illappct-1991.