Close v. Rensink

501 P.2d 1383, 95 Idaho 72, 1972 Ida. LEXIS 256
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 20, 1972
Docket10937
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 501 P.2d 1383 (Close v. Rensink) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Close v. Rensink, 501 P.2d 1383, 95 Idaho 72, 1972 Ida. LEXIS 256 (Idaho 1972).

Opinion

McFADDEN, Justice.

The plaintiffs-appellants in this action are John E. Close, the trustee of the estate of J. W. McTarnahan, deceased, and Daryl *74 Dorsey, the beneficiary of such trust. John Dorsey is the husband of Daryl Dorsey. The defendants-respondents are George C. Rensink, Jr., and his wife, Dorothy L. Rensink, who own certain real property adjoining property previously owned by J. W. McTarnahan during his lifetime. Following the death of J. W. McTarnahan, after settlement of his estate, the title to his real property vested in Mr. Close, Trustee under trusts established under the McTarnahan will.

To assist in understanding the location of the lands and roads involved, a plat reflecting the tracts of land and their ownership and the roadways which are in controversy is set out below. Throughout this opinion the various tracts and the roadways will be referred to in conformity with the designations thereon:

The appellants own what is designated on the foregoing map as Tracts nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4. Tract no. 1 was purchased by McTarnahan in 1956 from Clarence Mc-Ilhenney and wife, and abutted on what is designated as U.S. Highwáy No. 12. Tract *75 no. 1 has its own access to the highway and does not utilize any access road in common with the Rensinks. McTarnahan purchased Tract no. 3 from the Rensinks in 1958. This tract abutted Tract no. 1 and was utilized by McTarnahan as the site for a residence he later constructed. In 1960 McTarnahan purchased Tract no. 4 from the Rensinks, which adjoined original Tract no. 1 and Tract no. 3, so that there was one continuous ownership by McTarnahan of Tracts nos. 1, 3 and 4. Tract no. 2 was purchased by McTarnahan in 1962 from Mr. Agee. This latter parcel was a logged over tract of land separated from the other tracts owned by Mc-Tarnahan. The land owned by the Rensinks lay generally east of Tracts nos. 1, 3 and 4.

The appellants by their amended complaint sought to have access roads 1 and 2 declared to be public roadways, to have the court decree that the appellants had used the roadways uninterruptedly for a period of more than five years, or in the alternative to have the access roads determined by the court to afford appellants access as implied rights of way or rights of way by necessity. The respondents in their answer generally denied the allegations of the appellants’ complaint. By way of an affirmative defense the respondents alleged that all use of the roadways in question by the appellants or their predecessors in interest had been with respondents’ express consent and alleged that appellants have other routes of access to Tract no. 2.

Following trial by the court on the issues framed by the amended complaint and answer, the trial court entered a memorandum opinion, and later its findings of fact, conclusions of law and decree in favor of the respondents.

In summary the district court made findings on the ownership of the parties’ tracts of land: that Rensinks’ predecessor in interest had granted a limited easement to one Weyen for a logging road across Rensinks’ property which at that time included that designated as lots 3 and 4, as well as that shown on the plat as Rensinks’ land; this road traversed over Tract no. 4, then owned by the Rensinks’ predecessor in interest; this easement terminated by lapse of time shortly after acquisition of the property by Rensinks; and that the use of the road so constructed caused flooding of Rensinks’ lands during wet weather and continued use of it would also cause further damage to the Rensinks.

The district court also found that there had been no use of this Weyen road by others without the express permission and consent of the Rensinks, and the only use made of it by McTarnahan and the Dorseys had been with Rensinks’ consent. The court also found that the Dorseys had other access available to Tract no. 2 over a publicly maintained road.

The appellants assign error to a number of the findings of fact made by the district court. However, it cannot be determined from such assignments whether the appellants are complaining that there was insufficient evidence to sustain the challenged findings of fact, or whether the appellants have some other legal basis or theory for their challenge. This Court has held that general assignments specifying that the court erred or that the evidence is insufficient, without pointing out the particulars of insufficiency are too indefinite to merit consideration. Slusser v. Aumock, 56 Idaho 793, 59 P.2d 723 (1936). On appeal the burden of showing error is on the appellant. Pearson v. Harper, 87 Idaho 245, 392 P.2d 687 (1964); Clear v. Marvin, 86 Idaho 87, 383 P.2d 346 (1963). The statement of this Court in Burton v. Bayly, 50 Idaho 707, 300 P. 359 (1931), is worthy of reiteration:

“ * * * None of the assignments of error point out in what particulars the court erred and, therefore, do not comply with the requirements of Rule 40 [now Rule 41] requiring appellant’s brief to contain a distinct enumeration of the errors relied upon. General statements specifying that the court erred (McDonald v. North River Ins. Co., 36 Idaho *76 638, 213 P. 349), or that the evidence is insufficient to sustain the findings, verdict, or judgment (Hill v. Porter, 38 Idaho 574, 223 P. 538; Bell v. Morton, 38 Idaho 758, 225 P. 137; Merrill v. Fremont Abstract Co., 39 Idaho 238, 227 P. 34; Idaho Falls Nat. Bank v. Ford, 46 Idaho 492, 269 P. 100; Newport Water Co. v. Kellogg, 31 Idaho 574, 174 P. 602; Hurt v. Monumental Mercury Min. Co., 35 Idaho 295, 206 P. 184; Morton Realty Co. v. Big Bend Irr. Co., 37 Idaho 311, 218 P. 433; Howell v. Kahn, 42 Idaho 277, 245 P. 86), without pointing out the particulars of the insufficiency, are too indefinite to merit consideration by this court on appeal. * * 50 Idaho at 709-710, 300 P. at 360.

Nonetheless, the Court has examined the record to determine whether it sustains the findings by the trial court, and is of the opinion that the trial court’s findings are fully sustained by the record. The trial court’s conclusions of law are to the effect that the roadways were private roads of Rensinks’ and that appellants have no rights to an easement by prescription, by implication, or of necessity.

The appellants’ main contention on this appeal is that they are entitled to an implied easement over the Rensink land for access to Tract no. 4, and in the event that there was no implied easement- then they are entitled to an easement by way of necessity to give access to Tract no. 4. While it is unclear from the record, apparently they also contend that they are entitled to an implied easement or way of necessity over the Rensinks’ land to give access to Tract no. 2. To support their contention the appellants cite Wagner v. Fairlamb, 151 Colo. 481, 379 P.2d 165 (1963), and Martino v. Fleenor, 148 Colo. 136, 365 P.2d 247 (1961), in discussing the law on implied easements and easements of necessity.

Wagner v. Fairlamb, supra,

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Bluebook (online)
501 P.2d 1383, 95 Idaho 72, 1972 Ida. LEXIS 256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/close-v-rensink-idaho-1972.