Custom Warehouse, Inc. v. Lenertz

975 F. Supp. 1240, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13728, 1997 WL 547475
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedAugust 27, 1997
DocketNo. 1:96CV197 FRB
StatusPublished

This text of 975 F. Supp. 1240 (Custom Warehouse, Inc. v. Lenertz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Custom Warehouse, Inc. v. Lenertz, 975 F. Supp. 1240, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13728, 1997 WL 547475 (E.D. Mo. 1997).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

BUCKLES, United States Magistrate Judge,

Presently pending before the Court is defendants Frederick G. Lenertz, Sr. and FGL Holdings, Inc.’s Motion for Summary Judgment on All Claims and for Dismissal of the Claim for Reformation of Deed (filed July 8, 1997/Docket No. 49). All matters are pending before the undersigned United States Magistrate Judge, with consent of the parties, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c).

On October 17, 1996, plaintiff brought this action in the Circuit Court of Cape Girar-deau, Missouri, alleging that defendant Frederick G. Lenertz, Sr. (Lenertz) owns property over which plaintiff is entitled to an easement by prescription, implication or necessity. Plaintiff further sought a declaration from the court as to the extent and parameters of such easements and to declare the location and condition of an easement for ingress and egress. ■ On November 15, 1996, Lenertz removed the cause to federal court invoking this Court’s diversity jurisdiction inasmuch as there is diversity of citizenship and an amount in controversy in excess of $50,000.00. On March 6, 1997, plaintiff was granted leave to file an Amended Complaint naming FGL Holdings, Inc. (FGL), a Minnesota corporation solely owned by defendant Frederick Lenertz, claiming that FGL now owns the property over which the easements run.

Defendants Lenertz and FGL now move for summary judgment arguing that there are no genuine issues of material fact and that they are entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Plaintiff has responded to defendants’ motion to which defendants have replied.

Pursuant to Rule 56(c), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a court may grant summary judgment if the information before the court shows that there are no material issues of fact in dispute and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 247, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 2509-10, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). The burden of proof is on the moving party to set forth the basis of its motion, Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552-53, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986), and the court must view all facts and inferences in the light most favorable to the non-moving party, Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. Zenith Radio, 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 1356, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986). Once the moving party shows there are no material issues of fact in dispute, the burden shifts to the adverse party to set forth facts showing there is a genuine issue for trial. Id. The non-moving party may not rest upon its pleadings, but must come forward with affidavits or other admissible evidence to rebut the motion. Celotex, 477 U.S. at 324, 106 S.Ct. at 2553.

Summary judgment is a harsh remedy and should not be granted unless the movant “has established his right to judgment with such clarity as to leave no room for controversy.” New England Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Null, 554 F.2d 896, 901 (8th Cir.1977). The Eighth Circuit has noted, however, that “summary judgment can be a tool of great [1243]*1243utility in removing factually insubstantial cases from crowded dockets, freeing courts’ trial time for those that really do raise genuine issues of material fact.” City of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa v. Associated Elec. Coop., Inc., 838 F.2d 268, 273 (8th Cir.1988).

I. Statement of Undisputed Facts

In 1985, brothers Frederick and Lawrence Lenertz purchased over twenty-one acres of property as tenants in common from various members of the Howard family: Tract A-l, consisting of 16.7 acres, was conveyed to Frederick and Lawrence from Mary, Vince and Vernice Howard on September 16, 1985; Tract A-2, consisting of 1.12 acres, was conveyed to Frederick and Lawrence from Mary Howard on September 23, 1985; and Tract A-3, consisting of approximately 3.9 acres, was conveyed to the brothers from Mary Howard on November 29, 1985. At the time of the purchases, the property was undeveloped farmland with a creek running through it. Highway 177 abutted the. southernmost length of the property; a county road abutted the easternmost length of the property. (Blomquist Affid. Exh. A; Lenertz Affid. at 1-2 & Exh. A.)

Thereafter, approximately twelve acres of the Lenertz-acquired property was graded and surfaced with gravel. The purpose of this graveled lot was to act as a secured “Drop Lot” for semi-trailer trucks picking up and dropping off trailers in relation to loads carried for a nearby Proctor & Gamble manufacturing plant. For security purposes, the Lenertz brothers arranged for the installation of fencing and lighting around the Drop Lot, and a guard shack was placed at the entrance to the Drop Lot from Highway 177. (Lenertz Affid. at 1-2.) A guard is posted at the Lot’s entrance twenty-four hours a day, and no person is permitted to enter the Drop Lot without authorization from the guard. The Drop Lot began operations in late-1985. (Lenertz Affid. at 2.)

On November 29, 1985, Frederick Lenertz purchased from Mary Howard approximately 7.19 acres in property which was located north of the Drop Lot property (Tract B-l). On December 3, 1985, Frederick Lenertz purchased his brother Lawrence’s interest in the northwest portion of the Drop Lot property and thus owned this portion of the Drop Lot property in fee (Tract B-3). On May 8, 1986, Frederick Lenertz purchased from Mary Howard approximately 20.59 acres in property (Tract B-2) which adjoined the southwestern border of the Drop Lot property and a portion of the northwestern border of the Drop Lot. The property also extended northwest of the Drop Lot property and adjoined the southwestern border of Tract B-l A county road abutted the easternmost length of all the property acquired. (Blom-quist Affid. Exh. B; Lenertz Affid. at 2-3 & Exh. B.)

In May 1986, grading began on Frederick Lenertz’ Tract B properties for the purpose of erecting warehouses for use in conjunction with the Proctor & Gamble manufacturing plant. (Penzel Depo. at 52; Lenertz Affid. at 3.) On July 14, 1986, a joint venture group (JV-1) was formed to acquire property owned by Frederick Lenertz north of the Drop Lot and to build a warehouse for such use. (Lenertz Affid. at 3.) Frederick Lenertz held a forty-percent interest in JV-1; Carl Gene Penzel, Gary Stanley, Carl L. Penzel, and Richard L. Kies each held fifteen-percent interests in the group. (Lenertz Affid. Exh. C-l.) On July 21, 1986, JV-1 purchased approximately 13.65 acres in property, north of the Drop Lot, from Frederick Lenertz and his wife. (Lenertz Affid. Exh. C-3.) A county road abutted the easternmost length of the property. (Blomquist Affid. Exh. C.) On July 29, 1986, Frederick, his wife and Lawrence Lenertz granted a thirty-foot easement to JV-1 providing access to Highway 177 across land immediately southeast of and contiguous with the JV-1 property and across the southwest portion of the Drop Lot (hereinafter referred to as the 30-foot easement). Lawrence reluctantly agreed to the establishment of the easement.

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Bluebook (online)
975 F. Supp. 1240, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13728, 1997 WL 547475, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/custom-warehouse-inc-v-lenertz-moed-1997.