Daugharty v. Post Falls Highway District

9 P.3d 534, 134 Idaho 731, 2000 Ida. LEXIS 92
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 1, 2000
Docket24932
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 9 P.3d 534 (Daugharty v. Post Falls Highway District) 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
Daugharty v. Post Falls Highway District, 9 P.3d 534, 134 Idaho 731, 2000 Ida. LEXIS 92 (Idaho 2000).

Opinions

KIDWELL, Justice.

This appeal arises from the district court’s interpretation of a quitclaim deed in a quiet title action. The district court concluded that summary judgment was proper because none of the factors contained in the deed that would trigger a reversion had occurred. We agree.

I.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

By a quitclaim deed dated November 7, 1952, Lee and Beulah Robison sold 1.22 acres of property to Kootenai Highway District No. 4. After setting out the legal description of the property, the deed expressed the following limitations:

(1). This property shall be used only as a site for highway district office, storage, garage and similar highway district purposes; and
(2). On the dissolution of said highway district or upon the cessation of the district in the use of said strip of land, it shall revert to the grantors.
The rights and obligations hereunder shall extend to the hems, representatives, successors and/or assigns of the respective parties, except as herein limited.

The deed was recorded February 19,1953.

On May 16, 1967, Kootenai County Commissioners held two elections for the purpose of consolidating the Pleasant View Highway District and Highway District No. 4. The elections were held pursuant to the “Highway District Joint Consolidation Act,” (contained in former Idaho Code Chapter 18, Title 40) and “Consolidation of Adjoining Highway Districts,” (contained in former Idaho Code Chapter 17, Title 40). After canvassing the votes, it was determined that the majority of voters favored the consolidation of the two highway districts. The com[733]*733missioners then entered an order consolidating the two districts into the “Post Falls Highway District.”

In a warranty deed dated April 26, 1968, the Robisons sold their “right to the reversionary interest in and to” the parcel previously conveyed to Highway District No. 4. The Deed transferred the interest to “D.A. Daugharty and Miriam Daugharty ... and to James V. Ratliff and Lorraine Ratliff ... as tenants in common.”

On November 3, 1970, a second election was held for the purpose of dividing Kootenai County highways into four separate highway districts. The election was held pursuant to then I.C. § 40-2701 (now § 40-1701) titled “County Highway Reorganization.” After being approved by a majority of the voters the commissioners divided the county secondary road system into four districts.

The “Post Falls Highway District” created by the previous 1967 election was re-designated as a portion of “Highway District No. 1.” Sometime after the election, “Highway District No. 1” was renamed “Post Falls Highway District.” The entire geographic area included in the former “Post Falls Highway District” was included within the boundaries of the new “Post Falls Highway District.”

On April 10, 1995, Duane A. Daugharty and Miriam Daugharty (the Daughartys) filed a complaint in district court seeking to have the court declare that the Post Falls Highway District (Highway District) had no interest in the property sold to Highway District No. 4. The Daughartys claimed that Highway District No. 4 had been dissolved and ceased to exist when it was consolidated.

Following cross motions for summary judgment, the district court granted summary judgment to the Highway District. The district court found that “the present defendant is the last in an unbroken line of successors to the original grantee, [Highway District No. 4], all of which have continuously and without any interruption utilized the property for highway district purposes.” In concluding that the Highway District was entitled to summary judgment, the district court ruled that while the Daughartys were the successor in interest of the Robisons, likewise the Post Falls Highway District was the successor of Highway District No. 4. The Daughartys appeal from the district court’s grant of summary judgment.

II.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

On appeal from the grant of a motion for summary judgment, this Court employs the same standard as used by the district court originally ruling on the motion. Scona, Inc. v. Green Willow Trust, 133 Idaho 283, 286, 985 P.2d 1145, 1148 (1999). Summary judgment is proper “if the pleadings, depositions, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” I.R.C.P. 56(e). When both parties file motions for summary judgment relying on the same facts, issues, and theories, essentially the parties stipulate that there is no genuine issue of material fact that would preclude the entering of summary judgment by the Court. Lowder v. Minidoka County Joint Sch. Disk No. 331, 132 Idaho 834, 837, 979 P.2d 1192, 1195 (1999). This Court exercises free review over the entire record which was before the district court to determine whether either side is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Id.

III.

ANALYSIS

A. The District Court Did Not Err In Holding That None Of The Conditions That Would Trigger A Reversion Had Occurred.

The Daughartys argue that the deed should be interpreted as creating a life estate in the property for Highway District No. 4, and when Highway District No. 4 was consolidated and then re-designated, the life estate ended, thus triggering a reversion.

The issue of whether the consolidation of a highway district constitutes a dissolution of the district (thus triggering a right of reversion) is one of first impression for this Court. [734]*734The closest ease from this Court is a 1951 decision involving the consolidation of public school districts.

In Independent School District No. 7 v. Barnes, 71 Idaho 203, 228 P.2d 939 (1951), Barnes gave the school district oral permission to use one acre of her property for school purposes. Id. at 204, 228 P.2d at 939. The oral contract provided that the land would revert to her if it discontinued such a use. Id. The sehool district built a school house and several other related buildings on the property. Id. Following an election, thirty-three years later, School District No. 40 was split and annexed into two existing school districts. Id, When the new districts wanted to remove the school house and other buildings from the property the appellant protested and claimed that both the land and the improvements thereon reverted back to the grantor. Id.

When the action for quiet title was brought, both parties wanted School District No. 40 to be included as a party to the suit. Id. at 205, 228 P.2d at 940. In determining that School District No. 40 could not be a party to the suit, the Court noted that “the effect of the election and subsequent order of approval by the Board of County Commissioners is that District No. 40 no longer exists and that Districts No. 7 and No. 8 succeeded to all the rights and interests of District No. 40 in the structures upon the land involved.” Id, at 206, 228 P.2d at 940.

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Daugharty v. Post Falls Highway District
9 P.3d 534 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2000)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
9 P.3d 534, 134 Idaho 731, 2000 Ida. LEXIS 92, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/daugharty-v-post-falls-highway-district-idaho-2000.