David Lyons v. Daniel Clark, et ux

Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided July 9, 2024·No. 39510-3·Unpublished

Opinion

FILED

JULY 9, 2024

In the Office of the Clerk of Court WA State Court of Appeals Division III

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON DIVISION THREE

DAVID LYONS and LYONS FAMILY ) RANCH LLC, a Washington limited ) No. 39510-3-III liability company, )

)

Respondents, )

)

v. ) UNPUBLISHED OPINION )

DANIEL CLARK, BARBARA CLARK, ) and the marital community thereof, and ) WALLA WALLA HISTORIC ) CEMETERIES, a Washington nonprofit ) corporation, )

)

Appellants. )

COONEY, J. — Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries was granted a certificate from the

Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation to care for and maintain the abandoned Lyons Creek Cemetery (Cemetery). The Cemetery, which is owned by the State of Washington, is landlocked by the Lyons Family Ranch. An easement to access the Cemetery was identified in the original deed conveying the Cemetery, but there is an easier route to traverse called the “Coyote Ridge Route.”

After Daniel Clark, the founder, director, and officer of Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries, repeatedly drove vehicles over the Lyons Family Ranches’ wheat fields to access the Cemetery, David Lyons and the Lyons Family Ranch LLC (collectively the

Lyons, et al. v. Clark, et al.

Lyons) sued Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries, Barbara Clark, and Mr. Clark (collectively the Clarks) for trespass and injunctive relief.

The Lyons were granted an order that restrained the Clarks from accessing the Cemetery by vehicle or through any route other than the one described in the deed. Later, the Lyons brought a motion to dismiss the Clarks’ counterclaims. In concluding that the Clarks lacked standing to litigate or enforce any easement rights, the trial court granted the motion.

The Clarks appeal. Finding no error, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

Lyons Family Ranch, LLC, owns the Lyons Family Ranch (Farm) in Walla Walla County, Washington. David Lyons is the sole manager of the Lyons Family Ranch, LLC. The Lyons family has owned the Farm since 1909. The Farm is operated as a productive wheat farm.

In 1873, the Hendrix family homesteaded the land that the Farm now occupies. In 1877, the Hendrix family deeded a portion of their land to the “Hendrix Cemetery Association” for a cemetery, referred to as the Lyons Creek Cemetery. Clerk’s Papers (CP) at 31, 48. The deed included an easement to access the Cemetery. The Cemetery is landlocked on all sides by the Farm. The Hendrix Cemetery Association and the

Lyons, et al. v. Clark, et al.

Cemetery have long since been abandoned. At some point, the State assumed ownership of the Cemetery pursuant to RCW 68.60.020.1 In 2018, the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation issued a “Certificate of Authority” to Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries for the “Care and Maintenance of the Lyons Creek Cemetery” pursuant to RCW 68.60.030 (Maintenance Certificate). CP at 10 (boldface and italics omitted). Mr. Clark is the “founder, director and officer” of Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries.2 Id. at 108. Thereafter, the Clarks contacted the Lyons regarding the best route to access the Cemetery. The Lyons showed the Clarks an alternate route from the one described in the deed, referred to as the Coyote Ridge Route. In April 2019, the parties accessed the Cemetery on foot via the Coyote Ridge Route. The Lyons maintain that access via the Coyote Ridge Route required advance permission from them and that vehicle access to the Cemetery over any route has never occurred nor been permitted by the Lyons.

Shortly after the Lyons showed the Clarks the Coyote Ridge Route, a conflict arose regarding when, where, and by what mode of transportation the Clarks were permitted to cross the Lyons’ fields to access the Cemetery. The Lyons claimed that the Clarks twice damaged their wheat crops when the Clarks drove over their fields without

1 Chapter 68.60 RCW is the State’s statutory scheme governing abandoned and historic cemeteries and historic graves.

2 Ms. Clark is not a member of or volunteer for Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries but after being served with the lawsuit at issue here, she visited the Cemetery.

Lyons, et al. v. Clark, et al.

their permission. The Clarks admitted they drove over the Lyons’ fields to reach the Cemetery via a route other than the one described in the deed.

As a result of the Clarks’ alleged trespass and damage to the Lyons’ crops, the Lyons sued the Clarks and Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries. The Lyons requested damages and an order restraining the Clarks from driving over their fields. The Clarks answered the complaint and filed a counterclaim requesting, among other relief, that the Lyons be “enjoined from further acts of vandalism at the cemetery” and “enjoined from further obstruction of the roadway easement of the cemetery.” Id. at 9. The Clarks also alleged that the Lyons “falsely accused counterclaimants of criminal trespass.” Id. at 8.

The Lyons brought a motion for a temporary order restraining the Clarks from “trespassing over Plaintiffs’ productive farmland.” Id. at 184. The Clarks opposed the motion and requested their own injunction, seeking to enjoin the Lyons from “further vandalism” and “further farming encroachment” at the Cemetery. Id. at 266. The court granted the Lyons’ motion and denied the Clarks’. The court found that, “Defendants have admitted to driving over Plaintiffs’ fields and newly planted crops” and “Defendants’ vehicular trespasses destroy Plaintiffs’ crops and may encourage others to drive over Plaintiff’s fields.” Id. at 307. The court enjoined the Clarks from “Walking over Plaintiffs’ fields by any route other than the route described in the 1877 Deed” and from “Driving any vehicle over Plaintiffs’ fields.” Id. at 308.

Lyons, et al. v. Clark, et al.

Thereafter, the Lyons brought a motion for summary judgment dismissal of the Clarks’ counterclaims. In their motion, the Lyons noted that though not properly pleaded, the Clarks repeatedly asserted that the Coyote Ridge Route is an easement by necessity and they are therefore entitled to use it to access the Cemetery via vehicle. The Lyons argued that the Clarks and Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries lack standing to litigate over access to the Cemetery because they have no ownership interest in the Cemetery nor the land surrounding it. Instead, the Lyons argued the State “is the only ‘real party in interest’ with standing to assert legal claims.” Id. at 42.

The Clarks responded with their own motion for summary judgment on cemetery access. The Clarks argued that the public and the holder of a Maintenance Certificate have a right to access the Cemetery for visitation, care, and maintenance. The Clarks requested a judgment “confirming their right and the public’s right to vehicle and pedestrian access to the cemetery over the traditional Coyote Ridge Road access route without obstruction or the need for permission by adjoining landowners.” Id. at 106. Additionally, the Clarks filed the care and maintenance agreement for another cemetery that, unlike the Maintenance Certificate before us, included a paragraph stating that “[Walla Walla Historic Cemeteries] shall be solely responsible for obtaining access to the [Stubblefield] Cemetery for its care, maintenance, and restoration activities, including but not limited to enforcement of easement rights relating to ingress and egress.” Id. at 143.

Lyons, et al. v. Clark, et al.

The Clarks produced no such agreement for the care and maintenance of the Lyons Creek Cemetery and Mr. Clark admitted one did not exist.

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