Demaree v. Stewart

705 S.W.2d 632, 1986 Mo. App. LEXIS 3756
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedFebruary 20, 1986
DocketNo. 14142
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 705 S.W.2d 632 (Demaree v. Stewart) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Demaree v. Stewart, 705 S.W.2d 632, 1986 Mo. App. LEXIS 3756 (Mo. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

MAUS, Judge.

This action involves two tracts of real property in Stoddard County. Tract I contains approximately 16 acres. Tract II contains approximately 10 acres. Tract I in part is contiguous with the west boundary of Tract II. Tract I is owned by the De-marees. Tract II is owned by the Stew-arts. The trial court declared the existence of an easement for a driveway for the benefit of Tract I over Tract II. It found the easement had been created by implication from pre-existing use upon the severance of title to the two tracts by the common owner. The Stewarts appeal.

The elements by which such an easement by implication is created have been succinctly stated.

[T]o create an easement by implication from pre-existing use there must be (1) unity and subsequent separation of title; (2) obvious benefit to the dominant estate and burden to the servient portion of the premises existing at the time of the conveyance; (3) use of the premises by the common owner in their altered condition long enough before the conveyance and under such circumstances as to show that the change was intended to be permanent; and (4) reasonable necessity for the easement.

Causey v. Williams, 398 S.W.2d 190, 197 (Mo.App.1965). That standard has been repeated and confirmed in Lackey v. Joule, 577 S.W.2d 114 (Mo.App.1978), and Dickey v. Leach, 481 S.W.2d 524 (Mo.App.1972). See Foxx v. Thompson, 358 Mo. 610, 216 S.W.2d 87 (1948). See generally, 18 Missouri Practice, Hellmuth, Real Estate Law § 308 (1985).

The following are the essential findings of the trial court which form the basis for its judgment. Some findings have been paraphrased for the sake of brevity or clarification when considered with all of the findings and in the light of the pleadings and evidence.

On April 2, 1971, Tract I and Tract II were conveyed, as part of a larger tract of land, to Rodney O’Donnell and Patsy A. O’Donnell, his wife.

In the spring of 1972, the O’Donnells constructed and occupied a house on that part of the larger tract that is now Tract I. They also constructed a driveway from that house to Grant Road. That driveway extended generally northeast across Tract I and northeast for a short distance after entering what is now Tract II. Then, it proceeded north to Grant Road.

On August 8, 1972, the O’Donnells conveyed the south part of Tract II to James C. Lincoln and Judy Lincoln, his wife. In the spring of 1973, the Lincolns constructed and occupied a house on that part of Tract II. That part did not border on a public road. The Lincolns constructed a driveway across the south part of Tract II owned by them and a short distance on the north part of Tract II yet owned by the O’Donnells necessary to connect with the previously constructed driveway.

On May 16, 1973, the O’Donnells conveyed the north part of Tract II to the Lincolns. The area so conveyed had as its northern boundary Grant Road. It contained part of the driveway constructed by the O’Donnells, including that part of the driveway in dispute.

The driveway was paved in 1974, and repaved in 1978. On both occasions, the O’Donnells and the Lincolns shared the [634]*634costs of paving the driveway located on the land conveyed to the Lincolns on May 16, 1973.

Tract I does not touch any public road and the sole means of access to said property from a public road is over the driveway in dispute. The O’Donnells owned both Tract I and Tract II at the time they built the house on Tract I and when the O’Donnells constructed the driveway running from Grant Road to the house. Said driveway was openly, visibly, and obviously in use by the O’Donnells and benefiting Tract I on August 8, 1972, and May 16, 1973. The Lincolns knew of the existence and use of the driveway and that the driveway was intended to be a permanent means of access to and from plaintiffs’ home. The driveway is a reasonable necessity for access to and from plaintiffs’ property.

There was evidence on September 23, 1983, that Patsy A. O’Donnell (having acquired the interest of her former husband) conveyed Tract I to the Demarees.

On December 1, 1983, the Lincolns conveyed Tract II to the Stewarts. On January 12, 1984, the Stewarts’ attorney, by letter, informed the Demarees the driveway would be closed to all traffic. The Demarees filed this action for an injunction and to establish an easement for the use of ■ the driveway.

It is manifest the facts embodied in these findings establish such an easement by implication. The Stewarts dispute these findings only to the extent they do so by their two points on appeal.

Their first point is:

The court erred in finding that the creation of an easement to the driveway in question was intended by the parties concerned, because plaintiffs failed to meet their burden of proof of such intent by clear, cogent and convincing evidence of such intent, in that the only evidence of intent was that the intent of the party [sic] was to create no easement.

They argue the creation of an easement by implied grant depends heavily upon the intent of the parties. They add this intent must clearly appear and is a “cardinal consideration.” In support of these propositions, they cite Pendleton v. Gundaker, 381 S.W.2d 849 (Mo.1964). They state that in this ease the court did not have to determine that intent from the circumstances. They point to testimony of James Lincoln that he and Rod O’Donnell had a clear understanding there would be no easement to run with the land. There was also testimony Lincoln told Rod the use of the driveway was for him and his family and could not be transferred if the house was sold. They conclude that because of this undisputed testimony of Lincoln, the plaintiffs failed in their burden of proof to establish an intent that an easement be created.

There is no question but that the cases state that an intent to create an easement by implication should clearly appear and is a “cardinal consideration.” Id. However, that statement must be considered in context. “The creation of an easement by implied grant depends upon the intent of the parties concerned, which must clearly appear ... and which is the ‘cardinal consideration,’ ... and that intent is to be inferred from all of the circumstances under which the conveyance was made.” Id., at 851 (emphasis added; citations omitted).

The element of intent has been more fully delineated.

The significant factor in determining whether such an easement by implication exists is to ascertain the intention of the parties as shown by the deeds of conveyance and the general circumstances and situation with reference to the acquisition of the properties from the owner of the unity of title. The idea underlying the creation of such an easement is that the parties are presumed to have intended the grant of an easement by implication. Such a presumption can only be based on facts and this requires a resort to the record evidence.

Causey v. Williams, supra, at 197-198. For a similar expression see Meinhardt v. Luaders,

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893 S.W.2d 856 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
705 S.W.2d 632, 1986 Mo. App. LEXIS 3756, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/demaree-v-stewart-moctapp-1986.