Dubinsky v. Cama

158 N.E. 321, 261 Mass. 47, 1927 Mass. LEXIS 1483
CourtMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
DecidedOctober 14, 1927
StatusPublished
Cited by46 cases

This text of 158 N.E. 321 (Dubinsky v. Cama) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dubinsky v. Cama, 158 N.E. 321, 261 Mass. 47, 1927 Mass. LEXIS 1483 (Mass. 1927).

Opinion

Rugg, C.J.

This is a suit in equity whereby the plaintiff seeks to have the defendants enjoined from passing over bis premises and for other relief. The dispute between the parties is whether the defendants have rights of way over a strip of land five feet in width on the extreme westerly side, and over a strip of land three feet in width on the extreme easterly side, of the lot owned by the plaintiff. The ease was sent to a master and, no exceptions having been taken, by consent his report was confirmed. The relevant facts thus disclosed are that a considerable tract of land in Everett known as County Park was registered as to title. Later a separate plan of a part of this larger tract called Section D was filed and a decree entered by the Land Court imposing restrictions thereon. Finally, on March 13, 1901, a. decree was entered by the Land Court subdividing the land in Section D into smaller lots, retaining the restrictions and creating rights of way in passageways, all as shown on a plan filed March 30, 1901, entitled, “Re-Sub-division of ‘Lots 91-92-94r-95’ Section ‘D’ Everett.” The decree of the Land Court extended on this plan authorized the issuance of certificates of title for the lots to those entitled thereto, “subject to and with the benefit of restrictions and rights of way referred to or appearing hereon.” This plan, hereafter called the plan, with decree of the Land Court thereon was filed with the proper land registration office. No contention is made as to the validity of this plan and its accompanying decree. Referring to this plan, the plaintiff is the [52]*52owner of lot numbered 92A, situated on the northerly side of Union Street as it is called in the master’s report but shown on the plan as Webster Avenue; and the defendants own lots 91B, 92B and 95A, which lie northerly of lot 92A owned by the plaintiff. The certificate of title issued to the plaintiff in December, 1921, was “to lot No. 92A . . . subject to the restrictions written on plan . . . and to the right of way referred to and appearing on said plan . . . The certificate of title, issued to the defendants in November, 1924, for their three lots, refers to the plan, contains a description by distances of the three lots as one parcel and by bounding on other numbered lots, makes the three lots subject to the restrictions shown on another plan, but contains no mention of the rights of way shown on the plan. There is shown on the plan a “3 ft. Passageway,” being the easterly three feet of the plaintiff’s lot; the easterly boundary fine of his lot is coincident with the easterly line of this passageway which extends from Webster Avenue northerly to lot 92B owned by the defendants. On the plan is also shown a “5 ft. Passageway,” being the westerly five feet of the plaintiff’s lot; the westerly boundary line of his lot is coincident with the westerly line of this passageway which extends northerly from Webster Avenue to lot 92B owned by the defendants. Adjacent to the passageway last mentioned, throughout its entire length, there appears on the plan a similar “5 ft. Passageway” on the easterly part of lot 91A belonging to a third person. The master further finds: “The two passageways, as they actually appear, show a ten-foot driveway to a point distant about seventy-one (71) feet from Union Street [Webster Avenue on the plan]. Beginning at that point on the westerly boundary of the five-foot passageway on the plaintiff’s land, and running northerly on said passageway on the land of the plaintiff and on the boundary line of lots 91B and 92B to the boundary fine of lot 95A, a wooden fence was erected by previous owners long prior to the acquisition by the parties hereto of their respective estates. At a point seventy-one (71) feet distant from Union Street [Webster Avenue on the plan] and at the beginning of the fence above referred to, there is a fence on the plaintiff’s premises running [53]*53in an easterly direction on the land of the plaintiff and through the three-foot passageway to lot 94, thus closing access to lot 92B. This three-foot passageway is also obstructed by a bulkhead which is a part of the building on lot 92 A which was probably erected about twenty-four years ago. The actual appearance of the land and buildings, viewed from either Malden or Union Streets, would indicate that the previous owners fenced in their particular lots without regard to any passageway rights. ... I find, upon all the evidence and upon view of the premises, that from the appearance of the lay-out of the land and buildings the owners did not know of, or disregarded, the existence of the passageways and each fenced in his own property.”

As matter of construction and interpretation of the plan and the decree of the Land Court thereon, made a matter of public record, we think that the plaintiff’s lot was made subject to the two rights of passage already described. His certificate of title in terms made the lot subject “to the right of way ” shown on the plan. The plan was thus incorporated in the certificate of title as much as if attached thereto. The principle of construction governing the interpretation of deeds is that where mention is made of an easement as an encumbrance or as an appurtenance of the land conveyed and reference is made in the deed to a plan, the plan must be considered as a part of the deed, so far as is necessary to aid in description and identification of the easement. That principle respecting the construction of deeds of conveyance in common form is stated with ample citation of authorities in Lagorio v. Lewenberg, 226 Mass. 464,466, and in Downey v. H. P. Hood & Sons, 203 Mass. 4,10. It governs in the case at bar.

The creation of the Land Court and the enactment of provisions for registration of land and the issuance of certificates of title thereto have not affected that principle of construction so far as pertinent to the interpretation of certificates of title and decrees of the Land Court. This principle is as applicable to certificates of title issued under G. L. c. 185, as to deeds of conveyance at common law.

The circumstance that in the plaintiff’s certificate of title [54]*54the words used are subject “to the right of way” does not identify either one or the other passageway as shown on the plan. Since they apply to one as well as to the other, and since reference is made to the plan, the lot is subject to the easements of both ways shown thereon and hereinbefore described.

We consider next the interpretation of the plan and its accompanying decree of March 13, 1901, as to the creation of rights of way for the benefit of the lots of the defendant apart from any facts found by the master to have arisen subsequently. When the decree of the Land Court of March 13, 1901, was extended on the plan and the plan and decree were made a matter of public record, some easement of passage over the passageways shown on the plan on the lot now owned by the plaintiff became appurtenant to lots 91B and 92B now owned by the defendants. The reason for this is that on the plan lots 91B and 92B were back lots not abutting on any public way. ' Lot 91B was utterly inaccessible unless having easement of egress and ingress over some passageway shown on the plan. There are shown on the plan three passageways reaching to lot 92B, the two over the plaintiff’s lot and one other not here in issue. Unless one of these is appurtenant to it, that lot also would be utterly inaccessible. Giving due weight to the principles underlying the implication of the right of way of necessity over land of another, Orpin v. Morrison, 230 Mass.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

MATTHEW WALSTON & Another v. JAMES BUNN & Others.
Massachusetts Appeals Court, 2026
Conway v. Caragliano
Massachusetts Appeals Court, 2023
Lindenbaum v. Perez
Massachusetts Land Court, 2021
Perry v. Nemira
Massachusetts Appeals Court, 2017
Hickey v. Pathways Association, Inc.
37 N.E.3d 1003 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2015)
Mello v. Town of Dighton
32 Mass. L. Rptr. 596 (Massachusetts Superior Court, 2015)
Blackstone Smithfield Corp. v. Town of Blackstone
30 Mass. L. Rptr. 573 (Massachusetts Superior Court, 2012)
USA Cartage Leasing, LLC v. Baer
32 A.3d 88 (Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, 2011)
Duddy v. Mankewich
912 N.E.2d 1 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 2009)
107 Manor Avenue LLC v. Fontanella
904 N.E.2d 792 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 2009)
Seven Lakes Development Co. v. Maxson
2006 WY 136 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2006)
Sheftel v. Lebel
689 N.E.2d 500 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1998)
Jackson v. Knott
640 N.E.2d 109 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1994)
Wild v. Constantini
615 N.E.2d 557 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1993)
Lasell College v. Leonard
589 N.E.2d 342 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1992)
Tetrault v. Bruscoe
497 N.E.2d 275 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1986)
Cities Service Oil Co. v. General Dynamics Corp.
437 N.E.2d 247 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1982)
Brooks v. Capitol Truck Leasing, Inc.
434 N.E.2d 661 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1982)
Canton Highlands, Inc. v. Searle
398 N.E.2d 759 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
158 N.E. 321, 261 Mass. 47, 1927 Mass. LEXIS 1483, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dubinsky-v-cama-mass-1927.