Firestone v. Bradshaw

483 P.2d 716, 157 Mont. 181, 2 ERC (BNA) 1465, 1971 Mont. LEXIS 408
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedApril 8, 1971
DocketNo. 11852
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 483 P.2d 716 (Firestone v. Bradshaw) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Firestone v. Bradshaw, 483 P.2d 716, 157 Mont. 181, 2 ERC (BNA) 1465, 1971 Mont. LEXIS 408 (Mo. 1971).

Opinion

MR. JUSTICE CASTLES

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

This is an appeal from a judgment entered upon findings of fact and conclusions of law by the late Honorable Philip C. Duncan sitting in the Third Judicial District in Granite County. Exceptions were filed to the findings and were overruled.

Plaintiffs below are no longer in the ease. The appellant was one defendant below who counter complained and the respondent was another defendant who cross complained. Plaintiffs below, herein called Firestone, filed a complaint alleging a right to use certain spring waters in Granite County. The trial court ruled that Firestone had no water rights and no appeal was taken by Firestone.

Defendants Bradshaw, husband and wife, hereinafter called appellant, filed an answer and counter claim alleging prior rights to the use of spring water to the extent of 132/142 parts, by reason of a 1938 water appropriation through a series of conveyances from predecessors in interest.

Defendants Ohrmann, husband and wife, hereinafter called respondent, filed an answer and cross claim against his eodefendant, Bradshaw, asserting a water right on several grounds, but during the trial Ohrmann’s claim was restricted to a right to one-half of the water by virtue of a claim of adverse possession. Bradshaw and Ohrmann, so far as pertinent here, each denied the claims of the other.

The single issue presented is whether the findings of fact and conclusions of law are supported by the evidence. In King v. Schultz, 141 Mont. 94, 99, 375 P.2d 108, a water right case, we stated the familiar rule that where there is substantial evidence, even though conflicting, to support the trial court we will affirm. (Citing Cook v Hudson, 110 Mont. 263, 103 P.2d 137, and Barcus v. Galbreath, 122 Mont. 537, 207 P.2d 559.)

Bradshaw urges that the findings of adverse possession are inconsistent with the evidence. In essence he asserts that even [183]*183though Ohrmann used one-half of the water, that it was with Bradshaw’s consent or agreement but was not hostile, adverse or any invasion of Bradshaw’s rights. We note now, as will be pointed out later, that Bradshaw denied making any agreement with Ohrmann for a diversion of the spring water.

The district judge made findings, which, omitting the description of the land involved and matters pertaining to Firestone stated:

“IV
“That all of the lands of the parties hereto are arid and dry in character and nature and require irrigation for the purpose of growing crops thereon.
“V
“That the waters of the springs in litigation arise in the Southwest Quarter of Section 12, Township 10 North, Range 13 West, M.P.M., and flow into the ditch commonly known as the Morse-Coberly-Henderson Ditch (hereinafter referred to as the Coberly Ditch) and are conducted by said ditch and ditches therefrom on the lands of the plaintiffs and defendants, as more fully appears from the exhibits introduced herein; that said spring waters flow into said Coberly Ditch whether or not they are being used by the parties to this action; that the course of said ditch is through all of the parties’ lands and into the Clark’s Fork of the Columbia River upon said ditch leaving the plaintiffs’ lands.
“VI
“That on February 8, 1918, the Allendale Land Company filed of record an appropriation specifically described in Book 7 of Water Rights, Page 96, records of Granite County, Montana, of the waters of certain springs arising in the Southwest Quarter of Section 12, and in the Southeast Quarter of Section 11, Township 10 North, Range 13 West, M.P.M., Granite County, Montana, for the purpose of irrigation and other useful and beneficial purposes; that the said appropriation is a valid [184]*184appropriation, all things necessary to it having been completed by the Allendale Land Company within a reasonable time after the appropriation was filed.
“VII
“That through various and mesne conveyances 132/142 of the appropriation mentioned in Finding No. VI was conveyed to the defendants Bradshaw.
“VIII
“That beginning with the year 1945 the spring water flowing into the Coberly Ditch, and mentioned in the three preceding Findings, has been increased in volume and after its source and subsequently along the course of the Coberly Ditch by other springs, waste water and seepage water produced by irrigation of lands above the Coberly Ditch by means of the Allen-dale Ditch; that this increase is very material, increasing the flow from about 25 inches to amounts in excess of 200 inches, and begins each year after water is placed in the Allendale Ditch; that prior to 1945 the Allendale Ditch had only a high water right, but in 1945 the Allendale Ditch secured additional waters, and it is since this event that the increase has occurred.
“IX
“That defendants Ohrmann have about 63 acres under irrigation from the Coberly Ditch; that while defendants Bradshaw contend they have about 70 acres under irrigation from the Coberly Ditch, the evidence is that there are about 55 acres, and, while defendants Bradshaw contend they require two to three inches to the acre for irrigation, the evidence is that for more than five years prior to the commencement of this action and up to and including the year 1969, defendants Bradshaw and Ohrmann each have been using all the waters mentioned in Findings V and VIII for alternate periods of up to two weeks at a time, beginning about May 15th of each year for defendants Ohrmann, and that during those years both defendants Bradshaw and Ohrmann have permitted plaintiffs Firestone and persons other than the parties to this action to use said waters [185]*185for substantial periods of time; that all of this indicates to the Court that neither defendants Bradshaw nor defendants Ohrmann can make beneficial use of more than one-half of said waters when used with the remaining one-half in alternate periods as it has been, as described, and the Court so finds, although, at times defendants Ohrmann supplement said waters with other waters from Flint Creek and Willow Creek and use this supplement jointly with defendants Bradshaw.
“X
“That the defendants Ohrmann for more than five years before the commencement of this action have openly, notoriously, and adversely claimed against defendants Bradshaw and plaintiffs Firestone all of the rights to the use of one-half of all of said waters with the remaining one-half thereof in rotation with defendants Bradshaw for alternate period of up to two weeks at a time, beginning about May 15th of each year as to defendants Ohrmann.”

The court adopted all of these findings as conclusions and additionally concluded as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
483 P.2d 716, 157 Mont. 181, 2 ERC (BNA) 1465, 1971 Mont. LEXIS 408, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/firestone-v-bradshaw-mont-1971.