Fisher v. WTG-Central, Inc.

641 A.2d 681, 163 Pa. Commw. 551, 1994 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 200
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedApril 21, 1994
StatusPublished

This text of 641 A.2d 681 (Fisher v. WTG-Central, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fisher v. WTG-Central, Inc., 641 A.2d 681, 163 Pa. Commw. 551, 1994 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 200 (Pa. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

NEWMAN, Judge.

Joseph V. and Láveme B. Fisher (Fishers) appeal from an order of the Court of Common Pleas of Butler County (trial court) which sustained the preliminary objections filed by WTG-Central, Inc. (WTG) and National Transit Company (NTC) to the Fishers’ complaint and dismissed said complaint. We affirm.

On November 16,1992, Fishers filed a four count complaint in the trial court averring the following facts. The Fishers own two contiguous tracts of land in Butler County which they acquired in 1961 and 1962. Three, side-by-side, continuous lines of subsurface pipe traverse this property near the centerline. The Fishers claim that title to all of the pipe is vested solely in them.

On March 30, 1988, WTG, a telecommunications company, obtained a quitclaim assignment without warranty from NTC for one of the three pipelines. NTC had previously used the pipelines for transportation of petroleum products. This assignment was recorded on April 30, 1988. In October, 1988, WTG requested that the Fishers sign a right-of-way reinstatement covenant, offering them $100.00 for use of the pipeline. The Fishers refused the offer.

The Fishers further averred that sometime after they rejected WTG’s offer, WTG, without the knowledge or consent of the Fishers, secretly inserted sheaths.of fiber optic cable through the pipeline and have continuously occupied and used the strip of land since that time. The Fishers were not made aware of the presence of the cable until their property manager1 discovered a sign warning that WTG had taken up occupancy of and was using the strip of land as a telecommunications right-of-way and the pipeline as a fiber optic cable conduit.

In Count I of their complaint, the Fishers asserted that WTG has been unjustly enriched by its occupancy and use of the land and requested damages in excess of $20,000. In Count II, the Fishers claimed that they are entitled to the exclusive and peaceful possession of the pipeline and the surrounding property and requested that judgment be entered in their favor for possession of the strip of land and the pipeline. Finally, in Counts III and IV of their complaint, the Fishers asserted that when they purchased the property they did so in good faith and without notice of any outstanding rights or interests of others. They further contended that if NTC ever had title to the pipeline and/or the right-of-way, NTC abandoned the same. Alternatively, the Fishers claimed that if NTC did not abandon the right-of-way, such right-of-way was created for one purpose, that of transporting petroleum through environmentally safe pipe; thus, NTC had no right or power to grant WTG a telecommunications right-of-way. Accordingly, the Fishers requested that the trial court enter judgment in their favor declaring that they were bona fide purchasers and that the property is not subject to a pipeline right-of-way in favor of NTC nor a telecommunications right-of-way in favor of WTG.

In response to the Fishers’ complaint, WTG filed preliminary objections asserting the following. On December 1,1988, WTG, a publicly regulated utility corporation vested with the power of eminent domain, condemned the right to run a fiber optic cable through a pipeline traversing the Fishers’ property by filing a petition for approval of bond and a declaration of taking. On or about January 6 and January 24, 1989, after trial court approval of the bond, WTG inserted the fiber optic cable into the pipeline. WTG further asserted that the Fishers did not file an equity action to challenge WTG’s condemnation, nor did they otherwise object to WTG’s power to condemn and claim title to the underlying easement in the context of the condemnation proceeding. Instead, the Fishers filed a petition for the appointment of viewers, seeking valuation and an award of damages for the taking. The Board of Viewers issued its report and award on July 6, 1992, and WTG appealed to the trial court.2

[683]*683In its preliminary objections, WTG contended that the Fishers failed to state a cause of action. Specifically, WTG asserted that to the extent that the Fishers’ complaint seeks damages for WTG’s occupancy and use of the pipeline right-of-way, their claims are limited to the damages prescribed by the Eminent Domain Code (Code),3 and those issues are subsumed in and precluded by the pending condemnation proceedings. WTG further contended that to the extent that the Fishers’ complaint otherwise disputes WTG’s occupancy and use of its pipeline right-of-way, such claims should have been but were not raised prior to the filing of the petition for the appointment of viewers and are, therefore, waived. Finally, WTG asserted that the Fishers’ claims of nonuse or inconsistent use of the easement are insufficient as a matter of law.

NTC also filed preliminary objections in the nature of a demurrer claiming that under Pennsylvania law, nonuse of a right-of-way cannot give rise to abandonment. NTC asserts, therefore, that the Fishers’ claims of abandonment because of nonuse are insufficient as a matter of law and that Counts III and IV of the Fishers’ complaint should be dismissed.

The Fishers filed an answer to the preliminary objections of WTG and NTC wherein they alleged that this action is not subsumed by the condemnation proceeding because no pipeline exists under the right-of-way taken by WTG in the condemnation proceeding. More specifically, the Fishers alleged that a comparison of the course and distance plan filed with WTG’s declaration of taking and the scaled plan attached to the Fishers’ complaint reveals that the property condemned by WTG in the eminent domain action is 300 feet east of the centerline of the pipeline right-of-way.

On March 18, 1993, the trial court sustained the preliminary objections of WTG and NTC. The trial court concluded that the Fishers did not have an independent cause of action for unjust enrichment or ejectment because a declaration of taking was filed by WTG. The trial court further concluded that the Fishers failed to plead sufficient facts to support their claim of abandonment. Accordingly, the trial court dismissed the Fishers’ complaint.

The Fishers appealed to the Superior Court on April 16, 1993. WTG objected to the court’s jurisdiction and by order dated May 7, 1993, the Superior Court transferred the appeal to this court.

The sole issue presented on appeal is whether the trial court erred in concluding that the Fishers failed to state a cause of action against WTG and NTC. Our scope of review is limited to determining whether the trial court committed an error of law or an abuse of discretion. Wurth by Wurth v. City of Philadelphia, 136 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 629, 584 A.2d 403 (1990).

The question presented by a demurrer is whether, on the facts averred, the law says with certainty that no recovery is possible. Scarpitti v. Weborg, 530 Pa. 366, 609 A.2d 147 (1992). In resolving this question, the court must accept as true all well pleaded allegations and material facts averred in the complaint, as well as all reasonable inferences deducible therefrom. Powell v. Drumheller, 153 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 571, 621 A.2d 1197 (1993). Where a doubt exists as to whether a demurrer should be sustained, the doubt must be resolved in favor of overruling it. Id,

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Related

Piper v. Mowris
351 A.2d 635 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1976)
Powell v. Drumheller
621 A.2d 1197 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1993)
WURTH BY WURTH v. City of Philadelphia
584 A.2d 403 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1990)
Thompson v. Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad Preservation Society
612 A.2d 450 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1992)
Scarpitti v. Weborg
609 A.2d 147 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1992)
Fulmer v. White Oak Borough
606 A.2d 589 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1992)
Ramad Realty Corp. v. Springettsbury Township Sewer Authority
309 A.2d 80 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1973)

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Bluebook (online)
641 A.2d 681, 163 Pa. Commw. 551, 1994 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fisher-v-wtg-central-inc-pacommwct-1994.