Foro v. Doetsch

66 Misc. 2d 288, 320 N.Y.S.2d 778, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1836
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 17, 1971
StatusPublished

This text of 66 Misc. 2d 288 (Foro v. Doetsch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Foro v. Doetsch, 66 Misc. 2d 288, 320 N.Y.S.2d 778, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1836 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1971).

Opinion

Robert G. Main, J.

In 1947, Herbert Doetsch, Sr., now deceased, was the owner of a certain parcel of land in the Town of Moreau, Saratoga County, New York.

By deeds dated September 30, 1947, May 1, 1951, July 3, 1956, April 16, 1960, January 12, 1962, and April 23, 1964, Herbert Doetsch, Sr., conveyed title to a number of lots from his parcel of land. One lot was sold to the plaintiffs Oscar C. Everts and Louise C. Everts, one lot was sold to the plaintiffs Earl F. Clark and Aurora Clark, and two lots were sold to Paul L. Waldon and Marion G. Waldon, predecessors in title of the plaintiffs, Louis Foro and Joan P. Foro. Two other lots were sold to persons not parties to this action.

The deeds to the various grantees all contained the following covenants and restrictions, among others:

‘11. That no structure, other than a single dwelling house not more than two and one-half stories high, with a garage and tool shed for use in connection therewith, shall be constructed or maintained upon said premises.
2. That no manufacturing, mercantile or commercial business or business of any kind, including the business of conducting either a rooming house or boarding house, shall be allowed or carried on on said premises.
4. That no house costing less than $10,000.00 shall be erected upon said lot, or any part thereof.
11. That no building or other structure shall be moved to or upon said premises from any other place.
All of the foregoing shall be deemed to run with the land, and be a perpetual restriction of the use of the premises hereby conveyed to the parties of the second part, or any person or persons claiming or deriving title thereof, or any part thereof under them.”

By deed September 30, 1968, Herbert Doetsch, Sr., conveyed title to his remaining property to the defendants, Herbert Doetsch, Jr., and Doris Doetsch. The deed of conveyance contained no covenants or restrictions.

[290]*290On or about March 17, 1969, the defendants, Herbert Doetsch, Jr., and Doris Doetsch were granted a permit by the Town of Moreau, County of Saratoga, New York, for the construction and operation of a mobile home park on the premises conveyed to them by Herbert Doetsch, Sr.

The plaintiffs have brought this action for a permanent injunction which would restrain the defendants from erecting and operating a mobile home park on the subject property. The plaintiffs also request a judgment imposing upon the subject property the same restrictions contained in their deeds.

If restrictive covenants in a deed are to be binding upon the remaining lands of the grantor, there must be a mutual covenant in the deed, a general plan showing uniformity of restrictions, or oral promises contemporaneously made by the grantor to the grantee of which any subsequent purchaser has either actual or constructive notice. Clear intent to establish restrictions must be evidenced in one of these three ways (Sweet v. Hollearn, 142 Misc. 408).

There is clearly no mutual covenant in any of the deeds to the grantees, so this court must decide if the restrictive covenants are to be otherwise imposed upon the subject property.

Upon the trial of this matter, Mr. Alfred J. Lanfear, a Senior Engineer in the Washington County Highway Department, testified that he prepared a survey in the summer of 1956 of the subject property at the request of Herbert Doetsch, Sr. It was the witness testimony that Mr. Doetsch, Sr. was contemplating a sale of several lots.

Mr. Lanfear identified plaintiffs ’ Exhibit 11, which was offered and received into evidence, as his original working drawing comprising survey information on the Doetsch property. This drawing shows the Doetsch property divided into lots, with proposed streets. Mr. Lanfear identified plaintiffs ’ Exhibit 9, which was offered and received into evidence, as an advance print of the survey for the property, prepared at the request of Mr. Doetsch, Sr. This print also shows the Doetsch property divided into lots, with proposed streets. The completed survey was delivered to the Doetsch family in August of 1956.

In one of the two deeds from Herbert Doetsch, Sr. to Paul L. Waldon and Marion G-. Waldon, the deed being dated April 23, 1964, there is a recital: ‘1 Also granting to the party of the second part a right of way over a proposed street, fifty feet in width running from Town Highway No. 27 known as Bluebird Road and which right of way runs along the easterly side of the lot heretofore conveyed to said Paul L. Waldon and the easterly side of the lot herein conveyed to Paul L. Waldon.”

[291]*291The deed also recites: ‘ ‘ The property conveyed herein, is subject to the same covenants, conditions, agreements and restrictions which are set forth in the deed from Herbert Doetsch to Paul L. Waldon, dated July 3, 1956.”

Attorney, David W. White, who prepared this particular deed, testified that the grant of the right of way and the inclusion of the restrictions by reference to another deed, were included at the request of Mr. Dotesch, Sr.

Based upon inclusion of various identical restrictions in all the deeds by which Mr. Doetsch, Sr. conveyed title to lots out of his parcel of land, the employment of a surveyor to prepare a map showing proposed lots and streets, and the inclusion of the grant of a right of way over a proposed street in the deed to the Waldons, it is the opinion of this court that Mr. Herbert Doetsch, Sr. had a general plan of development for his property, and that he had the intent to impose uniform restrictions upon all the property. Accordingly, the restrictive covenants in the deeds to the various grantees should be imposed and binding upon the remaining lands of the grantor, now owned by Herbert Doetsch, Jr. and Doris Doetsch.

In addition to proof that Mr. Doetsch, Sr. had a general plan to impose uniform restrictions upon all of his property, the plaintiffs have offered proof that Mr. Doetsch, Sr. made oral prom-, ises to the grantees that all his land would be burdened by the restrictions contained in their deeds, and that Herbert Doetsch, Jr. and Doris Doetsch, had notice and knowledge of these promises.

The plaintiffs have offered as proof the transcript of testimony allegedly given by Herbert Doetsch, Sr. at an examination before trial. Mr. Doetsch, Sr. did not sign the transcript prior to his death. Other proof involves the testimony of various grantees of Mr. Doetsch, Sr., as to promises made by Mr. Doetsch, Sr. The defendants have objected to the introduction into the evidence of this proof offered by the plaintiffs.

Mrs. Antoinette Heber, a court reporter, testified that she took the testimony of Herbert Doetsch, Sr. on June 10, 1969, at a,n examination before trial, and caused the same to be transcribed. She identified plaintiffs ’ Exhibit “ 2 ” as a true and accurate transcript of the testimony of Mr. Herbert Doetsch, Sr. at the examination before trial. She further testified that she, as a notary public, heard the witness swear that he would testify to the best of his ability. Mrs. Heber then signed the transcript of the testimony in her capacity as the reporter who took the testimony.

[292]*292Mrs.

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Related

Sweet v. Hollearn
142 Misc. 408 (New York Supreme Court, 1932)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
66 Misc. 2d 288, 320 N.Y.S.2d 778, 1971 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1836, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foro-v-doetsch-nysupct-1971.