Garvin v. State

116 Misc. 408
CourtNew York Court of Claims
DecidedAugust 15, 1921
DocketClaim No. 380-A
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 116 Misc. 408 (Garvin v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Garvin v. State, 116 Misc. 408 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1921).

Opinion

Cunningham, J.

On the 26th day of May, 1910, the claimant owned in fee a tract of land of about forty acres in the town of Whitest own, Oneida county. It was bounded on the south by the lands of the New York Central Railroad Company, on the west by lands of one Sweet, on the north by the Mohawk river, and on the east by lands of Mary E. Whitton and the [411]*411estate of Jennie P. Tanner. For brevity we will designate the claimant’s property as the Garvin premises,” and the lands bounding the latter on the east as the “ Whitton premises.” On that date, the state, for Barge canal purposes and under the authority of chapter 147 of the Laws of 1903, as amended, appropriated nine hundred and sixteen one-thousandths of an acre of the claimant’s tract and later, on the 17th day of September, 1915, appropriated seven hundred and seventy-four one-thousandths of an acre of it, the total area so appropriated being one and sixty-nine one-hundredths acres.

In 1915, or previously, for similar purposes, the state appropriated a part of the “ Whitton premises ” adjoining the claimant’s property and lying between the latter and the public highway extending north from the village of Oriskany. In that year the state constructed on the portion of the “ Whitton premises ” thus appropriated a new channel for an old tail race on the latter property, and so altered the course of the race that it crossed the appropriated part of the Whitton premises ” northerly to the new channel of the Mohawk river, and on a right angle to the river. The appropriation of the “ Whit-ton premises ’ ’ and the construction of the new channel of the race, cut off access to the unappropriated remainder of the “ Garvin premises,” across the Whitton parcel from the highway, it being physically impossible to reach the Garvin property by that route without bridging and crossing the race. This would involve very considerable expense. The evidence is undisputed that if the claimant owned any easement or right of way across the “ Whitton premises,” and it was appropriated by the state by the process above set forth, the claimant’s damages amounted to $1,900.

A claim for the first appropriation was filed on the [412]*41220th day of April, 1912, and on the 14th day of December, 1915, an amended claim was filed for both of the appropriations from the “ Garvin premises,” and also for the appropriation of an alleged easement, or right of way to claimant’s remaining land from the Oriskany road, over the “Whitton premises.” The evidence established without dispute that the one and sixty-nine one-hundredths acres so appropriated were reasonably worth $295.75, but the amended claim alleges damages and demands an award for same in the sum of $200 only, no consequential damages for the appropriation of the one and sixty-nine one-hundredths acres being established. It is obvious that the plaintiff is entitled to an award of $200, but the award for this item must be limited to that sum, which is fixed by the amended claim, with interest from the appropriation. This phase of the case presents no difficulty. However, the demand for compensation because of the appropriation of the Whit-ton premises,” and the construction of the tail race across the latter, based on the theory that the state thus appropriated an alleged easement of way, or right of way owned by claimant, from the Oriskany road across the “ Whitton premises ” to the claimant’s remaining property, involves questions of law and fact not wholly free from difficulty. Certain questions of practice are suggested by the case which were not raised by counsel, and which in our view of the matter it is unnecessary to determine. So, too, we need not decide whether the construction of the tail race amounted to an “ appropriation ” of the easement or right of way, if one existed, no notice of appropriation under the statute having been served upon the claimant.

The main question, which is determinative of this item of the claim, concerns the existence of the [413]*413alleged easement or right of way. An express grant of one is not asserted. Its existence is predicated on three grounds, (1), that the way, then existing as an appurtenance to the “ Garvin premises,” was transferred or reserved by implication; (2), that it was created by necessity; (3) that the claimant acquired it by prescription. We will consider these contentions in order.

Prior to September 4, 1823, Simon Newton Dexter owned both the “ Garvin premises ” and the Whit-ton premises.” On that date, he and his wife conveyed to William M. Cheever, the Garvin premises.” At that time and previously, Cheever owned lands adjoining the Garvin property ” on the west, and these premises already owned by Cheever had access to a public highway by bridge over the Erie canal, by a route which did not involve the “ Whit-ton premises.”

Later Cheever and wife conveyed the “ Garvin premises ” to Simon Newton Dexter and Isaac Northrop, who continued to own that property in common on January 10, 1834. On the last mentioned date Simon Newton Dexter, who individually still owned the Whitton premises,” and his wife, conveyed the V Whitton premises ” to William C. Noyes. It will be noted that at the time of the conveyance of theWhitton premises” to Noyes, the latter was owned by Simon Newton Dexter individually, while the interior parcel, the Garvin property, was owned in common by Dexter and Northop.

(1) There is no evidence that at the time of either of the conveyances there, was any open, permanent, visible, or apparent way existing, or in use, identical in location with the alleged easement. There is a total absence of testimony in that respect; in fact, there is no evidence that a visible, apparent way has [414]*414existed at any time whatever. The absence of such proof removes the first ground on which the alleged easement rests. It is true that where the owner of an entire tract of land, or of two or more adjoining parcels, employs a part thereof so that one derives from the other a benefit or advantage of a visible, continuous, apparent and permanent nature, and sells the one in favor of which such easement exists, such easement being necessary to the reasonable enjoyment of the property granted, and being appurtenant to it, will pass to the grantee by implication, even though not expressly granted, and this is true, also, within certain limitations which we need not discuss at length, as to the reservation of such an easement. 19 C. J. 913-921, and cases cited. There has been some conflict of authority as to whether rights of way were included among easements so transferred or reserved, and this conflict has been evident in our own jurisdiction. Root v. Wadhams, 107 N. Y. 384; Longendyke v. Anderson, 101 id. 625; Parsons v. Johnson, 68 id. 62; Mattes v. Frankel, 157 id. 603; Spencer v. Kilmer, 151 id. 390; Paine v. Chandler, 134 id. 385; 23 Am. & Eng. Ency. of Law, 11. But there is no doubt about the fundamental essentiality, that the appurtenant easement which it is contended has been transferred or .reserved thus by implication, must be visible, apparent, continuous and permanent.

Another condition to such transfer or reservation by implication is that the easement asserted shall be necessary to the dominant property. Mere convenience will not suffice. No necessity exists, when a way or access to the highway can be had through one’s own land, however convenient and useful another way might be.

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116 Misc. 408, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garvin-v-state-nyclaimsct-1921.