Gipson v. Sprint Communications Co.

2003 OK CIV APP 89, 81 P.3d 65, 74 O.B.A.J. 3144, 2003 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 79, 2003 WL 22479940
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 15, 2003
Docket97,074
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 2003 OK CIV APP 89 (Gipson v. Sprint Communications Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gipson v. Sprint Communications Co., 2003 OK CIV APP 89, 81 P.3d 65, 74 O.B.A.J. 3144, 2003 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 79, 2003 WL 22479940 (Okla. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

Opinion by

KENNETH L. BUETUNER, Presiding Judge.

1 Defendant/Appellant Sprint Communications Company, L.P. (Sprint) has filed an interlocutory appeal from the trial court's order certifying a class in this action which charges that Sprint exceeded the use allowed in certain railroad easements when Sprint installed fiber optic cable along railroad corridors. Plaintiff/Appellee Andy Gipson asserted that Sprint had trespassed and been unjustly enriched thereby. We hold that the trial court erred in concluding that Gipson's claim is typical of other putative class members, and that the class certified in this case is unmanageable because individual issues predominate over the common issues. We therefore find that the trial court abused its discretion in certifying this case as a class action proceeding. We remand for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.

T2 In his petition, Gipson alleged that Sprint had paid various railroads for permission to install and maintain fiber optic cable in underground conduits along railroad easements throughout the United States. Gipson alleged that the railroad easements did not allow any use beyond operation of a railroad, so that Sprint's installation of fiber optic cable without obtaining permission from or compensating landowners amounted to trespass. Gipson sought damages for trespass and unjust enrichment, as well as efectment and removal of the fiber optic cable and related hardware.

T8 Gipson filed his suit on behalf of himself and a class defined as

all persons owning an interest in land in the United States across which (Sprint) ha(s) installed fiber optics cable or other telecommunications cable without permission, without the use of legal process and without paying compensation, including land across which any railroad has a right of way easement and excluding right of ways owned by the railroad in fee.

Gipson asserted the class members were so numerous that joinder was impracticable and that each class member's damages were too small to justify the expense of separate lawsuits. Gipson also asserted that his claims were typical of those of the other class members. Gipson alleged three common questions of law and fact shared by the class members: 1) whether Sprint's actions constituted a trespass; 2) whether Sprint was unjustly enriched by its use of class members' property; and 3) whether class members were entitled to exclusive possession of their property, free of Sprint's fiber optic cables and hardware. Gipson next alleged that he had hired counsel who were familiar with class actions and that he would fairly and adequately represent the interests of the class. Gipson then alleged all of the grounds of 12 0.8.2001 § 2023(B) were present in the case. Gipson expanded on these allegations in his motion for class certification and in his memorandum of law in support of class certification.

T 4 Sprint responded with a memorandum in opposition to class certification in which it asserted that federal courts had unanimously held that fiber-optic cable right-of-way cases were not certifiable as class actions. Sprint argued that each potential class member would have to litigate the merits of his claim to class membership by proving his level of property interest, if any, in the right-of-way. Sprint raised the fact that the railroads were *67 given the rights-of-way in land grants, but that the various adjacent landowners could have obtained their properties through countless types of deeds and conveyances in the century since the land grants were made to the railroads. Sprint also argued there was no showing that the conveyance which established Gipson's right of way was typical of those of the remaining class members, and that therefore identifying class members presented an unmanageable task. Sprint contended that a class whose membership may only be determined by merits litigation may not be certified.

T5 Sprint also argued that the trespass claim is governed by a two year limitations period and that Gipson knew of the cable as it was being laid in the 1980s, so that a defense available against Gipson's claim made it atypical as well. Sprint urged that Gipson would not adequately represent the interests of other class members whose cases would turn on different factual and legal determinations. Sprint asserted that common issues in the case do not predominate over individual issues. Sprint also asserted mini-trials would be required to determine each class members' damages. Sprint lastly contended that choice of law issues precluded a nationwide class in this case.

T6 Hearing on the motion to certify the class was held September 25, 2001. 1 An emergency hearing was held October 22, 2001, after Gipson notified the trial court that Sprint had attempted to settle the claims advanced in the case with landowners in Louisiana. Gipson asserted that Sprint argued in favor of the class for settlement purposes and that, accordingly, Sprint had deceived the trial court in arguing against certification in Oklahoma.

T7 The trial court issued its order certify, ing the class November 15, 2001. The trial court defined the class certified as:

(a)ll persons owning a fee simple interest in land in the State of Oklahoma across which any railroad has a right-of-way, and excluding land owned by the railroad in fee simple where Sprint installed fiber optic cable or other telecommunications cable without permission, without the use of legal process and without paying compensation. Excluded from the Class are all parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates of the Defendant as well as all officers and directors of the Defendant. Property currently owned by State or Federal governments are also excluded from the Class.

Title 12 0.8.2001 § 2028(A) requires that 1) the proposed class be so numerous that join-der of all members is impracticable (numer-osity); 2) there are questions of law or fact common to all the class (commonality); 3) the claims or defenses of the representative party are typical of the class (typicality); and 4) the representative will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class (representation). The trial court determined that numerosity existed because the class included hundreds or thousands of Oklaho-mans. The trial court found eight questions of law and fact common to the class, and concluded that the commonality requirement was met. 2 The trial court noted that Sprint did not challenge commonality, but instead argued against typicality and predominance. 3

*68 11 8 In analyzing the typicality requirement, the trial court explained that all the class members' claims are based on the legal theories of trespass and unjust enrichment. The trial court concluded that a determination of Gipson's claims will effect a common adjudication for all who own land along the same railroad corridor. The trial court also noted that the railroad easement traversing Gip-son's property was created in an 1886 federal act which conveyed a railroad right-of-way over 100 miles in length and that the landowners along that corridor will all be affected by a determination of the effect of that one conveyance.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2003 OK CIV APP 89, 81 P.3d 65, 74 O.B.A.J. 3144, 2003 Okla. Civ. App. LEXIS 79, 2003 WL 22479940, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gipson-v-sprint-communications-co-oklacivapp-2003.