Greene v. Garner

592 S.E.2d 589, 163 N.C. App. 142, 2004 N.C. App. LEXIS 294
CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedMarch 2, 2004
DocketNo. COA03-196
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 592 S.E.2d 589 (Greene v. Garner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Greene v. Garner, 592 S.E.2d 589, 163 N.C. App. 142, 2004 N.C. App. LEXIS 294 (N.C. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

McCullough, Judge.

James W. Gamer, Peggy L. Garner, and Burla M. Garner (respondents) appeal the trial court’s order granting partial summary judgment. The underlying facts are as follows: When this action began, Jane Turner Medlin (Medlin) owned a tract of land in Weldon Township, North Carolina. The property still borders Little Quankey Creek and is divided by Interstate 95. Although Interstate 95 is a public highway, it does not provide public access to the property. The North Carolina Department of Transportation informed Medlin that property which abuts an interstate highway but does not have access to that highway through a formal interchange will not be allowed to have temporary access for the removal of timber.

Medlin’s land was to be used for forestry, but there was not a public road or other access to get to and from the property. Respondents own real property that is west of and adjacent to Medlin’s property. Respondents’ property also borders Little Quankey Creek and property owned by a third party. Medlin contended that she needed a cartway across respondents’ land so that heavy equipment used for harvesting and maintaining the timber could be transported to the property.

A District Conservationist for the United States Department of Agriculture, J. Wayne Short, has inspected Medlin’s property and determined that building a bridge across the creek is unfeasible. Moreover, the wetlands which are located between Medlin’s property and the third party’s property makes the area unsuitable for the construction of an access road.

A registered forester, James F. Watson, is familiar with the property and has assisted Medlin in managing the tract for years. Modern forestry practice indicates that access to a timberland should be by a permanent roadway of 30 feet in width to allow equipment to pass through. The cycle in a pine timber tract includes harvesting, reforestation, timber stand improvement, and interim harvesting that lasts for 30 to 35 years. Each of these steps for managing timber requires a road large enough to allow for entry of large tractor trailers and cutting and hauling equipment. According to the North Carolina Forest [145]*145Service, immediate access to the timber tract is always necessary for inspection of the timber for infestation and storm damage. Thus, access to forested tracts should be available at all times and should be permanent.

On 24 August 2000, Medlin sought to establish a cartway over respondents’ land. After the petition was amended to request a permanent cartway, the clerk conducted a hearing. On 25 March 2002, the clerk entered an order granting a cartway of no less than 18 feet in width across respondents’ land for a period of five years. Both sides appealed this decision and sought a jury trial de novo under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 136-68. Medlin appealed because she requested a permanent cartway, not a cartway for five years. Respondents appealed because they believed that Medlin was not entitled to any cartway, temporary or permanent.

On 14 June 2002, Medlin died, and Jacqueline Shuggers Greene (petitioner) filed a motion to substitute party. The trial court granted this motion because Greene was Medlin’s sole heir and the owner of the real property in question. On 27 August 2002, petitioner filed a motion for partial summary judgment and attached the affidavits of three potential witnesses. Respondents did not present any evidence to contest these affidavits. After reviewing the pleadings and affidavits, the trial court granted petitioner’s motion for partial summary judgment because there was no genuine issue as to any material fact and petitioner was entitled to the establishment of a cartway as a matter of law. The trial court also remanded this proceeding to the clerk for the appointment of commissioners to establish the location of the cartway and to assess damages.

Respondents appeal. On appeal, respondents contend that the trial court erred by granting the motion for summary judgment because this deprived respondents of their right to a jury trial de novo. We disagree and affirm the decision of the trial court.

Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 136-68 (2003),

[t]he establishment ... of any cartway . . . over the lands of another, shall be determined by a special proceeding instituted before the clerk of the superior court in the county where the property affected is situated. . . . From any final order or judgment in said special proceeding, any interested party may appeal to the superior court for a jury trial de novo on all issues including the right to relief, the location of a cartway, tramway or rail[146]*146way, and the assessment of damages. The procedure established under Chapter 40A, entitled “Eminent Domain,” shall be followed in the conduct of such special proceeding insofar as the same is applicable and in harmony with the provisions of this section.

Our Supreme Court has directed that “An order of a clerk of superior court adjudging the right to a cartway is a final judgment and an appeal lies therefrom.” Candler v. Sluder, 259 N.C. 62, 66, 130 S.E.2d 1, 4 (1963). It further found that “[a] defendant is not required to wait until a roadway is laid off before availing himself of the right to appeal . ...” Id. On appeal, the issue “is the same as before the clerk — whether petitioners are entitled to a cartway over some lands.” Id. at 67, 130 S.E.2d at 5. The Court should not decide the actual location of the cartway because these are matters to be decided by the jury of view. Id.

There is one limitation to the right to immediately appeal an order granting the right to a cartway. Where the jury of view has been appointed and has filed a written report of its findings, a party must wait until the clerk enters an order confirming, modifying, or rejecting the jury of view’s proposed location of the cartway before appealing. Jones v. Winckelmann, 134 N.C. App. 143, 144-46, 516 S.E.2d 876, 877-78 (1999).

Although the parties did not raise this issue, we conclude that the superior court was allowed to consider whether there was a right to a cartway. On 25 March 2002, the clerk determined that petitioner was entitled to a cartway for five years. In her order, the clerk stated that the jury of view “will be appointed by this Court to lay off a cartway.” However, both sides appealed the decision granting the cartway before the jury of view proposed a location for the cartway. Based on the decision in Candler, this adjudication is deemed to be a final judgment. Therefore, both sides had the right to appeal the clerk’s decision to the superior court immediately. Furthermore, since the jury of view had not proposed where the cartway would be, the parties did not have to wait for the clerk to confirm, modify, or reject the location.

Having determined that this matter was properly before the superior court, we must consider whether summary judgment was available. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-393 (2003), the Rules of Civil Procedure are applicable to special proceedings except where otherwise provided. The establishment of a cartway is a special proceeding [147]*147under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 136-68. Thus, summary judgment would be available unless the statute specifically precluded it.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Jones v. Robbins
660 S.E.2d 118 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2008)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
592 S.E.2d 589, 163 N.C. App. 142, 2004 N.C. App. LEXIS 294, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/greene-v-garner-ncctapp-2004.