Hambley v. Dalzell

24 Mass. L. Rptr. 43
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedApril 25, 2008
DocketNo. 072322D
StatusPublished

This text of 24 Mass. L. Rptr. 43 (Hambley v. Dalzell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hambley v. Dalzell, 24 Mass. L. Rptr. 43 (Mass. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

Lu, John T., J.

INTRODUCTION

The plaintiffs, Scott G. Hambley and Constance J. Hambley (Hambleys), brought this case against the defendants, Stuart L. Dalzell and Katherine L. Dalzell (Dalzells),3 Polaris Sheet Metal, Inc. (Polaris), and the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Town of Rowley and its members (Board), seeking to prevent the Dalzells’ use of property located at 54 Warehouse Lane, Rowley (the Property), as a machine shop and contractor’s yard. The Hambleys brought a claim for relief under G.L.c. 40A, §17 (Count I), a claim to enforce the Town of Rowley’s (Rowley) zoning bylaws (Count II), a claim to abate a nuisance relating to the Dalzells’ use of the Property as a machine shop and contractor’s yard (Count III), and a claim to abate nuisance, enjoin harassment, and for damages relating to a fence the Dalzells installed (Count IV).

The Hambleys now move for injunctive relief and request the Court enjoin the property’s use as a machine shop, contractor’s yard, or for any other use not allowed under Rowley’s zoning bylaws. They also seek injunctive relief and request the Court order the Dalzells to remove a fence the Dalzells recently installed.

The Hambleys appealed Rowley’s Building Inspector’s refusal to enforce the Town’s “non-conforming use” bylaw against the Property. The Board dismissed the appeal without making findings because it determined that the Hambleys’ appeal fell outside of G.L.c. 40A, §7’s statute of limitations. The Hambleys brought this case seeking, among other relief, review of the Board’s decision. The Court finds that the Hambleys are likely to succeed on the merits because G.L.c. 40A, §7’s statute of limitations does not apply to bylaw enforcement against non-conforming uses. The machine shop and contractor’s yard are unprotected nonconforming uses because the prior use as a publishing company has been abandoned and because these uses are different in nature, qualiiy of character, and degree of use than the publishing company use.

Although they have shown a likelihood of success on the merits, and it is a close question, the Hambleys have not met the preliminary injunctive relief standard for enjoining the use of the property as a machine shop and contractor’s yard. The Hambleys, however, have met the injunctive relief standard for removal of the fence.

BACKGROUND

The Hambleys and Dalzells own 52 and 54 Warehouse Lane, respectively, in Rowley, Massachusetts. The Hambleys have lived there since 1989. The Dalzells bought the Property in 2006, and have used it for residential and commercial purposes. It is the commercial use that the Hambleys seek to enjoin.

Before 1977, Rowley’s zoning bylaws did not prohibit commercial use of the Property, but classified it as an undersized lot. Even though it was undersized, a machine shop operated there until March of 1977, when a new owner purchased it for use as a book publishing company’s headquarters. The new owner requested that the Board grant a variance allowing use [44]*44of the Property for the book publishing headquarters even though it was undersized. The Board granted the variance, but restricted the Property’s use to “commercial.”

The publishing company used the Property mainly for office work and the storage and shipment of books. It did not use heavy machinery or compressors, and it stored all of its material inside the building on the Property. The company used computerized typesetting equipment to create printable books, but printed the books offsite. This use continued until November of 1986.4

In July of 1988, Paul Costain (Costain) and William Sweeney (Sweeney) purchased the Property, and Row-ley issued them a certificate of occupancy that allowed them to operate a machine shop. The machine shop operated twenty-four hours a day, was noisy, created chemical odors that permeated the neighborhood, and caused vibrations that shook the neighbors’ property. In addition, materials were stored outside the building in the yard. The Hambleys complained about the machine shop, and in 1993 Rowley’s Board of Health investigated, but took no action. The machine shop operated until May of 2006, when the Dalzells bought the Property.

In March of 2007, the Board granted the Dalzells a Special Permit that allowed part of the Property to be used for “residential” purposes.5 The Dalzells leased the remainder of the Property to Polaris from December 1, 2007, through November 30, 2008. Rowley issued Polaris a certificate of use and occupancy allowing a machine shop. Polaris operates a machine and welding shop on the Property, and is using the Property similarly to how Costain and Sweeney used it.

The Hambleys also contend that the Dalzells are using the Property’s yard for a contracting business. The Hambleys allege that the Dalzells are storing materials and supplies (logs, culverts, bricks, lumber, stone, soil, and mulch), and parking construction vehicles (a dump truck, trailers, an excavator, and several tractors).

In 1983, Rowley changed the zoning districts, creating, among other districts, an “Outlying District.” The Town essentially barred commercial activities from this district, which is where the Property is located. Rowley further limited commercial uses in the Outlying District in 1985.

Rowley’s zoning bylaws prohibit a property’s nonconforming use from being reestablished if the use was abandoned or discontinued for two or more years.6 The Hambleys contend that the Property’s previous use as a publishing company was a “non-conforming” use, that the use was abandoned for two or more years, and that the Property cannot be used for a different non-conforming use. The Hambleys also contend that Rowley’s bylaws prohibit the machine shop on the Property because the machine shop puts the Property to a more intensive use than the publishing company’s use.7

The Hambleys requested that Rowley’s Building Inspector enforce the bylaws. The Building Inspector refused, stating that the issue was currently in litigation, presumably referring to the Hambleys’ prior appeal. See supra n.5. The Hambleys appealed the Building Inspector’s decision to the Board.

The Board denied the Hambleys’ appeal due to lack of standing, stating that the Hambleys failed to comply with the time limitations in G.L.c. 40A, §7. The Ham-bleys seek judicial review of the denial.

The Dalzells installed a fence on the Property after the Hambleys began trying to enforce Rowley’s bylaws. The fence does not surround the Property, it is only installed on the part of the property line that faces the Hambleys’ house. The fence is made of rusted metal roofing material, and has the semi-legible words “No Trespassing/Police Take Notice” spray painted on the side that faces the Hambleys. It randomly varies in height along its length and is about twenty-three feet long.8 The Hambleys complained to town officials, who sent Fence Viewers to inspect the fence. The Fence Viewers recommended to the Town’s Board of Selectmen that the fence either be removed or cut to an even height, and that the sign be removed or painted over with a solid color. The Board of Selectmen — of which Stuart L. Dalzell is a member — took no action. The Hambleys allege that the fence was installed for spite, has no utility, and is a nuisance.

DISCUSSION

I. Injunctive Relief Standard

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

Related

S. Volpe & Co. v. Board of Appeals of Wareham
348 N.E.2d 807 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1976)
Cape Resort Hotels, Inc. v. Alcoholic Licensing Board
431 N.E.2d 213 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1982)
Packaging Industries Group, Inc. v. Cheney
405 N.E.2d 106 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1980)
Doe v. New Bedford Housing Authority
630 N.E.2d 248 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1994)
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Inc. v. Operation Rescue
550 N.E.2d 1361 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1990)
Lord v. Zoning Board of Appeals of Somerset
567 N.E.2d 954 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1991)
Commonwealth v. Mass. Crinc
466 N.E.2d 792 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1984)
Proulx v. Basbanes
238 N.E.2d 531 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1968)
Town of Bridgewater v. Chuckran
217 N.E.2d 726 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1966)
Mendes v. Board of Appeals of Barnstable
552 N.E.2d 604 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1990)
Edwards v. City of Boston
562 N.E.2d 834 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1990)
Ross-Simons of Warwick, Inc. v. Baccarat, Inc.
102 F.3d 12 (First Circuit, 1996)
Wade v. Miller
73 N.E. 849 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1905)
Cumberland Corp. v. Metropoulos
135 N.E. 693 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1922)
Barron Chevrolet, Inc. v. Town of Danvers
646 N.E.2d 89 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1995)
Roberts v. Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, Inc.
429 Mass. 478 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1999)
LeClair v. Town of Norwell
430 Mass. 328 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1999)
Tri-Nel Management, Inc. v. Board of Health
433 Mass. 217 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2001)
Mendoza v. Licensing Board
444 Mass. 188 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2005)
Rattigan v. Wile
445 Mass. 850 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2006)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
24 Mass. L. Rptr. 43, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hambley-v-dalzell-masssuperct-2008.