Hill v. Hagaman

84 Ind. 287
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1882
DocketNo. 9246
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 84 Ind. 287 (Hill v. Hagaman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hill v. Hagaman, 84 Ind. 287 (Ind. 1882).

Opinions

Bicknell, C. C.

This was a suit by the appellee against the appellant to recover damages for the obstruction of a private way of the appellee over the appellant’s land. There was a trial by jury, with a verdict for the appellee.

The appellant assigns errors as follows:

I. The complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute s, cause of action.

2. Error in overruling the demurrer to the complaint.

3. Error in striking out the second paragraph of the answer.

4. Error in overruling the motion for a new trial.

5. Error in overruling the motion to modify the judgment.

The complaint alleges that the appellee owns land formerly

owned by one Edwards, adjoining the appellant’s land; that Edwards had a right of way through the center of appellant’s land, and exchanged it with appellant for another right of way along the west line of appellant’s land, from the land then owned by Edwards to the Wayne county turnpike, and that said last mentioned right of way has been in continual use for more than thii'ty-five years; that the appellee bought Edwards’ land and right of way to the turnpike, and expended $1,000 in grading and gravelling the way, with full knowledge of the appellant, and has used the way continuously for fifteen years, said Edwards having used it continuously for more than twenty years next before said purchase; that the ■defendant has obstructed said way by moving out his fence to the middle of it. The complaint demands damages and an injunction, and all proper relief.

The objection to the complaint is that it does not show twenty years adverse enjoyment of the way by the appellee. The appellant says, in hisbrief, that “ All of Edwards’ travel was in pursuance of an agreement made between him and Hill, and by permission asked and granted as a personal favor to Edwards, and was not adverse nor under a claim of right, and [289]*289that appellee’s travel was adverse, but, being for less than twenty years, no prescriptive right was gained thereby.”

But the complaint avers that Edwards had one right of way which he exchanged for another; after the exchange the new way became his as fully as the old one was his. He was not using the new way under a license, he had paid for it by giving up the old way. When his representatives sold the land to the appellee, after such use of the new way for twenty years, they had a right to sell the right of way as appurtenant to the land, and the appellee, as the purchaser, became entitled thereto at once. The complaint shows that Edwards’ use of the new way for more than twenty years was not under a license, or by mere permission, but was a use of it as his own property, obtained by the exchange; such twenty years’ use alone would put the title in Edwards, and his title, as the complaint avers, was conveyed to the appellee.

The complaint, therefore, contained a sufficient cause of action, and there was no error in overruling the demurrer to it.

The second paragraph of the answer appears to have been struck out, on the ground that the matter of it could be given in evidence under the general denial already pleaded.

It was formerly held, that in the action of trespass a license must be specially pleaded. Gronour v. Daniels, 7 Blackf. 108; Crabs v. Fetich, 7 Blackf. 373.

Under our code any matter may be given in evidence under the general denial, which controverts anything which the plaintiff, in order to sustain his action, is bound to prove. Baker v. Kistler, 13 Ind. 63; Hubler v. Pullen, 9 Ind. 273. Therefore, in trespass quare clausum fregit a justification must be specially pleaded. Johnson v. Cuddington, 35 Ind. 43.

The second paragraph of the answer avers, that in 1842 said Edwards obtained permission to trim a drive-way through appellant’s land, and afterwards sometimes used it, but never had or claimed the same as a right; that in 1847 appellant enclosed his land and cut off said way, and in 1848 appellant [290]*290agreed with Edwards to permit him to pass along the west line of appellant’s land during his lifetime, provided that Benjamin -Stratton, an adjoining land-owner on the west, would give half the way for such passage, and in that way only said Edwards had permission to pass over said land; that he used said way under said permission until 1864, and then his land was sold to the appellee, who continued to travel said way without any permission from appellant; that appellee’s grading and gravelling upon said way cost only $150, and appellant knew nothing of such improvements until they were completed, and that they were worn out by use before the way was obstructed; that appellee, before suit brought, offered to buy said right of way from appellant, and has other ample means of egress and ingress; and that appellant, after notice to appellee, moved his fence to the west line of his land, which is the obstruction complained of.

The material matters averred in this answer directly controvert allegations which the plaintiff had to prove. The complaint avers that Edwards had a right of way; the answer is that he had no right of way, but only a temporary license.

The court, therefore, committed no error in striking out the second paragraph of the answer.

The reasons alleged for a new trial were:

1. Error of the court in giving, of its own motion, instructions numbered from one to seven.

2. Error in giving, at request of appellee, instructions 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8.

3. Error in refusing to give, at request of appellant, instructions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9.

4. Error in admitting in evidence, over the objection of the appellant, the testimony of Jarvis Harmel as to grading, gravelling and improving said right of way on the land of the appellant.

5. Error in admitting in evidence, over the objection of the appellant, the testimony of Jarvis Harmel as to grading, grav[291]*291elling and improving said right of way on the land of the appellee.

6. Error in admitting in evidence, over the objection of the appellant, the evidence of Jarvis Harmel as to the cost of grading, gravelling and improving that part of the alleged way which is on appellee’s land.

7. Error in excluding from the jury the record of the deed from Stratton and wife to appellee for a perpetual right of way over said Stratton’s land, at his eastern line.

8. That the verdict of the jury is not sustained by sufficient evidence.

9. That the verdict of the jury is contrary to law.

Under the first reason alleged for a new trial the appellant, in his brief, discusses only the second and third instructions given by the court of its own motion.

The only objection to the second instruction is, that the court thereby told the jury that, in order to constitute adverse possession, there must be “ an enjoyment under a claim' of right, exclusive, continuous and uninterrupted, with the knowledge and acquiescence of the owner,” etc. The appellant claims that the court, instead of saying “under a claim of right,” ought to have said “under a claim of title.” There was no error in this.

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Bluebook (online)
84 Ind. 287, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hill-v-hagaman-ind-1882.