Jann v. Standard Cement Co.

102 N.E. 872, 54 Ind. App. 221, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 92
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 14, 1913
DocketNo. 7,959
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 102 N.E. 872 (Jann v. Standard Cement Co.) 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
Jann v. Standard Cement Co., 102 N.E. 872, 54 Ind. App. 221, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 92 (Ind. 1913).

Opinion

Felt, J.

This is a suit by appellee against appellants to enjoin the latter from obstructing an easement, or roadway, from a certain tract of land owned by appellee, to a public highway, and to compel the removal of certain obstructions from said way. The complaint was in three paragraphs, each of which was answered by general denial. The appellants have assigned as errors the overruling of separate demurrers to each paragraph of the amended complaint, error in each separate conclusion of law and in overruling their motion for a new trial.

The cause was tried by the court and on request a special finding of facts was duly made and conclusions of law stated thereon. The facts so found are in substance as follows: that on August 17, 1896, Plorian Jann was and for many years prior thereto had been the owner of a farm of 110 acres in Clark County, Indiana, which is particularly described; that said farm does not touch upon any highway and is wholly surrounded by other lands; that prior to August 20, 1887, said Plorian Jann had no way or road to and from said land except by going over the lands of other [223]*223persons; that on said day said Jann purchased from Alfred Coble a strip of ground adjoining said farm, which is particularly described, and is 4£ rods wide and 95 and 4/10 rods long, extending from the southeast portion of said farm in a northeasterly direction to a highway known as the Madison Eoad, leading from Charlestown, Indiana, to New Market, Indiana; that thereafter said Jann continuously used a roadway over said strip which had already been used prior to the purchase thereof by him; that said Jann purchased said strip or tract of land in order to obtain an outlet from said farm of 110 acres and continuously thereafter used a strip 30 feet in width over the northwest line of the 2\ acres so purchased as aforesaid as a roadway to and from said farm, until he sold the same and moved therefrom; that said roadway was attached to and made appurtenant to said farm as an outlet to the public highway, there being no other outlet to any public highway; that on August 17, 1896, said Florian Jann and Catherine E., his wife, by warranty deed, sold and conveyed said 110 acres of real estate to the plaintiff for the sum of $5,500; that said 2J acres was not included in said deed and the only outlet the plaintiff has from its 110 acres, so purchased as aforesaid, to a public highway, without going over the land of other parties, is over and upon said 2-J acre strip of land; that said Florian Jann continued to own said 2-| acres to the time of his death, about the year 1905, since which' time said real estate has been owned by defendants; that defendants derive their title to said 2-J acres as devisees under the will of said Florian Jann; that at the time of the purchase of said 110 acres of real estate,in the presence of the defendants (the appellants), it was agreed between said Florian Jann and the plaintiff (the appellee), that the latter was to have a permanent and absolute right to the use of said roadway over said strip of 2\ acres, to go to and from said farm; that at the request of said Florian Jann and the defendants said agreement was not included in the deed for said 110 acres; that said parol [224]*224agreement for said roadway was founded on a valuable consideration and in pursuance thereof the plaintiff purchased 95 rods of wire to be used in fencing said tract along the line of said roadway and the defendants built said fence; that said roadway so fenced off is 30 feet wide and runs along the northwest line of said 2\ acre tract; that in so fencing off said roadway no change was made either in the width or location thereof; that thereafter and by virtue of said agreement and license, and the consideration paid as aforesaid, the plaintiff immediately took possession of said roadway and at its expense built a culvert across the same, and otherwise improved the roadway and used it continuously thereafter in going to and from said farm until prevented from so doing by the acts of the defendants; that on the faith of said agreement, giving the right to use said roadway, the plaintiff built a cement mill on said 110 acres of land and installed thereon boilers, engines, machinery and everything essential to the manufacture of cement; also built on the premises two large warehouses, four dwelling houses and other buildings, all at the cost of many thousands of dollars ; that the plaintiff and all persons doing business at said mill, continuously and uninterruptedly used said roadway without objection on the part of Plorian Jann, or the defendants, from the time the plaintiff purchased said 110 acre tract in 1896 until the same was obstructed by the de-' fendants in 1908; that in 1908 defendants built a fence across said roadway and otherwise obstructed the same, and refused to permit the plaintiff to use the way and prevented it from so doing to its damage.

On this finding of facts, the court stated its conclusions of law in substance as follows: (1) The plaintiff, the Standard Cement Company, is entitled to a way of necessity 30 feet wide over and along the northwest line of said 2J acres aforesaid, which is the way selected and agreed upon between the plaintiff and said Plorian Jann. (2) The plaintiff has an unrevoked and unrevocable right and license to use the [225]*225roadway in dispute, which is the roadway 30 feet in width over the northwest line of the 2-J acre tract described in the foregoing findings. (3) The plaintiff is entitled to have the defendants, William T. Jann and John J. Jann, enjoined from interfering with the plaintiff’s right to use said roadway in dispute, and to have them remove all obstructions placed by them in said roadway. (4) The plaintiff is entitled to recover from the defendants the sum of one dollar as damage for obstructing said roadway. Exceptions were duly saved to each conclusion of law. The court thereupon rendered judgment, the substance of which is that the plaintiff, appellee, is the owner of a permanent easement for road purposes, and a right of way, or roadway, thirty feet in width, over and along the northwest line of the following: (here follows a particular description of the 2-J acres of real estate); that defendants, appellants, and all persons claiming under or through them, be and each of them is hereby enjoined from interfering in any way or manner with plaintiff’s free and permanent use of said roadway and from placing any obstructions thereon; that said defendants forthwith remove all fences, or other obstructions, placed by them on said roadway.

1. [226]*2262. [225]*225It is earnestly insisted that the court erred in its first conclusion of law in this, that the facts found are insufficient to show a way of necessity because the finding does not show that appellee had no other outlet or road, from the farm. It is also contended that the second conclusion of law that appellee has a way by “right and license” is inconsistent with the idea of a way of necessity, and vice versa. Before there can be a way established by the rule of necessity, the facts must be such that from them the law raises the presumption that the parties had an agreement that the grantee should have the right of access to the land conveyed him over other lands of the grantor not so conveyed. Where there is a valid express agreement fairly made, the [226]*226law does not indulge in presumptions, and the rights of the parties will be upheld according to the terms of such agreement. Ritchey v. Welsh (1898), 149 Ind. 214, 217, 48 N. E. 1031, 40 L. R.

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

Related

Trout v. Summit Lawn Cemetery Association, Inc.
312 N.E.2d 498 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1974)
Chamberlin v. Myers
120 N.E. 600 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1918)
Kixmiller v. Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad
111 N.E. 401 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1916)
Spencer Stone Co. v. Sedwick
105 N.E. 525 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1914)
Chaney v. Mullis
102 N.E. 872 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1913)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
102 N.E. 872, 54 Ind. App. 221, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 92, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jann-v-standard-cement-co-ind-1913.