Kaffie v. Pioneer Bank & Trust Company

184 So. 2d 595, 1966 La. App. LEXIS 5373
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 23, 1966
Docket10489
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 184 So. 2d 595 (Kaffie v. Pioneer Bank & Trust Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kaffie v. Pioneer Bank & Trust Company, 184 So. 2d 595, 1966 La. App. LEXIS 5373 (La. Ct. App. 1966).

Opinion

184 So.2d 595 (1965)

Harris M. KAFFIE et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
PIONEER BANK & TRUST COMPANY, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 10489.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

December 21, 1965.
On Rehearing March 23, 1966.

*596 May & Woodley, Shreveport, for plaintiffs-appellants.

Bodenheimer, Looney & Jones, Shreveport, for defendant-appellant.

Before HARDY, GLADNEY and BOLIN, JJ.

HARDY, Judge.

This is a suit by plaintiffs for injunctive relief against actions of defendant which have allegedly interfered with the exercise of a servitude of passage. From judgment granting partial relief in favor of plaintiffs, both plaintiffs and the defendant have appealed.

Plaintiffs and defendant are owners of contiguous tracts of property fronting on Jordan Street in the City of Shreveport, respectively designated as Nos. 808 and 822 of said street. Plaintiffs' property lies east of the tract owned and occupied by defendant. By written agreement duly filed and recorded on February 14, 1955, Malcolm Kaffie and Gilbert D. Peters, then owners of the respective tracts involved in this suit, imposed a joint servitude of passage upon their respective estates, establishing a twelve-foot community drive and passageway over the west six feet of the property now owned by plaintiffs and the east six *597 feet of the property now owned by defendant, running from Jordan Street on the south to an alleyway to the rear of the north line of the respective properties. After reciting the purpose as being the mutual advantage of the respective owners of the contiguous estates, the agreement imposed "* * * a servitude of passage for themselves and all future owners of the estates, their tenants, employees, invitees, licensees, guests and service personel (sic)." The instrument contained the further specific provision:

"That said strip shall be kept open and used as a drive and passageway and shall not be blocked or obstructed by parking vehicles or in any other manner. This being a perpetual servitude and covenant running with the land." (Emphasis supplied)

In this action plaintiffs alleged that the use of the passageway was being impeded, hampered and inconvenienced by defendant in four particular respects which are summarized as follows:

(1). By the encroachment of a brick and concrete pillar of defendant's building easterly into the driveway to the extent of approximately one foot.
(2). By the encroachment of a concrete curb into the driveway extending the entire length of defendant's building from north to south.
(3). By the second story overhang of defendant's building projecting eastward six feet over the driveway above the surface of the drive.
(4). By the use of drive-in service windows in the east and north walls of defendant's bank building which caused a congestion of traffic blocking the driveway for the convenient use of vehicular passage.

After trial, upon the basis of reasons set forth in a written opinion, the district judge rendered judgment which in effect rejected all of plaintiffs' complaints except that which is delineated under (4) above. On this point the judgment enjoined defendant

"* * * from obstructing, closing, or blocking the passageway as it presently exists, and from conducting its business in such manner as to obstruct, close or block the passageway as it now exists, for a period of more than one (1) minute at any time."

The judgment further reserved plaintiffs' rights to claim the recovery of damages resulting from defendant's obstruction or interference with the use of the servitude of passage.

The first two grounds of plaintiffs' complaints as above enumerated have been disposed and, therefore, do not constitute issues upon appeal. The projection of the brick and concrete pillar which was determined to extend .43 feet into the driveway was regarded as minimal and was not considered as constituting an encroachment of sufficiently serious nature to justify injunctive relief. The survey of the property, which was introduced on trial and accepted, established the fact that the claim that the concrete curb extended into the driveway was erroneous. The remaining issues which are tendered for determination on this appeal relate to the questions of interference by reason of the second story projection and the blocking of the drive resulting from the use of the banking service windows by defendant's customers. The claims of the opposed parties which are urged by appeal before this court are clearly set forth in counsel's briefs. Plaintiffs-appellants seek an amendment of the judgment to the extent of enjoining defendant from obstructing the servitude of passage to vehicles having a height greater than 8.43 feet. Defendant-appellant prays for an amendment of the judgment to the extent of increasing the limiting period of *598 vehicles blocking or impeding the free use of the driveway from one minute to three minutes.

There is no basis for substantial dispute as to the material facts which were established on trial of this case. Plaintiffs are engaged in the general practice of dentistry, which practice they conduct in a dental clinic building constructed on their Jordan Street property in the year 1955. The building also provides accommodations for business offices of a few tenants. At the time of the construction of that building plaintiffs caused the community servitude area to be paved with concrete. This driveway was designed to permit the ingress and egress of plaintiffs' patients and others having business in the building between Jordan Street and a parking lot area located in the rear of plaintiffs' building.

In the early part of 1957 defendant completed the construction of a building on its property which is used as a branch bank. In the course of construction the paved community driveway built by plaintiffs was removed, the grade was slightly raised and the area was repaved. The second story of defendant's bank building extends easterly a full six feet over the driveway, to what is the actual line between the contiguous properties, at a height of 8.43 feet at its lowest point above the surface of the drive. It is this second story overhang which now constitutes the most serious point of contention between the parties to this litigation. It was established on trial that one or both of plaintiffs were aware of the plan of defendant's building, including the second story overhang, prior to the time actual construction was begun, but it is also established that neither of plaintiffs ever consented to or acquiesced in any modification of the unrestricted right of passage and use of the servitude. It is clear that it was only after the completion of construction of defendant's building that plaintiffs realized the nature and degree of the interference with the use of the passageway although they had, verbally and in writing, consistently expressed their objections to any nature of interference. The same architect designed, planned and supervised the construction of both buildings erected on the respective properties of plaintiffs and defendant. It was his testimony that the second story level of the Kaffie Dental Clinic building, which was constructed first, extends 1.57 feet to the west over the servitude passageway; that he planned the second story overhang of the defendant's subsequently constructed bank building in order to preserve the symmetrical appearance of the two buildings which was desirable from an esthetic point of view.

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Bluebook (online)
184 So. 2d 595, 1966 La. App. LEXIS 5373, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kaffie-v-pioneer-bank-trust-company-lactapp-1966.