Lake St. Louis Community Ass'n v. Oak Bluff Preserve

956 S.W.2d 305, 1997 Mo. App. LEXIS 1569, 1997 WL 555994
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 9, 1997
DocketNo. 71160
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 956 S.W.2d 305 (Lake St. Louis Community Ass'n v. Oak Bluff Preserve) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lake St. Louis Community Ass'n v. Oak Bluff Preserve, 956 S.W.2d 305, 1997 Mo. App. LEXIS 1569, 1997 WL 555994 (Mo. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

KAROHL, Judge.

Defendants-counterclaimants, Oak Bluff Preserve Limited Partnership, William B. McGinnis, Jess J. Ornelas, Victoria Ornelas, James J. Sauter and Mary A. Sauter,1 appeal from an order dismissing their counterclaim. In its order, the trial court found: “Defendants’ Motion to Set Aside shall be a final order for purpose of allowing Defendant to immediately appeal pursuant to Rule [74.01] to avoid duplicity of trials.” The Lake St. Louis Community Associations’s [Association] petition to collect assessments from de[307]*307fendants, lot owners, is pending. The Association is a not-for-profit corporation.

Defendants alleged in their counterclaim:
8. On July 25, 1978, the Plaintiff, Lake Saint Louis Community Association, and Defendant, Oak Bluff Preserve, a Limited Partnership, entered into a written contract, designated a Licensing Agreement, in connection with the development of Oak Bluff Preserve, a subdivision, located in St. Charles, County, Missouri....
9. At all times mentioned herein, the Plaintiff, Lake Saint Louis Community Association and Defendants, Oak Bluff Preserve, a Limited Partnership, intended that the Licensing Agreement be recorded and become a covenant running with the land muring to the benefit of Oak Bluff Preserve, a Limited Partnership, and all future lot owners in Oak Bluff Preserve Subdivision.
10. Defendants, William B. McGinnis; Jess Ornelas and Victoria Ornelas; and James J. Sauter and Mary A. Sauter acquired their ownership interests from Oak Bluff Preserve, a Limited Partnership by deeds of conveyance subsequent to the re-cordation of the Licensing Agreement in the records of St. Charles County and are intended third party beneficiaries to the Licensing Agreement and assignees of the interest of Oak Bluff Preserve, a Limited Partnership.

The Licensing Agreement provided: (1) within one year of the conveyance of a parcel of land by Oak Bluff Preserve Limited Partnership to Association located between Lots 19 and 20 of Oak Bluff Preserve Subdivision, Association would construct a marina on that parcel, together with two pedestrian access ramps; (2) after the marina is constructed, Association agreed to maintain it perpetually; (3)within one year of the conveyance of the parcel, Association agreed to clear a channel of Penique Creek for purposes of navigation as provided in the Licensing Agreement; and, (4) after the original clearing of the channel, Association was thereafter obligated to perpetually clear and maintain it for the purposes of navigation, the prevention of soil erosion, the facilitation of lake management, the enhancement of conservation and the development of recreational improvement.

Defendants alleged in their counterclaim that they fulfilled all of their agreements and covenants under the Licensing Agreement including the conveyance of the parcel of land, but the Association breached, and continues to breach, its agreements and covenants of the Licensing Agreement in the following ways: (1) Association “did not construct the [marina] within one year of the conveyance to it of the parcel of land”; (2) Association “has altogether failed and refused to properly construct and maintain the [marina]; the two (2) pedestrian access ramps to the marina; or the marina grounds as required by the Licensing Agreement”; (3) Association “did not clear the Penique Creek Channel within one year of the conveyance to it of the parcel of land ... for the purposes of small craft navigation but permitted a massive log jam to remain and develop along the Penique Creek Channel”; (4) Association “has altogether failed and refused to clear and maintain the Penique Creek Channel following the conveyance to it of the parcel of land ... but, instead, has allowed and permitted numerous log jams and debris to accumulate ... which hinder and totally obstruct small craft navigation contrary to the Licensing Agreement”; and, (5) Association “has altogether failed and refused to maintain the Penique Creek Channel so as to prevent erosion; facilitate lake management; enhance conservation; or foster recreational improvements as contemplated in the Licensing Agreement.” (emphasis added).

Defendants alleged that as a result of these breaches they have been damaged in that: (1) they “have been directly deprived and denied of the full physical use and enjoyment of their respective properties in that [Association] has failed and refused to maintain the [marina]”; (2) they “have been directly deprived and denied of the full physical use and enjoyment of Penique Creek in that [Association] has failed and continues to refuse to keep and maintain the Penique Creek Channel clear for navigational purposes”; (3) “[t]he value of the property of the individual Defendants has been diminished [308]*308and lessened because of the continuous failure and persistent refusal of [Association] to honor its aforesaid contractual commitments under the Licensing Agreement”; (4) “[t]he value of the property of the individual Defendants has been diminished because [Association] has failed and refused to perform its flood easement obligations under the Licensing Agreement”; and, (5) Association “has altogether failed and refused to enhance conservation or recreational improvements in Oak Bluff Preserve to the detriment of the' Defendants while, at the same time, spending enormous sums of money ... in other parts of Lake Saint Louis affected by the Lake Saint Louis Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions.”

In the counterclaim defendants prayed “for damages in a reasonable amount, for their costs and for such other and further relief as the Court deems proper.” They did not pray for equitable relief.

On December 22, 1995 Association filed a motion to dismiss defendants’ counterclaim. It alleged the counterclaim should be dismissed because it “is barred by the Statute of Limitations, RSMo. 516.120, by res judica-ta, by estoppel and by splitting of said Defendant’s [sic] alleged cause of action.” On January 26, 1996 the trial court granted Association’s motion to dismiss without specifying the grounds. Association now agrees the only available legal ground for dismissal is the bar contained in Section 516.120 RSMo 1994. Accordingly, we only review the trial court’s order of dismissal on the ground that the counterclaim is barred by that Statute of Limitations.

Defendants : argue:

THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN SUSTAINING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO DISMISS DEFENDANTS’ COUNTERCLAIMS BASED UPON THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS [SECTION] 516.120 R.S.Mo. IN THAT (1) DEFENDANTS’ COUNTERCLAIMS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO A STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS, OR IN THE ALTERNATIVE, (2) THE FIVE-YEAR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IN [SECTION] 516.120 WOULD MERELY LIMIT DEFENDANTS’ DAMAGES TO THE FIVE YEARS IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO DEFENDANTS’ FILING THEIR COUNTERCLAIM ON AUGUST 23, 1994.

When reviewing the grant of a motion to dismiss a counterclaim, all facts alleged in the counterclaim are deemed true and the defendant is entitled to the benefit of every reasonable intendment. See Magee v. Blue Ridge Professional Bldg. Co., Inc., 821 S.W.2d 839, 842 (Mo. banc 1991). In their counterclaim, defendants alleged plaintiff breached several provisions of the Licensing Agreement. Generally, breach of contract actions are subject to Section 516.120.1 RSMo 1994 which provides:

Within five years:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
956 S.W.2d 305, 1997 Mo. App. LEXIS 1569, 1997 WL 555994, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lake-st-louis-community-assn-v-oak-bluff-preserve-moctapp-1997.