Lima Twp v. Bateson

302 Mich. App. 483
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedSeptember 19, 2013
DocketDocket Nos. 306575 and 306583
StatusPublished
Cited by57 cases

This text of 302 Mich. App. 483 (Lima Twp v. Bateson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lima Twp v. Bateson, 302 Mich. App. 483 (Mich. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

In these consolidated appeals, in Docket No. 306575, appellants Ernest Bateson and Pamela Gough-Bahash (Gough) appeal as of right a trial court [485]*485order denying appellants’ motion for summary disposition and granting appellee Lima Township’s motions for summary disposition and injunctive relief. In Docket No. 306583, Gough appeals the same order as of right.1 For the reasons set forth in this opinion, we reverse and remand for further proceedings.

I. FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS

On December 23, 2009, Gough, Bateson’s wife, purchased approximately 30 acres of land (the property) zoned AG-1 (agricultural) in Lima Township. Shortly thereafter, appellee Lima Township (Lima) filed a complaint2 for injunctive relief against appellants, alleging improper use of the property and improper storage of commercial vehicles, materials, and equipment on the property. Lima alleged that Bateson was using the property to conduct commercial business operations and store commercial vehicles and equipment.3 Lima claimed that these uses were not permitted under the Lima Township Zoning Ordinance (LTZO) and were a nuisance per se.

On the same day Lima filed its complaint, Gough filed a complaint4 for declaratory relief against Lima, alleging that she and Bateson were developing a tree farm on the property, activity that was permitted in the AG-1 zone. Gough alleged that she had certain materials, sup[486]*486plies, equipment, and vehicles delivered to the property for purposes of preparing the property for the tree farm. Gough requested an order declaring that she was permitted to maintain the equipment on the property.

On August 11, 2010, appellants filed two motions for summary disposition. One motion requested summary disposition under MCR 2.116(C)(7) and (10) as to Gough’s complaint for declaratory relief. The other requested summary disposition as to Lima’s complaint pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(7), (8), and (10). Appellants’ motions were based on assertions that the activities being conducted on the property were a permitted agricultural use. Specifically, appellants asserted that it was their intent to operate a tree farm, which was permitted under the LTZO and protected by Michigan’s Right to Farm Act (RTFA), MCL 286.471 et seq. Appellants supported their motions with affidavits in which they both averred that they were in the process of preparing the land for tree farming.

Lima opposed appellants’ motions, arguing that appellants were not engaged in legitimate farming activities. Additionally, Lima filed a renewed motion for a preliminary injunction and a request for an evidentiary hearing. Lima also requested leave to amend its complaint and add allegations of ongoing excavation without a special use permit.

The trial court granted Lima’s request for leave to file an amended complaint. In regard to Lima’s motion for a preliminary injunction and evidentiary hearing, the trial court stated: “Motions for Summary disposition will be heard on October 20, 2010 . . . and assuming motions for summary disposition are not granted, an evidentiary hearing on Plaintiff Lima Township’s request for Preliminary injunction shall be heard on November 18, 2010.”

[487]*487Lima filed its amended complaint on September 28, 2010. Shortly thereafter, the trial court entered a stipulated order dismissing Gough’s complaint for declaratory relief — Case No. 10-000373-CZ — without prejudice.5

On January 26,2011, Lima filed a trial brief and brief in opposition to appellants’ motion for summary disposition. Lima argued that appellants were not engaged in a legitimate farming activity protected under the RTFA. Lima supported its brief with affidavits, photographs, and other documentary evidence and requested that the trial court deny appellants’ motion for summary disposition and grant summary disposition in its favor pursuant to MCR 2.116(I)(2).

The trial court held a four-day evidentiary hearing on March 24, May 12, July 28, and July 29, 2011. At the hearing, several farmers from the area testified. This testimony showed that appellants kept heavy equipment on the property including trailers, flatbeds, gravel haulers, bulldozers, pay loaders and cranes. One witness testified that a farmer would want a lot of appellants’ equipment. In addition, testimony showed that there were piles of dirt, rocks, asphalt millings, and large excavation sites on the property. Several area farmers testified that trucks regularly came and went from the property and two farmers approximated the number of trucks at 500. Several witnesses testified that appellants planted a number of trees near the front of the property, but other testimony showed that there was no harvestable hay on the property and one area resident with a farming background testified that the [488]*488property was not desirable for farming. Other evidence showed that appellants were not violating the township’s soil erosion ordinance, and the township supervisor testified that there was no claim that appellants were operating a quarry.

Wayne Whitman, the environmental manager for the Right to Farm Program at the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDOA), also testified at the evidentiary hearing. Whitman inspected the property and reviewed aerial photographs of the property. He testified that some of the photographs depicted ground cover that appeared to be in “some sort of rows” or serving as “some kind of erosion control practice on that ground.” However, Whitman could not determine whether any farming was taking place because he did not know what type of vegetation was growing. Whitman testified that vegetation could suggest ongoing farming and that prairie grass and trees could be farm products. Whitman had written a letter after inspecting the property that addressed the RTFA and generally accepted agricultural and management practices (GAAMPs), and he agreed at the hearing that “tree planting and the use of water to irrigate the crops would be included in the definition” of farming activities protected by the RFTA. Whitman agreed that trees were planted on the property and he agreed that a pond used to irrigate crops would be protected under the RTFA. Whitman testified that the trees planted on the property indicated the potential for a farm market because they could be sold on the property.

In regard to the vehicles and equipment stored on the property, Whitman stated that he could not form an opinion as to whether they fell under the RFTA because he did not know what the equipment was used for. However, Whitman testified that if it was [489]*489being used for the commercial production of a farm product, then it would be permitted under the RTFA. Whitman further testified that the RTFA refers to the use of equipment and does not limit the amount of equipment that a person can maintain on a farm. Whitman also testified that he was aware of other farms that used heavy equipment for farming purposes, including bulldozers, cranes, and other “rather substantial equipment.”

Gough testified that she purchased the property intending to start a tree farm and that appellants had made significant improvements to the property in order to prepare it for farming. Specifically, appellants graded the property, made improvements to the driveway, and extended it to provide access to the rest of the property.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
302 Mich. App. 483, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lima-twp-v-bateson-michctapp-2013.