Lyon v. Fels

8 Ohio N.P. 450
CourtOhio Superior Court, Cincinnati
DecidedJuly 1, 1901
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 8 Ohio N.P. 450 (Lyon v. Fels) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Superior Court, Cincinnati primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lyon v. Fels, 8 Ohio N.P. 450 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1901).

Opinion

DEMPSEY, J.

' The facts of this case, as deduced from a careful consideration of the pleadings and agreed statement of all of the parties as to certain record facts, and the evidence as to other disputed facts, are as follows: The petition in this case was filed January 12th, 1897. On the 22d day of January, 7897, and for some time subsequent thereto, Ernst H. King, who is now deceased, was the owner in absolute fee simple of a tract of land in the city of Cincinnati, whihn tract of land fronted 180 feet on the north side of Oak street and ran northwardly, Between parallel lines, for depth 400 feet, and having a frontage on the easterly side of Highland avenue to the extent of said 400 teet. On the 21st day of May, 1868 the said' Ernst H. King, by a deed recorded in book 356, at page 183, of the Hamilton county deed records, conveyed to Charles Moser, out of this 180 by 400 feet tract, a lot of ground at the south-east corner of the tract; the lot conveyed laid 136 feet east of Highland Ave. and was described as a lot-fronting forty-five feet on the north side of Oak street, and extending back between lines parallel to Highland avenue, two hundred feet “to a private alley twelve feet wide.” The granting clause of said deed also contained the following grant immediately following the description of the specific lot conveyed; “also the full and entire right of way in, over, and upon a certain private alley twelve (12) feet wide, situate and lying two hundred (200) feet north of and parallel to Oak street and extending eastwardly from Highland avenue one hundred and eighty (180) feet to the east line of said lot numbered two (2).”

The original tract consisted of parts of lots numbered one and two of William Burnet’s subdivision, and “the east line or said lot numbered two” was in fact the east line of Ernst H. King’s said tract.

On the said May 21st, 1868,Ernest King, by his deed recorded in Book 356, at page 181, of the deed records of said Hamilton county, also conveyed to George Hoffman a lot lying immediately west of said lot conveyed to said Charles Moser; this lot was described as forty-five feet in front on the north side of Oak street, commencing ninety (90) feet east of Highland avenue, and extending back between lines parallel to c Highland avenue, two hundred feet, “to a private alley twelve feet wide.” The granting clause of the deed also contained a grant of a right of way in the exact language used in the deed to Charles Moser. In May 1878, Ernest H. King died, leaving a will, which was duly probated, whereby he granted unto Eliza King, his executrix, full power to sell any or all of his real estate, at private or public sale at such terms as she might deem best, and to give to the purchaser a good and sufficient deed for the same, in the same manner and to the same extent as he could do if she died before him, giving her full power and control of the premises, no act of hers to be called into question.

On the 6th day of May, 1879, Eliza King, as Executrix of Ernest IT. King, conveyed to John H. King, a lot at the northeast corner of Oak street and Highland avenue, being 47-feet front on Oak street; “thence north on the east line of Highland avenue, 200 feet to an alley; thence east with the south line of said [451]*451alley 47 feet;” and thence south 200 feet to Oak street. Except as contained in the description of the lot there is no reference to said alley, nor any special grant of a right of way in said alley as in the Moser and Hoffman deeds. On this 20th day of July, 1882, Eliza King, as Executrix of Ernest H. King, by her deed recorded in Book 534, at page 574, of the deed records of Hamilton county, conveyed to John V. Nicholai a lot of ground 74 feet on the east side of Highland avenue, and exten-’ing eastwardly between lines parallel to Oak street 180 feet in depth, and lying 200 feet north of Oak street. The granting clause of this deed contained the following condition or exception to the grant: That said premises hereby conveyed being subject to a twelve (12) foot private alley to be taken off the south side of the said premises, as created and provided for by said King in his life time by deeds in Book 356, pages 181 and 183 of the records aforesaid, which twelve (12) foot private alley is to be for the use of all the lots abutting thereon, and said Nicholai agrees to give five (.5) feet off the east end of said above described premises for the purpose of another private alley, as soon as the adjoining owner on the east gives five (5) feet off his premises for the same purpose.”

The let conveyed to Charles Moser, is now owned by Daniel L. Lyon, the plaintiff herein, die deed to him and the intermediate conveyances between him and Moser, containing a-grant of right of way in the identical language used in Ernest H. King’s deed to Moser. The Hoffman lot is now owned by his widow and devisees; the 43 feet front on Oak street lying between Hoffman’s lot and the corner lot sold to John H. King is still owned by thef devisees of Ernest H. King; the John H. King lot at the corner of Oak street and Highland avenue is now owned by his widow and heirs; the Nicolai lot on Highland avenue is now owned by George W. Fels, who acquired it September, 15th, 1890, under a conveyance which contained the following recital: “The said premises being subject to a twelve (12) foot private alley to be taken off the south side as created, and provided for by deed in Book 356, pages 181 and 183.” The alley way to its full length of , 180 feet and its full width of 12 feet has been j for over 26 years defined and marked by buildings, fences and walls on both the north and south sides. At the rear of Lyon’s and Hoffman’s lots, and marking the south line of the alley, stables are still standing which were erected over 26 years ago as is also a carpenter shop in the rear of Fels’ lot, erected 25 years ago, and which marks the north line of the alley. Ever since the grievances complained of in this case and mentioned hereinafter the alley had remained continuallly open at Highland avenue and without any bars or gate to obstruct or impede entrance and exit.

During all of this time also, there were gut-í ters in the alley into which the rain water from the roofs of the outbuildings, the surface water from the back yards of the Oak street houses, and probably the waste water from the kitchens and sinks of the Oak street houses, was wont to flow and run off into

Some question is made by the eivdence as to the extent that it was used, or could be used, with convenience, by horses and vehicles; but in the view that I have taken of the legal questions raised, I do not think it is material to the case one way or another whether it could be used by or for horses or not. Somewhere between 1890 and 1S95, the exact time the evidence does not disclose, the city of Cincinnati improved Highland avenue by sewering it, and also by lowering the grade, and curbing and paving the street. One consequence of this improvement was that the level of the pavement of Highland avenue at the street gutters was made considerably lower than the level of the private alley way; in addition to this, there is evidence on the part of Dr. Fels that the condition of the alley way itself became objectionable because of the alley becoming clogged up, and the way became in other respects out of repair, and, as he claims, obstructed On his own motion and without any notice to the other owners, Dr. Fels proceeded to repair and improve the alley way and to put it into good and serviceable condition. For this at various times he expended, in the aggregate, the sum of $265.28.

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Bluebook (online)
8 Ohio N.P. 450, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lyon-v-fels-ohsuperctcinci-1901.