Max Hurlbut v. James M. Crines

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedSeptember 28, 2020
Docket79758-1
StatusPublished

This text of Max Hurlbut v. James M. Crines (Max Hurlbut v. James M. Crines) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Max Hurlbut v. James M. Crines, (Wash. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

MAX HURLBUT and HUEIH-HUEIH ) No. 79758-1-I HURLBUT, in their individual capacities ) and as a marital community, ) ) Respondents, ) ) DIVISION ONE v. ) ) JAMES M. and JONI J. CRINES, in ) PUBLISHED OPINION their individual capacities and as a ) marital community; STEVEN M. and ) KELLY L. WYNKOOP, in their ) individual capacities and as a ) marital community; BRADLEY J. ) KRANTZ and ELIZABETH A. ) DUNPHY, in their individual capacities ) and as a marital community; ) MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC ) REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., a ) Delaware corporation, ) ) Appellants. ) )

MANN, C.J. — This is an easement dispute over an access easement to Lake

Whatcom. The easement encumbers waterfront property owned by Max and Hueih-

Hueih Hurlbut (collectively Hurlbuts). The easement provided lake access and

benefitted upland properties owned by the Hurlbuts, James, and Joni Crines No. 79758-1-I/2

(collectively Crineses), and Steven M. and Kelly L. Wynkoop, and Bradley J. Krantz and

Elizabeth A. Dunphy (collectively Wynkoops).

The Hurlbuts sought quiet title to the easement claiming that the Crineses and

Wynkoops violated the rules of the easement and failed to fully pay annual

assessments. The Hurlbuts and Wynkoops settled, with the Wynkoops giving up their

easement right. After a bench trial, the trial court determined that the easement

included a termination provision, but it found that the Crineses had not materially

violated the terms. The trial court also ordered the Crineses to reimburse the Hurlbuts

for maintenance expenses and for a portion of the Hurlbuts’ insurance premiums.

The Crineses appeal and contend that the trial court erred in concluding that the

easement included a termination provision and erred in ordering that the Crineses

reimburse the Hurlbuts for past maintenance expenses. We agree with the Crineses

and reverse those portions of the trial court’s decision.

The Hurlbuts cross appeal contending that the trial court erred in concluding: (1)

that the Crineses did not substantially violate the easement and thereby justify

termination of the easement; (2) in failing to enforce the unwritten agreement making

the Crineses solely responsible for maintenance costs for 10 years; (3) that the attorney

fees incurred by the Hurlbuts to challenge the Wynkoops’ actions were not a shared

costs; (4) that the Crineses were only responsible for a 1/11th share of the liability

insurance obtained by the Hurlbuts; and (5) that the Crineses’ base cost sharing

remained 4/11ths instead of 4/8ths after the Wynkoops gave up their interest in the

easement. We disagree with the Hurlbuts’ contentions and affirm the trial court’s

relevant conclusions. We also reverse the trial court’s order requiring the Crineses to

-2- No. 79758-1-I/3

pay 1/11th of the Hurlbuts’ insurance premium because it was outside the scope of the

easement.

FACTS

Brothers Kim Hurlbut and Max Hurlbut1 owned 11 lots, comprising 3 parcels,

upland and separated from Lake Whatcom by Lake Whatcom Boulevard. Kim and

Hurlbut also owned the lakefront parcel directly across from the 11 lots (lakefront

property). In 2002, Kim and Hurlbut executed and recorded an easement agreement,

creating an easement that benefitted the three upland parcels by providing access to

Lake Whatcom through the lakefront property.

In 2004, the Hurlbuts sold one of the four-lot upland parcels to the Crineses

(Crineses’ property) and a three-lot upland parcel to the Wynkoops. The Hurlbuts

retained a four-lot parcel for themselves (Hurlbut property). The Crineses and Hurlbuts

have single family residences on their parcels. The Wynkoops property is a vacant lot.

The Crineses purchased their property, in part, because of the easement

providing lake access over the lakefront property. Over the years, the Hurlbuts adopted

various rules for the owners’ use of the lakefront property. At first, the owners were

cooperative, but eventually the Hurlbuts claimed that the Wynkoops became “bad actors

and even worse neighbors.” The Crineses, however, did not materially violate any of

the rules of the easement.

From 2004, when the Crineses purchased their property, until 2013, Hurlbut

personally performed all of the maintenance work on the lakefront property without

1 Max Hurlbut will be referred to as Hurlbut, while his brother Kim Hurlbut, who is a nonparty, will be referred to as Kim. No disrespect is intended.

-3- No. 79758-1-I/4

charge to the benefitting properties under the easement. In various writings over the

years, Hurlbut stated to the Crineses and the Wynkoops that he was performing

maintenance for a time without charge and, eventually, he would be unable to perform

the maintenance personally. As the Crineses and the Wynkoops paid nothing for

maintenance, Hurlbut expected that they would be responsible for the maintenance and

any associated expense for a similar time when he could no longer complete the work

himself. This expectation was neither put into writing, nor signed by the Crineses or the

Wynkoops. Even so, the Crineses and the Wynkoops did not pay any maintenance

costs associated with the lakefront property for 10 years. The Crineses were aware of

the Hurlbuts’ expectation and did not object or otherwise respond to the Hurlbuts’

communications.

The easement provides that the grantor may assess the grantees on a pro rata

share basis, all expenses associated with maintenance, taxes, and repair of the

lakefront property. The Hurlbuts issued assessments at the end of the year to the

Wynkoops and the Crineses, based on the proportionate lots they each owned. In

2012, the Hurlbuts added an umbrella policy to their homeowner’s insurance for the

lakefront property out of concern over the Wynkoops’ use, which included inviting

people to swim and use a jet ski from the lakefront property dock. The Hurlbuts

included a proportionate share of the cost of the policy in the annual assessment for

2012.

The Crineses paid all assessments issued by the Hurlbuts until the 2013

assessment. In the 2013 assessment, the Hurlbuts assigned a total assessment to the

Crineses of $616.24 for the maintenance, liability insurance coverage, and real estate

-4- No. 79758-1-I/5

taxes. The Hurlbuts allocated 4/7ths of the total maintenance costs to the Crineses,

3/7ths of the maintenance costs to the Wynkoops, and none to themselves. The

Crineses objected to the increased allocation for maintenance costs and the

assessment for the liability insurance. The Crineses tendered a check for $274.83 to

the Hurlbuts. The Hurlbuts returned the check.

In November 2014, the Hurlbuts issued the Crineses an assessment for

maintenance, liability insurance, and attorney fees, totaling $ 3,082.92. The

assessment included a share of $4,056.25 in attorney fees that the Hurlbuts incurred

challenging the Wynkoops’ attempt to build a parking lot on the Wynkoops’ property.

The Crineses did not pay the assessment.

In late January 2015, the Hurlbuts notified the Crineses and the Wynkoops by

letter that they were terminating the easement. On February 10, 2015, the Hurlbuts

filed a complaint in superior court seeking declaratory relief that the easement was

terminated and to quiet title the lakefront property. In December 2015, the Hurlbuts

settled all claims here against Wynkoops.

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Max Hurlbut v. James M. Crines, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/max-hurlbut-v-james-m-crines-washctapp-2020.