M.B. Canton Company, Inc. v. Board of Adjustment of the City of Mobile.

81 So. 3d 1284, 2011 WL 4507307, 2011 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 266
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Alabama
DecidedSeptember 30, 2011
Docket2100301
StatusPublished

This text of 81 So. 3d 1284 (M.B. Canton Company, Inc. v. Board of Adjustment of the City of Mobile.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
M.B. Canton Company, Inc. v. Board of Adjustment of the City of Mobile., 81 So. 3d 1284, 2011 WL 4507307, 2011 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 266 (Ala. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

M.B. Canton Company, Inc. (“Canton”), appeals from a summary judgment of the Mobile Circuit Court in favor of the Board [1285]*1285of Adjustment of the City of Mobile (“the Board”). We affirm.

Facts and Procedural History

Canton owns a parcel of real property that is next to a parcel of real property owned by Scott Callahan and Jacqui Callahan. One of the structures on the Callahan property was a pool house, which was also partially situated on the Canton property, pursuant to an easement.1 The pool house was classified under the Mobile zoning ordinance as a nonconforming structure because it did not meet the setback requirements of the ordinance. The pool house was damaged in Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. The Callahans sought to restore the pool house and entered into negotiations with the City of Mobile (“the City”) for a building permit. Canton responded to the Callahans’ efforts by filing a lawsuit in the Mobile Circuit Court, alleging that the Callahans’ easement for the pool house had been extinguished. After Canton filed its lawsuit, the City agreed to hold the permitting process for the restoration of the pool house in abeyance until after the lawsuit had concluded.

On October 17, 2008, the circuit court entered a judgment in favor of the Calla-hans, determining that the easement for the pool house had not been extinguished. The October 17, 2008, judgment also stated that,

“[i]f the [Callahans] desire to remedy the damage resulting from Hurricane Katrina, they shall promptly proceed with and complete the permitting process within 120 days. There was evidence at trial about the possible impact of new building codes, and [the Calla-hans] are authorized to update the pool/ guest house so as to comply with any new codes, provided that they do not materially alter the character of the easement. [The Callahans] shall under no circumstances cause the footprint of the pool/guest house to be increased; If necessary permits are obtained, [the Callahans] are to commence and complete the permitted work in a reasonable time, as opposed to deferring the work for any period of time. The foregoing time frames shall be automatically extended if there are post-judgment or appellate proceedings in this case, or if there is litigation over the permitting process, to the extent of any resulting delay that is not attributable to [the Callahans’] unwillingness to proceed as directed.”

Canton appealed the October 17, 2008, judgment to the Alabama Supreme Court, which transferred the appeal to this court, pursuant to § 12-2-7(6), Ala.Code 1975. This court affirmed the circuit court’s judgment, without an opinion. M.B. Canton Co. v. Callahan (No. 2080439, September 25, 2009), 58 So.3d 858 (Ala.Civ.App.2009) (table). Canton then petitioned our supreme court for the writ of certiorari, which that court denied on January 15, 2010.

Following the conclusion of Canton’s lawsuit, the Callahans renewed their application for a building permit with the City. The Callahans’ building-permit application included plans to increase the height of the pool house to comply with regulations promulgated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”). On March 19, 2010, the City’s Urban Planning Department issued a building permit to the [1286]*1286Callahans for the restoration of the pool house. Canton then appealed to the Board, challenging the Urban Planning Department’s decision to issue the building permit to the Callahans.

The Board held a hearing on Canton’s appeal, at which Canton was represented by counsel.2 The Callahans were also present at the hearing before the Board. At the hearing before the Board, Canton argued that the zoning ordinance requires that, in order to restore a nonconforming structure, the owner must apply for a building permit within one year of the occurrence of the damage and must complete construction within two years. Canton argued that the Callahans had not met those time requirements. Canton also argued that, although the zoning ordinance allows a party to apply to the Board for an extension of those deadlines, the Callahans had not applied to the Board for an extension under the zoning ordinance. Thus, Canton argued, the Callahans had abandoned the pool house and, consequently, the Urban Planning Department had erred in issuing the Callahans a building permit to restore the pool house. The Board upheld the issuance of the building permit to the Callahans. Canton appealed the decision of the Board to the circuit court for a trial de novo.

Canton moved the circuit court for a summary judgment in its favor. In its motion for a summary judgment, Canton argued that the Callahans had not met the requirements of the zoning ordinance because they failed to obtain a permit within one year of the date of the damage to the pool house and failed to complete construction within two years of that date. Canton also alleged that the Callahans failed to apply for an extension of the time deadlines in the zoning ordinance. Canton further argued that, because the Callahans failed to apply for an extension from the Board, any variance granted by the Board from the deadlines in the ordinance was error because, Canton argued, any hardship suffered by the Callahans was brought about by their own actions. Additionally, Canton argued that the zoning ordinance did not authorize the Board to issue a permit that would allow the Calla-hans to increase the height of pool house.

The Board responded to Canton’s motion for a summary judgment. and also moved the circuit court for a summary judgment in its favor. The Board argued that the delays in the permitting and construction of the pool house were due to the actions of Canton, not the inaction of the Callahans. The Board also argued that the Board had the authority to grant the Callahans a variance from the time requirements of the zoning ordinance. Finally, the Board argued that the increase in the height of the pool house was allowable under the zoning ordinance because, the Board said, it did not increase the nonconformity of the structure.

On August 25, 2010, the circuit court denied Canton’s motion for a summary judgment and entered a summary judgment in favor of the Board. Canton appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court, which transferred the appeal to this court pursuant to § 12-2-7(6), Ala.Code 1975.

Standard of Review

“Our review of a summary judgment is de novo. ‘A motion for summary judgment is granted only when the evidence demonstrates that “there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Rule 56(c), Ala. R. Civ. P.’ Reichert v. City of Mobile, 776 So.2d 761, 764 (Ala.2000). [1287]*1287We apply ‘the same standard as that of the trial court in determining whether the evidence before the court made out a genuine issue of material fact.’ Bussey v. John Deere Co., 5B1 So.2d 860, 862 (Ala.1988); System Dynamics Int’l, Inc. v. Boykin, 683 So.2d 419, 420 (Ala.1996). In order to defeat a properly supported motion for a summary judgment, the nonmoving party must present substantial evidence that creates a genuine issue of material fact. ‘Substantial evidence’ is ‘evidence of such weight and quality that fair-minded persons in the exercise of impartial judgment can reasonably infer the existence of the fact sought to be proved.’ West v. Founders Life Assurance Co. of Florida,

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Related

SYSTEM DYNAMICS INTERN., INC. v. Boykin
683 So. 2d 419 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1996)
Reichert v. City of Mobile
776 So. 2d 761 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2000)
Borders v. City of Huntsville
875 So. 2d 1168 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2003)
Ex Parte City of Fairhope & Bd. of Adjustments
739 So. 2d 35 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1999)
West v. Founders Life Assur. Co. of Florida
547 So. 2d 870 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
81 So. 3d 1284, 2011 WL 4507307, 2011 Ala. Civ. App. LEXIS 266, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mb-canton-company-inc-v-board-of-adjustment-of-the-city-of-mobile-alacivapp-2011.