McCord v. Farms

569 S.W.2d 690, 1978 Ky. App. LEXIS 564
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedApril 7, 1978
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 569 S.W.2d 690 (McCord v. Farms) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCord v. Farms, 569 S.W.2d 690, 1978 Ky. App. LEXIS 564 (Ky. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinion

WINTERSHEIMER, Judge.

This appeal is from a summary judgment entered March 22, 1977, on a petition for a declaration of rights, initially filed August 13, 1976, regarding the application and interpretation of agricultural zoning statutes.

In March, 1976, appellee Pineway Farms contracted to purchase a 140 acre tract of land in Woodford County, fronting on Highway 33 and Scotts Ferry Road. On April 16,1976, the appellees lodged for record in the County Clerk’s Office a plat for a division of this tract, to be known as Pine-way Farms. The plat had not been submitted to or approved by the Woodford County Planning and Zoning Commission. The plat recited that it was a division of land for agricultural purposes, with the said purpose to include, but not be limited to, one dwelling per tract. The plat indicated that the land would be divided into eighteen separate units. Seventeen of the tracts ranged in size from five acres to six acres, with the eighteenth tract containing 53.2 acres. Most of the large lot lies behind the smaller lots. The plat provides for eighteen new driveways with access to Scotts Ferry Road and Kentucky Highway 33. On August 13, 1976, the appellants sought a declaration of rights to construe the zoning laws against the appellees.

The following legal questions are presented:

1) Did the trial court commit reversible error when it ruled that this action was suitable for a summary judgment?
2) Did the trial court commit reversible error in ruling that the interpretation of the language of KRS 100.111(22) was a legislative function rather than a judicial function?
3) Was there an actual or justifiable controversy, sufficient to allow a declaratory judgment proceeding?
4) Did the trial court correctly define the words “a division of land for agricultural purposes” as those words are used in KRS 100.111(22)?
5) Did the trial court commit reversible error when it ruled that the Woodford County zoning ordinance’s density requirements for agriculturally zoned land did not apply to the tract now defined as Pineway Farms?

This Court reverses the judgment of the trial court and remands this case for further proceedings.

The trial court committed reversible error when it decided that there were no genuine issues of material fact, and that the movant was entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.

[692]*692It is well settled that the party moving for a summary judgment has the burden of establishing the fact that there is no genuine issue and he is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. All doubts must be resolved against the moving party. Even though the trial judge may believe that the party opposing a motion for summary judgment may not ultimately prevail at trial, he should not render a summary judgment if there is a material issue of fact. The trial court must examine the evidentiary material, not in order to decide any issue of fact, but only to determine if a real issue does exist. The party moving for a summary judgment should not succeed unless the right to judgment is demonstrated with such clarity that there is no room left for controversy, and it is clearly established that the opposing party cannot prevail. 7 W. Clay, Kentucky Practice, CR 56.03 (3rd Ed. 1974).

Here, the appellees offered affidavits of persons who were considering purchasing a tract of Pineway Farms. This alone created the first question of fact concerning the purpose of the land division, since three of the prospective purchasers stated that they planned to purchase lots in order to build a house. The other prospective buyer was a real estate salesman who was interested in selling to other potential buyers. The record also indicates the possible factual dispute relative to the advertising of the lots as residential building sites. The appellees argue that, without exception, the prospective buyers indicated their intention to live on the land and to grow crops. If nothing else, this creates a question of fact which is not satisfactorily resolved by the trial court.

Additionally, the appellants offered counter-affidavits relative to the possible invia-ble economic status of a five acre tract, and the existing situation in the county as to agricultural assessments and related matters. The trial court ignored such counter-affidavits.

Further, it appears that a substantial question as to the proper filing of the plat of the division of land, in possible violation of the county zoning requirements, was raised in the record, but not addressed by the trial court’s decision.

It appears that the trial court simply recites the language required to support the rule, and in fact, the record is to the contrary.

This Court believes that the trial judge erred in holding that the interpretation and construction of a statute is a legislative rather than a judicial function. Certainly, any such judicial activity must be consistent with the reasonably clear meaning of the statutes, as measured by the constitutional limitations which may be involved, however, the interpretation of KRS 100.111(22) is a proper judicial function. Clearly, the courts should not legislate, but the courts must interpret. It is necessary for the courts to provide reasonable interpretation of the language used by the legislature, where a legitimate controversy arises as to the meaning of the language used, until the legislature can expand its own definition, it if so desires.

To the extent that the trial court granted a summary judgment, it was error, in an action to construe a statutory exemption, to fail to provide a meaningful definition to the words “division of land for agricultural purposes” appearing in KRS 100.-111(22). The very substance of this case involves the statutory construction of KRS 100.111(22) as it applies to the facts here. The statutory definition of subdivision is designed to mandate that the prior planning and zoning requirements and subdivision regulations of a local planning authority be applied to all significant land divisions. The pertinent exemption is for a division of land for agricultural purposes into parcels of five acres or more, not involving a new street. Clearly, the legislature wished to exempt the legitimate farmer who divides part of his farm real estate among the members of his family. The entire plan of KRS Chapter 100 is a scheme for land use control. The exception in KRS 100.111(22) is designed to insure that any division of agricultural land is made for the [693]*693purpose of protecting agricultural interests. Here, Pineway Farms lies entirely within an agriculturally zoned area, so designated by the local governing body.

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Bluebook (online)
569 S.W.2d 690, 1978 Ky. App. LEXIS 564, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccord-v-farms-kyctapp-1978.