Miller v. Slater

186 S.E. 413, 182 Ga. 552, 1936 Ga. LEXIS 490
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedJune 12, 1936
DocketNo. 11284
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 186 S.E. 413 (Miller v. Slater) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. Slater, 186 S.E. 413, 182 Ga. 552, 1936 Ga. LEXIS 490 (Ga. 1936).

Opinion

Bell, Justice.

Clifford A. Miller filed a suit in equity against Pauline A. Slater. The court sustained a general demurrer and dismissed the action, and the plaintiff excepted. The petition was in two counts. The first count alleged the following:

“2. On and long prior to June 8th, 1925, James C. Slater owned front lot 69 in ward three on Tybee Isand, in said county.
“3. The value of said lot was that it fronted the beach and the ocean, and had free access thereto.
' “4. On said June 8, 1925, she [the plaintiff] purchased for the sum of $2000 from said James C. Slater the western portion of said lot, having a width of seventy feet and a depth of one hundred and fifty feet, and received a deed therefor, in which the same was bounded north by the northern ten feet of said lot, on the east by the remaining portion of said lot, and west by Main Street'(Butler Avenue). Attached to said deed and made a part thereof was a plat of the property conveyed, and on said northern ten feet appeared the words “Cement Driveway.” The said deed also conveyed all and singular the easements, hereditaments, rights, privileges, members and appurtenances to the same belonging or in any wise appertaining.
“5. While said J. C. Slater was the owner of said lot, and before the purchase by petitioner, he laid a concrete driveway on said northern ten feet of said lot extending from the western boundary of said lot to and beyond the portion thereof bought by petitioner, and there was no mark of separation between the portion of said lot bought by her and said way. ■
[553]*553• “6. At or about the point opposite the improvements on the eastern part of said lot said way became more narrow, and continued as a wooden way to the eastern boundary of said lot, affording easy access to beach and ocean.
“7. With the knowledge of said James C. Slater, petitioner proceeded to erect improvements on her portion of said lot, and relying upon the right to use said way she built her garage into said improvements so near to said way that it is impossible for her to drive a car in or out of said garage without using said way.
“8. The price paid by petitioner for the portion of the lot purchased by her was grossly excessive and unreasonable, without the use of said way from the western to the eastern boundary of said lot.
“9. The use of said way was the chief inducement to petitioner in the purchase of said lot.
“10. The use of said way was and is necessary to the reasonable enjoyment of her lot.
“11. Said way was created and intended for the common use of the owners of portions of said lot.
“12. Said way and the right of passage over the same constitute an easement appurtenant to the lot purchased by her.
“13. She has had the continuous, adverse, free and unobstructed use of the same from the time of her purchase until on or about May 20, 1935.
“14. Defendant is the owner of the eastern portion of said lot, and the successor in title of the said J. C. Slater.
“15. On or about May 20, 1935, on the eve of the rental season for property on Tybee, the defendant built along the line of said concrete way from the western boundary of petitioner’s lot to the eastern boundary thereof a stout wire fence about five feet in height, strung on substantial posts, and said fence completely excludes petitioner from the use of said way in ingress and egress to and from her lot and access to the beach and ocean.
“16. The said fence and the consequent exclusion from said way destroys the desirability and availability of said property for occupation by petitioner, or for rental.
“17. She has heretofore rented said property for the sum of $450 for the summer season, and it has been impossible for her to rent the same for 1935, solely because of said fence, and defendant has damaged her in said sum.
[554]*554“18. The said fence and the exclusion from said way has greatly depreciated the value of said lot and improvements thereon, and destroyed their use for the purpose for which they were bought by petitioner.
“19. The said fence is a continuing trespass and nuisance.”

The prayers were for process, injunction, damages, a decree declaring that the driveway constitutes an easement, and for general relief. The second count was the same as the first through paragraph 6. The remainder of the second count was as follows :

“7. The price paid by petitioner for the portion of the lot purchased by her was grossly excessive and unreasonable, without the use of said way from the western to the eastern boundary of said lot.
“8. The use of said way was the chief inducement to the petitioner in the purchase of said lot.
“9. Shortly after her purchase aforesaid, and after she had expended about $80 in the beginning of the erection of improvements thereon, the defendant, then the wife, now the widow, of the said J. C. Slater objected so strenuously to the latter having sold it that petitioner, who did not wish to be obnoxious to the neighbor on the remainder of said lot, approached the said J. C. Slater with reference to said objections. He assured petitioner that she should always have the use of said way, but said he would rescind the purchase if petitioner wished, by paying the amount she had paid, but not for money expended by her aforesaid.
“10. Acting upon said assurance petitioner erected improvements on said lot purchased by her at a cost of about $3000, and relying upon said assurance, and with the knowledge of the said J. O. Slater, she built her garage into said improvements so near to said way that it is impossible for her to drive a car in or out of said garage without using said way.
“11. Said way and the right of passage over the same became and remained an easement appurtenant to the lot purchased by her.
“12. She has had the continuous, adverse, free, and unobstructed use of the same from the time of her purchase until on or about May 20, 1935.
“13. Defendant is the owner of the eastern portion of said lot, and the successor in title of the said J. C. Slater.
“14. On or about May 20, 1935, on the eve of the rental season [555]*555for property at Tybee, the defendant built along the line, of said concrete way from the western boundary of petitioner’s lot to the eastern boundary thereof a stout wire fence about five feet in height, strung on substantial posts, and said fence completely excludes petitioner from the use of said way in ingress and egress to and from her lot and access to the beach and ocean.
“15. The said fence and the consequent exclusion from said way destroys the desirability and availability of said property for occupation by petitioner, or for rental.
“16.

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Bluebook (online)
186 S.E. 413, 182 Ga. 552, 1936 Ga. LEXIS 490, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-slater-ga-1936.