Mingledorff v. Crum

388 So. 2d 632
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedSeptember 25, 1980
DocketSS-438
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 388 So. 2d 632 (Mingledorff v. Crum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mingledorff v. Crum, 388 So. 2d 632 (Fla. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

388 So.2d 632 (1980)

Frank C. MINGLEDORFF, Appellant,
v.
William CRUM, Preston Daughtry, and Leon Crum, As Trustees of the Voluntary Unincorporated Association, Appellees.

No. SS-438.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.

September 25, 1980.

*633 Alfred O. Shuler of Shuler, Apalachicola, for appellant.

Brandt W. Davis, Apalachicola, for appellees.

McCORD, Judge.

This appeal is from a final declaratory judgment finding and declaring the rights of the respective parties in relation to land used over a period of years as a cemetery. We find no error. The learned trial judge has set forth the facts and the law in relation to this controversy in opinion form. Since we agree with it and could not improve upon it were we to write an opinion, we adopt it as the opinion of this Court as follows:

1. The petitioners, William Crum, Preston Daughtry and Leon Crum, describe themselves as trustees of an unincorporated voluntary association known as Roberts Cemetery Association. They seek to have the area of a burial ground located on property claimed to be owned by defendant declared to be a dedicated public cemetery with right of members of families and descendants of those now buried there to have the right of burial in the cemetery so long as spaces are available, and to declare a right of the plaintiff trustees to enclose and properly maintain the area and to have access to same from the nearest public road.

2. The defendant denies there has been any dedications and claims ownership of the area and denies any rights to future burials. He challenges the standing of plaintiffs and otherwise asserts loss of any rights to use the property for future burials. By Counterclaim he also seeks to quiet the title to the lands by removing any cloud arising out of the presence of grave sites on the property claimed by him.

3. As will be more fully discussed hereinafter, the Court finds that the property described below is and has been set apart by acts and deeds of owners of the property, who have created an easement therein for the burial of those already interred and for the future burial of descendants of and members of families of those now buried there so long as spaces are available:

Commence at the concrete monument located on the northern boundary of State Road number S-370, which is 40 feet north of the SW corner of W 1/25 of NW 1/4 of SW 1/4 of Section 1, Twp. 6 S, R 3 W (said corner being in the center line of said State Road S-370), thence run north 89° 41' 31.7" east 788.11 feet along the north boundary of State Road S-370 to a concrete monument, thence run north 4° 24' 21" east a distance of 162 feet, more or less, across the outline of an old dirt rut road and along an established fence line to a point on the northern edge of a wooded area adjoining a cleared and maintained area in which graves are located, which is the POINT OF BEGINNING; thence continue north 4° 24' 21" E, along the said fence line a distance of 223.09 feet, more or less, to a point 36 feet, more or less, south of the top of the south bank of the Ochlockonee River, thence run north 89° 30' 21" east parallel *634 to the top of the south bank of said river a distance of 67.76 feet to a point, thence run south 0° 46' 28" east, parallel to a marked driveway a distance of 219 feet, more or less, to a point on the northern edge of the wooded area adjoining the above mentioned cleared area, thence run in a westerly direction to the point of beginning.

(The above calls are drawn from or interpolated by reference to a survey by Miller Walston, Registered Surveyor, dated January 4, 1979 and in evidence as Plaintiff's Exhibit 1.)

4. It is the intent of this Court that the above said description of the cemetery shall not be construed as an accurate survey of the area so designated. It is merely an approximation to describe same. The cemetery described herein shall include all visible graves now present, and shall establish a buffer zone fifteen feet wide between the driveway separating the cemetery from the respondent's adjacent property and the eastern most visible grave site. A further buffer zone of about thirty-six feet wide is established between the top of the south bank of the Ochlockonee River and the northern most visible grave site. No burials shall be made in the buffer zones nor in other areas not included in the description above given.

5. The Court finds that the area designated is and has been a fully visible burial ground for many years, and was originally made available with the knowledge, consent and cooperation of the then title owners of the property. Such was not evidenced by any title documents or other paper evidence until the execution of a deed, dated May 24, 1977, from Fenton Jones to petitioners, recorded June 27, 1978 in O R Book 140 p. 614 of the Franklin County public records. The deed purported to convey the area sought by petitioners to be declared a public cemetery, and extends from State Road S-370 northerly about 400 feet to the Ochlockonee River, and varies in width from a little over 100 feet at the road to about 80 feet along the river. Mr. Jones had no title to the property, and thus the instrument itself is not a valid muniment of title.

6. The plaintiffs contend that the area they claim has been dedicated as a public cemetery and that such should be judicially declared. The defendant denies that there has been a valid dedication. He evidences no interest or intention to disturb any existing graves or to interfere with relatives or friends who wish to visit and maintain upkeep on the burial sites presently there. He does object to the area being classified as a public cemetery with burial being available for any person. He does not object to future use for interment of family and close connections of those already buried there, but desires to confine it to an area along the west fence line, more or less in the general vicinity in the center of the plot, which includes a twenty-five-foot square enclosed area of six graves, and extends westerly to the general area of a 5' X 7' fenced plot lying just outside of and west of the fence. The smaller fenced plot lies outside of the land involved here. However, to restrict the area available for future burials to that suggested by Mr. Mingledorff would preclude burials in the close vicinity of many graves located outside this area.

7. There seems to be little statutory or case law in Florida dealing with the issues in this case. The plaintiffs contend there has been a common law dedication of this property for a public cemetery. A common law dedication is defined as the setting apart of lands for public use, to constitute which there must be an intention by the owner clearly indicated by his words or acts to dedicate the land to public use and an acceptance by the public of the dedication. Palmetto v. Katsch, 86 Fla. 506, 98 So. 352; Miami v. F.E.C.R. Co., 79 Fla. 539, 84 So. 726. An intent to effect such a dedication may be shown by any act by the owner showing conclusively an intent to dedicate and an acceptance by the public. Miami v. Jansik, (Fla.) 89 So.2d 644. It may result from the conduct of the owner or by his permissive manifestations, Lovey v. Escambia County, Fla. 1st DCA 1962, 141 So.2d 761. However, strictly speaking *635 there can be no dedication to private uses or to uses public in nature but the enjoyment of which is restricted to a limited part of the public. Burnham v. Davis Island, Inc., Fla. 1956, 87 So.2d 97. The substance of dedication is that it is for the use of the public at large. See 10 Fla.Jur.

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Bluebook (online)
388 So. 2d 632, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mingledorff-v-crum-fladistctapp-1980.