Natale v. Everflow Eastern, Inc.

959 N.E.2d 602, 195 Ohio App. 3d 270
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 26, 2011
DocketNo. 2010-T-0088
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 959 N.E.2d 602 (Natale v. Everflow Eastern, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Natale v. Everflow Eastern, Inc., 959 N.E.2d 602, 195 Ohio App. 3d 270 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011).

Opinions

Timothy P. Cannon, Presiding Judge.

{¶ 1} Appellant, Paul C. Natale, appeals the summary judgment of the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas entered in favor of appellee, Everflow Eastern, Inc., on appellant’s claims based on nuisance. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

{¶ 2} Appellant filed a complaint against Everflow, alleging that appellant is the owner of a residence located at 2220 Tod Avenue in Warren, Ohio. He alleged that in April 2004, Everflow erected an oil and gas well and oil and gas storage tanks on the property of his next-door neighbor, Kevin Harris. Appellant alleged that the location of these tanks has created such an offensive smell, sight, and noise that he has been deprived of the enjoyment of his property and that Everflow has increased the level of flood water on his property.

{¶ 3} The complaint contained four claims against Everflow. Count I alleged nuisance. Count II sought an injunction against the alleged nuisance. Count III alleged the violation of local zoning ordinances. Count IV alleged intentional misconduct, specifically, that Everflow intentionally erected the oil and gas tanks near appellant’s property in order to annoy, harass, and retaliate against him.

{¶ 4} Subsequently, Everflow filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that appellant’s claims were barred because its well and tanks are in compliance with all state and local requirements.

{¶ 5} Appellant filed a brief in opposition to Everflow’s motion for summary judgment. In support, appellant submitted an affidavit in which he conceded that Everflow had obtained a zoning variance and a permit from the city of Warren and a permit from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources allowing it to drill an oil and gas well on Harris’s property. It is undisputed that Everflow obtained all necessary permits and is in compliance with all applicable regulations with respect to the location and operation of the well and tanks.

{¶ 6} Appellant further stated in his affidavit that the well is located about 70 feet from his property line and about 200 feet from his house. He said that the storage tanks are located 15 feet from his property line. He said that the tanks are located on about five feet of fill dirt near his property, making it unsafe and impossible to build any other structures on it.

{¶ 7} Further, appellant stated that the well is noisy because of a squeaky and screeching pump shaft that occasionally wakes him up at night and sounds like a “washing machine.” He also said the storage tanks emit a foul-smelling odor [275]*275from the mixture of brine water and oil, which, he said, has "dampened" any outdoor recreational use of his property.

{1I 8} Appellant said that to facilitate the installation of the well and tanks, Harris filled in the floodplain, causing water to be diverted onto appellant's property, causing it to flood.

{~I 9} Appellant stated that Everfiow deliberately placed the well and storage tanks close to his property to retaliate against him for refusing to grant an easement to Everflow across his property when Everfiow previously wanted to drill a well on another parcel. N,

{p10} Appellant further said that the "pump jack" on the well creates a significant noise and is the only such pump jack out of the 350 wells that Everfiow has drilled throughout the area and the only one that makes such a noise.

{¶ 11} The trial court entered summary judgment in favor of Everflow on all of appellant’s claims against it. The court found that appellant’s evidence with respect to Everflow’s dumping fill, removing trees from appellant’s property, and locating its well on the Harris property after obtaining city and state approval was insufficient to establish a nuisance. The court also found that the placement of the well and its operation did not constitute a nuisance based on negligence. Further, the court found that the operation of the well was not a nuisance per se because the operation of the well was pursuant to state approval. With respect to appellant’s claim based on Everflow’s alleged violation of local zoning ordinances, the court found that appellant’s claim was barred because “the State of Ohio has preempted local regulation in regard to oversight of oil and gas drilling operations.” Finally, the court found no that evidence was presented to establish any intentional misconduct with respect to the location or operation of the well.

{¶ 12} Appellant appealed the trial court’s judgment, asserting three assignments of error. For his first assigned error, appellant alleges:

{¶ 13} “The trial court erred as a matter of law by granting appellee’s motion for summary judgment and dismissing appellant’s claims based upon an improper weighing of the evidence.”

{¶ 14} Appellate courts review a trial court’s grant of summary judgment de novo. Alden v. Kovar, 11th Dist. Nos. 2007-T-0114 and 2007-T-0115, 2008-Ohio-4302, 2008 WL 3892181, ¶ 34, citing Brown v. Scioto Cty. Bd. of Commrs. (1993), 87 Ohio App.3d 704, 711, 622 N.E.2d 1153. The Brown court held, “[W]e review the judgment independently and without deference to the trial court’s determination.” Id. An appellate court must evaluate the record “in a light most favorable to the nonmoving party.” Link v. Leadworks Corp. (1992), 79 Ohio App.3d 735, [276]*276741, 607 N.E.2d 1140. Furthermore, a motion for summary judgment must be overruled if reasonable minds could find for the party opposing the motion. Id.

{¶ 15} In order for summary judgment to be granted, the moving party must prove the following:

{¶ 16} “(1) [N]o genuine issue as to any material fact remains to be litigated, (2) the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law, and (3) it appears from the evidence that reasonable minds can come to but one conclusion, and viewing such evidence most strongly in favor of the nonmoving party, that conclusion is adverse to the party against whom the motion for summary judgment is made.” Mootispaw v. Eckstein (1996), 76 Ohio St.3d 383, 385, 667 N.E.2d 1197.

{¶ 17} In Dresher v. Burt (1996), 75 Ohio St.3d 280, 296, 662 N.E.2d 264, the Supreme Court of Ohio held:

{¶ 18} “[T]he moving party bears the initial responsibility of informing the trial court of the basis for the motion, and identifying those portions of the record which demonstrate the absence of a genuine issue of fact on a material element of the nonmoving party’s claim. The ‘portions of the record’ to which we refer are those evidentiary materials listed in Civ.R. 56(C), such as the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, etc., that have been filed in the case.” (Emphasis omitted.)

{¶ 19} If the moving party satisfies its burden, then the nonmoving'party has the burden of providing evidence demonstrating a genuine issue of material fact. If the nonmoving party does not satisfy this burden, then summary judgment is appropriate. Civ.R. 56(E).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Concerned Residents of Salem Twp. v. Stevenson
2023 Ohio 2135 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2023)
Krlich v. Clemente
2017 Ohio 7945 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2017)
McWreath v. Cortland Bank
2015 Ohio 5457 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2015)
Gevelaar v. Millennium Inorganic Chems.
2013 Ohio 435 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2013)
State ex rel. Morrison v. Beck Energy Corp.
2013 Ohio 356 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2013)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
959 N.E.2d 602, 195 Ohio App. 3d 270, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/natale-v-everflow-eastern-inc-ohioctapp-2011.