Passmore v. Hinchey

379 S.W.3d 497, 2010 Ark. App. 581, 2010 Ark. App. LEXIS 624
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arkansas
DecidedSeptember 8, 2010
DocketNo. CA 10-148
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 379 S.W.3d 497 (Passmore v. Hinchey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Passmore v. Hinchey, 379 S.W.3d 497, 2010 Ark. App. 581, 2010 Ark. App. LEXIS 624 (Ark. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

RITA W. GRUBER, Judge.

|! Appellant Jerry Passmore, as trustee of the Jerry and Gail Passmore Family Trust, appeals from an order of the Searcy County Circuit Court dismissing its lawsuit against appellees, Johnny Hinchey, individually and in his official capacity as county judge, and Mr. Hinchey’s agents, servants, and employees. Appellant acquired title to property in March 2006 across which lay a roadway connecting U.S. Highway 65 to Cove Creek Road. Appellant alleged in its complaint that ap-pellees had been driving trucks and other vehicles on the private road without permission. Appellant sought an injunction against appellees to end appellees’ trespassing; fair rental value for use of the roadway; and punitive damages Lagainst Mr. Hinchey, individually. Appellees filed a motion to dismiss, which the circuit court granted. We reverse the court’s order and remand the case.

In reviewing a circuit court’s decision on a motion to dismiss, we treat the facts alleged in the complaint as true and view them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Dollarway Patrons for Better Schools v. Morehead, 2010 Ark. 133, 361 S.W.3d 274. In testing the sufficiency of a complaint on a motion to dismiss, all reasonable inferences must be resolved in favor of the complaint, and the pleadings are to be liberally construed. Id. However, it is also true that our rules require fact pleading, and a complaint must state facts, not mere conclusions, in order to entitle the pleader to relief. Ark. R. Civ. P. 8(a)(1). We review a circuit court’s decision to grant a motion to dismiss for abuse of discretion. Doe v. Weiss, 2010 Ark. 150, 2010 WL 1253216.

I.

Appellant filed a complaint against ap-pellees on November 17, 2008, alleging that it had purchased certain property across which ran a private road in March 2006. Appellant also alleged that use of the road and creek crossing was by “permission only and [did] not exist by any easement, express or implied, or any right vested in third parties, the general public or Searcy County, Arkansas.” Appellant contended that, since the spring of 2008, Mr. Hinchey, individually and as county judge, and his employees had been trespassing on appellant’s land by driving trucks and other vehicles over the private roadway. Appellant alleged that it had asked appellees to stop, cease, and desist the trespasses and not to use its private road but that ^appellees had ignored the requests. Appellant claimed that Mr. Hinchey’s response to the request was that he was county judge and would do as he wanted whether appellant liked it or not. The complaint also provided notice pursuant to Ark.Code Ann. § 5-39-304 that appellees were not to enter appellant’s property or they would be considered appropriate subjects for criminal charges.

An amended complaint, filed on August 3, 2009, added a paragraph alleging that the Quorum Court of Searcy County had never passed an ordinance for the taking of appellant’s property or appropriated county funds for paying just compensation for the land or rental thereof. Appellant also added that Mr. Hinchey, individually and as county judge, and his agents, servants, and employees had continued to travel across appellant’s property despite being notified under Ark.Code Ann. § 5-39-304 that any such use of appellant’s property would be treated as a criminal trespass. Thus, appellant alleged, appel-lees had violated appellant’s rights under the Arkansas Constitution, article 2, sections 2, 3, 13, 21, and 22. Appellant alleged that appellees were denying appellant its rights, privileges, immunities, and protections secured by the Arkansas Constitution and Arkansas Civil Rights Acts. Finally, appellant alleged that Mr. Hin-chey, individually and as county judge, “ha[d], is and will illegally use county funds, equipment and personal [sic] to use, maintain, improve and enhance the value of property owned by private individuals,” specifically the private roadway on appellant’s property.

Appellant’s amended complaint sought to enjoin and restrain appellees from entering |4its land and crossing the private roadway; from violating Ark.Code Ann. § 5-39-304; for an injunction against ap-pellees to prevent the beginning of an adverse interest and claim; for compensatory damages against Mr. Hinchey, individually, in the sum of fifty dollars per day for rentals for trespassing upon appellant’s lands from November 24, 2008; for punitive damages against Mr. Hinchey, individually, for willfully, maliciously, and wantonly using the color of his office to deny appellant its enumerated civil rights under the Arkansas Constitution; and to enjoin Mr. Hinchey, individually and as county judge, from using county funds, personnel, and equipment to improve private property, to require him to account for the value of the county funds already used, and to require him to reimburse Searcy County for that amount.

In their answer, appellees admitted that Searcy County had not passed an ordinance regarding the land or the road on appellant’s land but denied that an ordinance or compensation was required. Ap-pellees also admitted that they had used Cove Creek Road but denied that it constituted a trespass and pleaded affirmatively that their use was by permission of the owner, L & N Construction, Inc. Appellees made no mention of the private roadway connecting to Cove Creek Road, and it is unclear whether appellees were including it within their understanding of Cove Creek Road. Appellees denied all other allegations.

On October 27, 2009, Mr. Hinchey filed a motion to dismiss, contending that the case involved a public road in Searcy County and that, under the Arkansas Constitution, exclusive, 1.^original jurisdiction lay in the County Court of Searcy County. Secondly, Mr. Hinchey alleged that, pursuant to Ark.Code Ann. § 21-9-301, he was immune. Finally, he alleged that Searcy County had filed an action in the county court to determine ownership of the easement at issue in this case and the compensation, if any, to which appellant might be entitled. A copy of the complaint, declaration, and order (all file stamped October 22, 2009) were attached to the motion. The county court order, signed by Mr. Hinchey as county judge, appeared to grant Searcy County an easement in the roadway across appellant’s land. In his brief, Mr. Hinchey argued that the matter was filed in the wrong court and that exclusive, original jurisdiction was in the County Court of Searcy County.

On October 28, 2009, appellant filed a motion for extension of time to respond to the motion to dismiss, which the court granted on November 3, 2009, giving appellant thirty additional days to file its response. Appellant filed a response on December 2, 2009, admitting that Searcy County was named as the plaintiff in a matter filed in the County Court of Searcy County, case No. C-2009-02, but denying all remaining allegations in the motion.

The circuit court entered an order granting appellees’ motion and dismissing the case on December 7, 2009. The order was signed on November 17, 2009, however, so it is unclear whether the court considered appellant’s response (filed December 2, 2009) in making its decision. The court gave no explanation for its decision but simply said that “from a consideration of the pleadings, the arguments and stipulations of counsel, and other things and 1 ^matters properly before the Court, the Court finds that said Motion should be and hereby is granted, and that all Orders previously entered herein are void.” Appellant filed this appeal.

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Bluebook (online)
379 S.W.3d 497, 2010 Ark. App. 581, 2010 Ark. App. LEXIS 624, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/passmore-v-hinchey-arkctapp-2010.