Penn Bowling Recreation Center, Inc. v. Hot Shoppes, Inc.

179 F.2d 64, 16 A.L.R. 2d 602, 86 U.S. App. D.C. 58, 1949 U.S. App. LEXIS 2621
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedDecember 27, 1949
Docket10020_1
StatusPublished
Cited by40 cases

This text of 179 F.2d 64 (Penn Bowling Recreation Center, Inc. v. Hot Shoppes, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Penn Bowling Recreation Center, Inc. v. Hot Shoppes, Inc., 179 F.2d 64, 16 A.L.R. 2d 602, 86 U.S. App. D.C. 58, 1949 U.S. App. LEXIS 2621 (D.C. Cir. 1949).

Opinion

McALLISTER, Circuit Judge.

In 1938, the Norment Estate conveyed a portion of its real property to appellee, Hot Shoppes, Inc., and subjected a part thereof to a sixteen-foot right of way for ingress and egress. This resulted in an easement for the benefit of the balance of the unconveyed property, adjacent thereto, which was retained by the Estate, and which, by virtue of the easement, became the dominant tenement. A part of this dominant estate came into ownership of appellant, Penn Bowling Recreation Center, Inc., by mesne conveyances, in 1940, two years after the creation of the right of way.

On February 5, 1948, appellee, Hot Shoppes, erected a barrier of iron posts and cement concrete blocks within the right of way and alongside of it, interfering with the full enjoyment of the easement by Penn Bowling; and shortly thereafter, appellant filed its complaint to enjoin appellee from maintaining the structure within the right of way and interfering with the use thereof. Appellee; in its answer denied that appellant - was entitled to the use of the right of way, and asked for a permanent injunction against such use by appellant, as well as for a judgment declaring it to be permanently forfeited and extinguished by abandonment. Both parties filed motions for a preliminary injunction, but before a hearing was had on these motions, appellee filed a motion for summary judgment, asking dismissal of the complaint, á permanent injunction against the use by appellant of the right of way, and a declaratory judgment declaring that it had been permanently forfeited and extinguished by abandonment. The district court granted appellee’s motion for summary judgment as prayed; and from such judgment, the Penn Bowling Recreation Center appeals.

The arguments that appellee addressed to the district court on the hearing on the motion for summary judgment embraced the contentions that appellant, as owner of the dominant tenement, had forfeited and extinguished the right of way by abandonment, as the result of subjecting the servi-ent tenement to an additional and enlarged use or servitude in connection with other premises to which the easement was not appurtenant; that it had been guilty of the misuse of the easement of the right of way by reason of having used it for the parking of motor vehicles; and that, by certain masonry constructions, appellant had, in any event, made it impossible to use the right of way for egress and ingress.

With regard to the claim that appellant had subjected the servient tenement to a burden in excess of that imposed by the original easement, it appears that after the creation of the right of way for the benefit of the dominant tenement, appellant purchased not only that tenement but other real property adjacent thereto, the latter property not being entitled to the enjoyment of the easement. Appellant then constructed a building occupying a part of the dominant tenement, as well as the additional property adjacent thereto. Not all of the dominant tenement is occupied by the building. In fact, the total of the area of that portion of the dominant tenement, together with the non-dominant property over which the building is constructed, is a' smaller area than the area of the *66 original dominant tenement. The building, thus constructed, houses a large bowling alley and restaurant. Appellant in the past has been using the right of way to bring fuel oil, food, equipment, and supplies to the building, and removing trash, garbage, and other material therefrom.

It is contended by appellant that since the area of the dominant and non-dominant land served by the easement is less than the original area of the dominant tenement, .the use made by appellant of the right of way to serve the building located on the lesser area is not materially increased or excessive. It is true that where the nature and extent, of the use of an easement is, by its terms, unrestricted, the use by the dominant tenement may be increased or enlarged. McCullough et al. v. Broad Exchange Company et al., 101 App.Div. 566, 92 N.Y.S. 533. But the owner of the dominant tenement may not subject the servient tenement to use or servitude in connection with other premises to which the easement is not appurtenant. See Williams v. James, Eng.Law.Rep. (1867), 2 C.P. 577. And when an easement is being used in such a manner, an injunction will be issued to prevent such use. Cleve et al. v. Nairin, 204 Ky. 342, 264 S.W. 741; Diocese of Trenton v. Toman et al., 74 N.J.Eq. 702, 70 A. 606; Shock v. Holt Lumber Co. et al., 107 W.Va. 259, 148 S.E. 73. Appellant, therefore, may not use the easement to serve both the dominant and non-dominant property, even though the area thereof is less than the original area of the dominant tenement.

The disposition of the foregoing issue brings us to the principal legal question in the case: whether appellant’s use of the right of way resulted in the forfeiture and extinguishment of the easement by abandonment, and thereby entitled appellee, on a motion for summary judgment, to a decree permanently enjoining appellant from using the right of way.

Misuse of an easement right -is not sufficient to constitute a forfeiture, waiver, or abandonment of such right. The right to an easement is not lost by using it in an unauthorized manner or to an unauthorized extent, unless it is impossible to sever the increased burden so as to preserve to the owner of the dominant tenement that to which he is entitled, and impose on the servient tenement only that burden which was originally imposed upon it. O’Banion v. Cuningham, 168 Ky. 322, 182 S.W. 185, Ann.Cas.1917A, 1017; 836 Franklin Ave. Catering Corp. et al. v. Haber et al., 164 Misc. 227, 297 N.Y.S. 612; See Annotation 78 A.L.R. 1222.

From the record before us, we are unable to ascertain what the total additional burden is that has been cast upon the servient tenement as the result of appellant’s use of the right of way for ingress to, and egress from, the building which was located on part of the dominant and the non-dominant property. As has been mentioned, the building houses a bowling alley and restaurant. From affidavits on file, it appears that a soda fountain and luncheonette used in connection with the restaurant are located in that part of the building situate on the non-dominant real estate, which, of course, is not entitled to enjoyment of the easement; and it further appears that the right of way is used for the purpose of bringing supplies for the fountain and luncheonette and removing trash and garbage therefrom. It is not disclosed whether other supplies or materials brought to, or removed from, the building over the right of way are required for the use of that part of the structure located on the dominant estate or on the non-dominant property, or both. Affidavits filed by appellant indicate, however, that oil for heating purposes is delivered to the loading platform over the right of way. Whether the oil furnace is located on the dominant or non-dominant property does not appear. See McCullough et al. v. Broad Exchange Company et al., supra. But it is declared on the part of Penn Bowling that if the right of way were barred to appellant, a great hardship would result in the operation of the building housing the bowling alley and other facilities, and would necessitate large and. expensive alterations of its building. Appellant may well be obliged to remodel its structure in order to operate, but it would áppear that this can *67

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Bluebook (online)
179 F.2d 64, 16 A.L.R. 2d 602, 86 U.S. App. D.C. 58, 1949 U.S. App. LEXIS 2621, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/penn-bowling-recreation-center-inc-v-hot-shoppes-inc-cadc-1949.