Richardson v. Prentiss

11 N.W. 819, 48 Mich. 88, 1882 Mich. LEXIS 739
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedApril 12, 1882
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 11 N.W. 819 (Richardson v. Prentiss) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Richardson v. Prentiss, 11 N.W. 819, 48 Mich. 88, 1882 Mich. LEXIS 739 (Mich. 1882).

Opinion

Marston, J.

The complainant asks equitable relief in the protection of certain riparian rights, which she claims the defendant is encroaching upon.

[89]*89Samantha Hitchcock, as the owner of certain premises running to Thunder bay, platted a portion thereof in 1866. According to this plat a strip of land two rods wide, lying between the lots nearest the waters of the bay and the water line, was reserved.

On the 27th of September, 1866, she conveyed to complainant lot five in block two on this plat, and this lot ■extended to the above-mentioned reserve line.

Afterwards and in August, 1872, Mrs. Hitchcock conveyed to complainant land in the rear, or towards the water, ■of lot five, described as so much of a reserved strip of land ■on Thunder bay shore as lies in the rear and adjoining lot number five in block number two in Hitchcock’s first addition to the village, now city of Alpena, to extend no further into the bay than six rods from the rear line of said lot number five, reserving to ourselves a strip of land two rods wide, across said six rods hereby conveyed, until second parties shall construct a passage-way beyond and adjoining said six rods hereby conveyed, two rods wide, and keep it open for the free passage of teams, for the use and benefit of first and second parties at all times.”

In March, 1879, Samantha Hitchcock made a second plat of property which included this piece of land which was reserved on the first plat, and also laid out lots running into the waters of the bay, with a street beyond, out and in the waters of the bay, and beyond this street, lot one, which was wholly in the bay, was designated and extended across the water front of all the lots including the descriptions sold the complainant.

After this platting, but the same month, Mrs. Hitchcock conveyed this water lot one, and other lots, to the defendant, who has made improvements thereon, permanent in their character and very valuable, a part of which extends out in front of complainant’s property in the shallow waters ■of the bay. ’

The questions raised are as to the rights of the respective parties under their conveyances.

Hnder the conveyance to complainant of lot five, she acquired no riparian rights whatever. This lot was con[90]*90veyed according to a plat which reserved a strip of land between the lot and the waters of the bay, and a strip two rods wide would as effectually cut off from lot five all riparian rights as would a much wider strip.

The second conveyance to complainant gives her this reserved strip with all the rights of a riparian proprietor pertaining thereto, unless such rights are restricted, owing to the peculiar language of the deed of conveyance. What •does this deed purport to convey ?

First. It grants so much of a reserved strip of land on Thunder bay shore as lies in the rear and adjoining lot number five in block number two in Hitchcock’s first addition to the village (now city) of Alpena.

Secondly. This strip so conveyed, “to extend no further into the bay than six rods from the rear line of said lot number five.”

Thirdly. It reserves “to ourselves a strip of land two rods wide across said six rods here conveyed.”

Fourthly. And this reservation is to continue, “until second parties shall construct a passage-way beyond and adjoining said six rods here conveyed, two rods wide, and keep it open for the passing of teams, for the use and benefit of first and second parties at all times.”

The third and fourth clauses, referring to the reservation of a two-rod strip, and the time it is to continue, even if the reservation could be enforced, neither extend nor restrict the operation of the grant, or the extent of complainant’s rights as riparian proprietor thereunder. The fourth clause does recognize the right of complainant to construct in the bay, beyond the six-rod boundary line, a private way, for the use of both parties. Going back then to the first and second clauses, they grant and convey to the complainant a reserved strip of land in the rear of and adjoining lot five, extending six rods and no farther into the bay from the rear of this lot.

The general rule is that where lands are conveyed, bounded by a water-course, the grantee holds to the thread of the river, even although such was not the grantor’s intention; [91]*91and a reservation of a right of way, in a grant of land so-bounded, upon the bank of the stream, will not limit the grantee’s riparian rights. Angelí on "Water Courses, § 1Y. “ The eases, on the whole, may be said to demonstrate the existence of the rule, that a grantee bounded on a river, (and it is almost immaterial by what mode of expression,) goes ad medium filum aquae, unless there be decided language showing a mcm.ifest intent to stop at the water’s edge; and there seems a distinct and strong tendency in the cases to turn every doubt upon expressions which fix the boundary next the river, in favor of a contact with the water.” Angelí, § 23. And again the same learned author says: “It thus appears to be well established that the lank and the water are correlative, and that one cannot be owned without touching the other; that the lank is the principal object; so that when the law once fixes the proprietorship of that, the soil of the river follows as an incident; or rather, (as it has been said,) ‘as part of the subject-matter, usque ad filu/m aquae.’ ” id. § 26. And when a grant of land refers to a map, upon which the land is laid down as bounded on a water-course, the grantee is entitled to hold to the center, id. § 32.

Equally clear lias been the language of the decisions in this State. Thus in Watson v. Peters 26 Mich. 517, Mr. Justice Cooley, in delivering the opinion of the court, said : “ The owner of city lots bounded on navigable streams, like the owner of any other lands thus bounded, may limit his conveyance thereof within specific limits, if he shall so choose, but when he conveys with the water as a boundary, it will never .be presumed that he reserves to himself proprietary rights in front of the land conveyed, which he may grant to others for private occupation, or so occupy himself as to cut off his grantee from the privileges and conveniences which appertain to the shore of navigable water. Such privileges and conveniences constitute a part, and in many cases the principal part, of the value of the grant; and it is precisely in these cases of city lots that they are of most value, and generally constitute the chief inducement to the [92]*92purchase; and the chief, or at least a very important element, in determining the price. These cases, therefore, of all others, are those in which the reason of the rule which infers an intent to convey the land under the water, is most apparent and forcible. And the rule itself is too valuable, and too important, to be varied by so immaterial a circumstance as that the boundary on the water is defined by a line, instead.of by making use of words which to the common understanding would convey the same meaning. And what we have said of navigable waters, is equally applicable to all natural water-courses.” This was a case where the defendant was in possession, claiming title, and by the plat the westerly line of the blocks on the plat was drawn along the shore line of the river.

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Bluebook (online)
11 N.W. 819, 48 Mich. 88, 1882 Mich. LEXIS 739, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richardson-v-prentiss-mich-1882.