Sean McDowell v. Zion Baptist Church

203 So. 3d 676, 2016 Miss. App. LEXIS 703
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedNovember 1, 2016
DocketNO. 2015-CA-00690-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 203 So. 3d 676 (Sean McDowell v. Zion Baptist Church) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sean McDowell v. Zion Baptist Church, 203 So. 3d 676, 2016 Miss. App. LEXIS 703 (Mich. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

CARLTON, J.,

FOR THE COURT:

¶ 1. This appeal and cross-appeal arise from a dispute between Zion Baptist Church and Sean and Julia McDowell over whether Zion possessed the authority to place gravel on a driveway easement the McDowells granted to Zion. On February 9, 2015, Zion filed a motion to enforce a provision in the parties’ “Memorandum of Settlement” that provided for the placement of gravel on the easement. The Pontotoc County Chancery Court had previously approved the settlement memorandum in- a consent judgment entered on September 25, 2014. Following Zion’s motion to enforce the settlement provision, the McDowells filed a motion to dismiss.

¶ 2. After a hearing on the parties’ motions, the chancellor entered a final judgment incorporating the parties’ settlement memorandum into the court’s prior consent judgment. The chancellor concluded that Zion, as the dominant estate owner of the driveway easement, possessed the duty to reasonably repair and maintain the driveway at its own expense. As a result, the chancellor found that Zion possessed the authority to place gravel on the easement as needed. Upon finding that the McDowells improperly, but in good faith, impeded and prohibited Zion from maintaining the driveway easement, the chancellor denied Zion’s request for attorney’s fees. The chancellor also dismissed with prejudice the McDowells’ motion to dismiss. '

¶ 3. Aggrieved by the chancellor’s final judgment, the McDowells appealed, and Zion cross-appealed. On appeal, the McDo-wells raise the following issues: (1) whether the chancellor lacked jurisdiction to enforce the settlement memorandum; (2) whether the chancellor erred by modifying his consent judgment to incorporate the parties’ settlement memorandum; (3) whether the chancellor erred by enforcing the maintenance provision contained in the settlement memorandum; (4) whether the Southern Building Code (SBC) permitted the placement of gravel on the easement; 1 (5) whether the settlement memorandum authorized Zion to place gravel and timber markers on the easement; and (6) whether the chancellor erred by granting Zion an implied right to maintain the easement. On *679 cross-appeal, Zion raises the following issues: (1) whether the chancellor erred by considering evidence the McDowells submitted after Zion filed its motion to enforce; and (2) whether the chancellor erred by denying Zion’s request for attorney’s fees.

¶ 4. Finding no error in the chancellor’s judgment, we affirm.

FACTS

¶ 5. On May 19, 2009, Julia sent Zion a letter stating that she and her husband would soon take ownership of her mother’s property adjacent to Zion’s property. Julia’s letter expressed her belief that part of Zion’s church buildings extended onto the McDowells’ property. The letter further stated, however, that the McDowells would continue to give permission to Zion to use the land as long as the church’s use remained unchanged.

¶ 6. On June 20, 2013, Zion sent a letter to the McDowells asking that the McDo-wells cease construction of a physical barrier between the parties’ properties., Zipn contended that much of the .barrier was situated on land owned by Zion. On July 9, 2013, Zion filed a petition to quiet and confirm title to the real property at issue and to obtain a permanent injunction to prevent the McDowells from interfering with Zion’s quiet enjoyment of the property. In addition, Zion filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to enjoin the McDo-wells from placing or constructing a barrier on the disputed property until the chancellor had adjudicated the true boundary line between the parties’ properties,

¶7. The parties entered formal settlement negotiations, which resulted in a “Memorandum of Settlement.” The settlement memorandum provided for the conveyance of certain tracts of land and the grant of easements for ingress and egress. In pertinent part, the settlement memorandum stated that the parties agreed the McDowells would grant an easement to Zion “for ingress and egress over the east/ west driveway and for parking during church functions and related church activities.” The parties further agreed in the settlement memorandum “that the northern boundary of the east/west driveway shall be marked via landscaping timbers and that gravel may be placed on the surface of the driveway.” In addition, the settlement memorandum provided that the parties “mutually agree not to impede access on or to either driveway referenced in this settlement memorandum.”

¶ 8. During a hearing on April 2, 2014, the chancellor questioned the parties about their settlement memorandum and whether they understood the' terms and believed the agreement to be in their best interests. After the parties answered affirmatively, the chancellor stated, “[T]he [cjourt hereby ratifies, adopts, approves, affirms[,j and confirms this agreement as the order, judgment]],] and, decree of this [c]ourt, effective and binding on all of you immediately _”

¶ 9. Then, on September 25, 2014, the chancellor entered a consent judgment in the matter. In the consent judgment, the chancellor noted that Zion had moved to dismiss its claims against the McDowells and that the parties had “reached an amicable resolution of the claims at issue.” The chancellor then discussed each of the conveyances to which the parties had agreed in their settlement memorandum. In concluding his order, the chancellor stated that the parties “shall not impede access on or to either easement referenced herein,” and he granted Zion’s motion to dismiss with prejudice its claims against the McDowells.. . The consent judgment failed to specifically include the settlement memorandum’s maintenance provision *680 about the placing of timber markers and gravel on the driveway easement.

¶ 10. On February 9, 2015, Zion filed a motion to enforce the provisions of the parties’ settlement memorandum. Specifically, Zion asked the chancellor to enter an order to allow Zion to place gravel on the driveway easement and to plant landscaping timbers to mark the driveway’s boundary. As stated, although the chancellor’s consent order discussed the easement to Zion, the order failed to specifically reference or include the portion of the settlement memorandum providing for these maintenance actions relating to the driveway.

¶ 11. In its motion to enforce the settlement memorandum’s provisions, Zion asked the chancellor to specifically authorize the placing of the timbers and the gravel so that Zion could maintain the driveway in a safe, and suitable condition. Zion contended that, even though it had offered to pay all associated costs, the McDowells had violated the terms of the settlement memorandum by repeatedly refusing to let Zion spread gravel on the driveway. Zion also alleged that, due to recent storms, the driveway had become impassable and unfit for use as intended by the parties. In addition to asking the chancellor to authorize these maintenance actions, Zion asserted that the McDowells’ refusal to honor the parties’ settlement memorandum had forced Zion to file the motion to compel. As a result, Zion asked the chancellor to award Zion all the costs and expenses incurred in bringing the action, including attorney’s fees. On February 20, 2015, the McDowells filed a motion to dismiss Zion’s motion to enforce.

¶ 12.

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

Related

Galaundra Myles v. Tyrone Lewis a/k/a Trone Lewis
Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2024
Phillip Joseph Lamy v. Elizabeth Ann Lamy
Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2022
John Girani v. JohnTaylor Lovorn
270 So. 3d 1070 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2018)
Sidney Jones v. Irozenell Pruitt
243 So. 3d 212 (Court of Appeals of Mississippi, 2017)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
203 So. 3d 676, 2016 Miss. App. LEXIS 703, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sean-mcdowell-v-zion-baptist-church-missctapp-2016.