Smith v. E. B. Burney Construction Co.

204 S.E.2d 93, 231 Ga. 772, 1974 Ga. LEXIS 1230
CourtSupreme Court of Georgia
DecidedFebruary 6, 1974
Docket28340
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 204 S.E.2d 93 (Smith v. E. B. Burney Construction Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. E. B. Burney Construction Co., 204 S.E.2d 93, 231 Ga. 772, 1974 Ga. LEXIS 1230 (Ga. 1974).

Opinions

Grice, Presiding Justice.

This appeal involves a dispute between adjoining landowners over an encroaching concrete driveway and dog pen.

The suit was initiated by Lurline T. Smith and Mark A. Smith, Jr., in the Superior Court of DeKalb County against E. B. Burney Construction Company and E. B. Burney.

The complaint alleged in substance that since 1957 the appellants had been owners of Lot 2, Block C of a certain described subdivision in DeKalb County and the appellees were in possession of a tract of land adjoining theirs; that the appellees had gone upon appellants’ land to have a survey made of the property line; and that the appellees had stated their intention to enter upon their property with heavy equipment to grade and remove soil.

The prayers were for injunctive relief and rule nisi, and a temporary restraining order was issued against the acts of trespass complained of.

To this complaint the appellees filed an answer and counterclaim alleging in essence as follows: that E. B. Burney Construction Company had since November of 1972 been the owner of Lot 3, Block C of a certain described subdivision, which was adjacent to that of the appellants; that appellants had erected and were maintaining encroachments on their property by way of a concrete driveway and dog pen as shown on a plat attached as Exhibit "A”; that appellants had been asked to remove said encroachments, had refused to do so and had attempted to interfere with and obstruct appellees’ agents, servants and employees; and that unless restrained and enjoined from doing so they would maintain the encroachments and appellees would suffer irreparable damage.

The prayers of the counterclaim were for injunctive relief and damages for the trespass.

Appellants subsequently amended their complaint by alleging the following particulars: that on their lot, in addition to the house, [774]*774there were located a concrete driveway and entrance to an underground air-raid shelter, a dog pen and other improvements; that the driveway and dog pen were constructed in 1958 and the shelter in 1962; and that they had maintained and used them continuously since their construction.

In Count 2 the appellants alleged that they had maintained these improvements openly and notoriously and that from time to time the appellee’s predecessors in title had contended that the improvements had encroached on their property; and that if the trial court should determine that the driveway, shelter entrance and dog pen were not located on their property as contended in Count 1, then they had by reason of the facts alleged acquired a private way or easement by prescription and that the appellees are estopped to interfere with their use of these improvements on account of the acquiescence of their predecessors in title.

By a second amendment to their complaint, Count 3 prayed that a private way or easement by prescription for the improvements alleged be declared and that the appellees be permanently and temporarily enjoined from interfering with their use and maintenance.

The appellees moved to dismiss the amended complaint for failure to state a claim.

They also amended their counterclaim to show that they were in possession of a subdivision lot described by metes and bounds in their deeds under which their predecessors in title held the property; that they and their predecessors in title had been in constructive possession of this lot; that the property was unimproved until E. B. Burney Construction Company acquired title and began constructing a house; and that the appellants could not have acquired any prescriptive rights in this property because under Code § 85-404 no prescription could arise in their favor.

The prayers of the counterclaim sought to enjoin the appellants from interfering with the possession and use as a driveway of that portion of the property owned by E. B. Burney Construction Company on which the driveway encroached.

Upon a hearing after evidence was introduced, counsel for both parties consented to the appointment of an independent surveyor by the trial judge to survey the line between the lots owned by the parties and to be bound thereby.

The independent survey report and a plat were filed and made court’s exhibits. They showed that the dividing line between the two lots and the encroachment on the appellees’ property were [775]*775identical with those shown on the plat attached to the appellees’ counterclaim.

After a subsequent hearing and court review of the survey-report, the appellees filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings; and also a motion for summary judgment based upon the pleadings, the surveyors’ report and plat marked as court exhibits, affidavits and the evidence adduced upon the hearings.

Thereupon the trial court entered an order granting a motion for summary judgment and after making findings of fact and conclusions of law, it concluded that the only fact about which there appeared to be any substantial controversy was the question of damages sought by the appellees’ counterclaim and if any, the amount to be recovered.

The court decreed that E. B. Burney Construction Company be vested with fee simple title, unencumbered by any easement or prescriptive rights in the appellants, to the described Lot 3 of the subdivision because (1) the appellants did not obtain a parol license to install the driveway or other encroachments on Lot 3 so as to become an easement running with the land under Code § 85-1404 as contended; and (2) the appellants did not obtain an express grant for a private way, nor did they acquire a private way by prescription under Code § 85-1401 as alleged since permissive possession cannot be the foundation of a prescription. The appellants were enjoined from interfering with appellee’s possession of the property and from maintaining the encroachments shown upon the plat attached to the court’s exhibits.

No judgment was entered upon the appellees’ counterclaim for damages.

The issue upon appeal is whether the trial court erred in rendering the foregoing judgment denying the appellants a trial by jury.

The contention of the appellants that title to the land on which the encroachments lie is in dispute cannot be sustained. The court ordered survey made by the independent surveyor, with the approval of both counsel and the stipulation that all parties would be bound thereby, conclusively established that E. B. Burney Construction Company was the record title holder to the property described as Lot 3 and that the appellants, who own the adjoining Lot 2, were encroaching upon appellee’s property. There being no disputed issue of fact, it was not error for the court upon motion for summary judgment to decree title to Lot 3 to be in appellee.

[776]*776The appellants contend however, that regardless of whether legal title to the encroachment area in dispute is in them, there are genuine issues of material facts as to whether they have acquired the legal right to encroach upon the area in dispute, and that therefore these issues should have been submitted to a jury. We deal with those issues now.

The appellants’ contention that the court erred in finding that they were not the grantees of an executed irrevocable parol license over the property in question under Code § 85-1401 is likewise without merit.

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Related

Henderson v. Cam Development Co.
378 S.E.2d 495 (Court of Appeals of Georgia, 1989)
Vaughan v. Vaughan
317 S.E.2d 201 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1984)
Smith v. E. B. Burney Construction Co.
204 S.E.2d 93 (Supreme Court of Georgia, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
204 S.E.2d 93, 231 Ga. 772, 1974 Ga. LEXIS 1230, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-e-b-burney-construction-co-ga-1974.