Steinke v. Bentley

34 N.E. 97, 6 Ind. App. 663, 1893 Ind. App. LEXIS 196
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 13, 1893
DocketNo. 913
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 34 N.E. 97 (Steinke v. Bentley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Steinke v. Bentley, 34 N.E. 97, 6 Ind. App. 663, 1893 Ind. App. LEXIS 196 (Ind. Ct. App. 1893).

Opinion

Gavin, J.

This is an action brought by appellees to recover damages by reason of appellants having closed up two drains upon their own lands, through which appel[664]*664lees claimed a right, by way of an easement, to conduct the water off their lands.

From the special findings of fact, it appears that in the year 1862 one Perses Reeves was the owner of the two tracts now owned by the appellants and appellees respectively. At that time the land now owned by appellees was wet, and required drainage to make it fit for use, and she then constructed two ditches upon and from that land, across the tract now owned by appellants, emptying into a natural running stream, whereby the water was drained off the tract now owned by appellees. These ditches were of sufficient capacity to, and did, properly drain the marsh lands now owned by appellees. From the time of their construction forward until 1884, when obstructed by appellants, these ditches were all the'time open, plain, and visible ditches from their sources to their outlets, and were, during all that time, operating to, and did, drain the wet lands and marshes on the land nbw owned by appellees, and were continuously used by the owners of that tract under a claim of right, all of which was well known to appellant August Steinke when he purchased his tract, and to both the appellants when they obstructed the ditches, and when August conveyed to John E. Steinke.

In 1866 said Perses Reeves conveyed the one tract to Mary Ann Kennedy, a married woman, who, in 1876, conveyed it to August Steinke, and he, in 1889, conveyed the same to the appellant John E. Steinke, the present owner, reserving the use of a part of the house and barn, and reserving, also, one-fourth of the products .of the land.

In 1872 said Perses Reeves conveyed the other tract to ¥m. H. G. Bentley, from whom the appellees inherited it in 1885.

In the year 1883, said August Steinke obstructed and filled up the greater part of one of said ditches, known as the east ditch, upon his land, thereby almost completely obstructing and preventing the drainage of Bentley’s land. [665]*665Bentley objected to this obstruction, claimed tlie right to have said ditch kept open to drain his land, and threatened legal proceedings to enforce this claim. With knowledge of this claim by Bentley, August Steinke, in the year 1883, agreed that if Bentley and one Nash, who also owned land which drained into this ditch, would each cut one-third of an open ditch on the land of said Steinke, where said oast ditch had originally been made, he would cut, and open one-third of the same, and allow the water from Bentley’s said land, and that of Nash, to flow through said east ditch onto and over his land. This agreement to re-open the ditch was carried out, and the ditch restored SO' as to properly drain the lands of Bentley. At the time of the conveyance to him, John E. Steinke had knowledge of this agreement, and that the ditch had been re-opened by the parties under it.

In 1884 said August Steinke, assisted by John E., .without the knowledge or consent of said Wm. Gr. H. Bentley, laid four-inch tiles in the east ditch, and built an embankment across the same, at the line of appellee’s land, leaving no other outlet for the water in said ditch from appellee’s land except said tiles, which were wholly insufficient to properly carry off the water which usually and naturally flowed through said east ditch, whereby five acres of cleared and tillable land of appellees were rendered wet and unfit for cultivation, and four acres of appellees’ marsh land kept flooded, whereby appellees were damaged, etc.

As to this east ditch the court’s conclusions of law were in favor of ap23ellees, while as to the west ditch he gave them no damages. The ap2Dellants jointly and severally excepted to the correctness of the court’s conclusions.

The complaint alleges the agreement for the restoration of the ditch to have been made by Steinke, Nash, and the appellees, instead of the appellees’ ancestor, as shown by the facts. Appellants insist that in this there is a variance [666]*666which amounts to an absolute, failure of proof, by reason •of which they are entitled to judgment.

Section 391, R. S. 1881, provides that “No variance between the allegations in a pleading and the proof is to be ■deemed material, unless it has actually misled the adverse party, to his prejudice, in maintaining his action or defense upon the merits.”

“ "Where the variance is not material, as provided in the last section, the court may direct the fact to be found ac■cording to the evidence, or may order an immediate amendment, without costs.” Section 392.'

If the court may thus direct the jury, he may, of course, thus find himself, when the cause is tried without a jury.

“In order to constitute a failure of proof, and not merely a variance, the allegation of the claim or defense must be unproved, not in some particular or particulars only, but in its general scope and meaning.” Section 393.

We have a right to suppose the findings supported by the proof, and no objection appears to have been made to ■proof that this arrangement was made with appellees’ ancestor instead of with them.

Appellees were in direct privity with their ancestor, and stand in his shoes. Had objection been made, or even without objection, the court might have permitted the pleading .to be amended. No claim is made that appellants were misled on the tria!, and we are unable to see how they could have been misled.

In Roberts v. Graham, 6 Wall. 578, this rule is laid down:

“ The 'objection of a variance, not taken at the trial, can not avail the defendant as an error in the higher court, if it could have been obviated in the court below.”

This is quoted with approval by Elliott, J., in Graves v. State, 121 Ind. 357.

These propositions are also sustained by Taylor v. State, 130 Ind. 66; Braden, Admr., v. Lemmon, 127 Ind. 9 ; Hedrick v. Osborne & Co., 99 Ind. 143 ; Krewson v. Cloud, 45 Ind. [667]*667273; 1 Estees’ Pleading, section 205; Green and Myer’s. Missouri Pleading, section 468.

It was within the province of the court to have permitted an amendment on the trial. Leib v. Butterick, 68 Ind. 199; Child v. Swain, 69 Ind. 230.

We are, therefore, of opinion that the variance was not material within the meaning of the statute, and since the complaint might have been amended in the court -below to correspond to the proof, it will be deemed to have been so amended here. Bristol Hydraulic Co. v. Boyer, 67 Ind. 236.

The fair construction of the arrangement made for the-restoration of the ditch is that Hash and Bentley were to have the perpetual right to flow water from their lands, through the ditch. There is no limitation as to its duration, and nothing to indicate that it was merely temporary. On the contrary, all the facts stated point to the opposite conclusion.

If we deem the right of Bentley to have been created by this agreement and its execution, the parol agreement thus, acted upon by the parties, there being both performance and possession taken, created, in equity, a right of easement which became- appurtenant to the land, and passed with it to the appellees. Nowlin v. Whipple, 120 Ind. 596;

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34 N.E. 97, 6 Ind. App. 663, 1893 Ind. App. LEXIS 196, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/steinke-v-bentley-indctapp-1893.