Stuart v. Titus

1965 OK 38, 400 P.2d 797, 1965 Okla. LEXIS 290
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 23, 1965
Docket40835
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1965 OK 38 (Stuart v. Titus) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stuart v. Titus, 1965 OK 38, 400 P.2d 797, 1965 Okla. LEXIS 290 (Okla. 1965).

Opinion

DAVISON, Justice.

This is an appeal by Harold C. Stuart and Joan S. Stuart (defendants below) from a judgment granting a mandatory injunction against them and in favor of C. W. Titus, Trustee for C. W. Titus Company,, a Common-Law Trust (plaintiff below). The judgment ordered the defendants to-remove a “dog kennel together with the seventy (70) by thirty (30) feet dog run- or wire enclosure from its present location! *798 •which” violated dedication restrictions imposed on Lot 6 in the Re-subdivision of Block 10, Forest Hills Addition to the City of Tulsa, and enjoined them from constructing or maintaining a dog run or dog kennel at any location on Lot 6 that violated the restrictions.

Plaintiff’s petition alleged, inter alia, that lie made and filed the Re-subdivision of Block 10 and imposed certain restrictions upon grantees of the lots therein; that defendants acquired Lots 5 and 6 and had violated the restrictions fixing a 50 foot rear lot building line and acceptable fencing, by constructing a garage and “two (2) •dog kennels together with a seventy (70) feet by thirty (30) feet dog ran or wire enclosure,” within the rear 50 feet of Lot ■6; that the violations resulted in irreparable injury to plaintiff’s property, without adequate remedy at law; and prayed the ■defendants be enjoined from permitting the structures to continue in that location (mandatory injunction) and from violating the restrictions. Defendants’ answer denied violation of the restrictions and alleged the “structures” were erected and were being maintained pursuant to consent by the Building Committee provided in the restrictions.

After trial to the court the plaintiff was ■denied any relief as to the garage (carport), but ordered the defendants to remove the other structures, supra. Plaintiff perfected no appeal to this court. It appears that the trial court’s decision as to the carport was based to a large extent on the great expense involved in removing the portion that encroached beyond the rear building line.

The record reflects the following evidence. In July, 1956, the plaintiff, as owner, filed the Re-subdivision of Block 10, platting residence building site lots along the ■east, south and west sides of Block 10, whereby a center lot was bounded by such lots on those sides. These lots face outward on the adjoining streets and their rear boundaries constitute the boundary •of the center lot on the stated sides. Mr. Titus occupies a residence located on this center lot with access to the street on the north. In connection with the re-subdivision the plaintiff filed restrictions concerning residential construction and the use and occupancy of the property. These restrictions and the relatively large size of the lots combined to create a high-class residential subdivision for single-family dwellings. It appears that the defendants and Mr. Titus and his wife were at the least close acquaintances, and that Mr. Stuart participated in securing city approval of the Re-subdivision because he intended to buy a building site therein and construct his family home thereon. The defendants acquired Lot 5 in 1956 and the adjoining Lot 6 in 1958. Only Lot 6 is involved in the controversy and we are concerned only with the “dog run” or “dog kennels” and the enclosure thereof.

The recorded plat shows that Lot 6 has a 50 foot rear lot building line. The restrictions are dated July 6, 1956, and are limited to a term of 10 years. They provide in part as follows:

“1. No business building, apartment, or any edifice shall be erected except as hereinafter permitted:
ifc ⅝ ⅜ ⅝ ⅜ ⅜
“6. All building and improvements shall be located and maintained in compliance with the front and rear building lines shown on the recorded plat of this re-subdivision. * * *
⅜ ⅜* ⅜ ⅜ ⅝ ¾>
“8. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the Building Committee named below, only ornamental iron, ornamental stone, ornamental brick, or ornamental concrete block fences may be erected, and shall not exceed five feet, three inches (5' 3") in height above ground level.
* * * ⅝ * *
“11. For a period of ten (10) years from this date, no building or improvements, or any object, shall be erected on any lot of this re-subdivision until the plans and specifications therefor, *799 the identity of the architect, and of the general contractor, shall have been submitted to and approved by the aforesaid building Committee, composed presently of C. W. Titus, Harold C. Stuart, and Kenneth Crouch. Upon the death or refusal to act of any one of that Committee, the other two members shall fill that vacancy from one of the owners of a lot in Block 10. Action by a majority of the committee shall be sufficient.”

In the early part of 1962 the defendants began development of Lot 6, in accordance with drawn plans including swimming pool, bath houses, and the carport and dog run. Stuart discussed these plans with Mr. Crouch (member of the Committee) on the site and testified Crouch gave his oral approval. When the court sustained an objection to Crouch likewise testifying in this regard, the defendants made an offer of proof that Crouch would testify the plans did not violate the restrictions and could be approved. Titus was in Florida. Stuart testified he telephoned Titus regarding the planned development, twice in March and once in April, and told him of the planned construction of the pool, bath houses, carport and dog pen, and that Titus approved. Stuart further testified that in the conversation he asked for a return of a quantity of ornamental iron fencing to enclose the dog pen and the yard and the request was refused. It appears that this ornamental fencing had originally enclosed all of Block 10, and the dispute between the parties as to defendants’ right to a part thereof is a matter outside of the present controversy. Titus testified the telephone conversations were only concerning the return of the fencing and not about the other matters.

On June 22, 1962, when Titus returned from Florida, the carport and dog pen had been completed. The more definite evidence reflects that the side of the carport extends about 13 feet back of the 50 foot rear building line. The dog pen occupies the intervening area to the rear lot line (about 37 feet) and is about 74 feet long, and is enclosed by chain link fencing except where it borders on the carport and the-rear line (about 74 feet) adjacent to plaintiff’s property. This common line is fenced with ornamental iron fencing. In the enclosure are two small portable wooden doghouses, capable of being moved about the enclosed area, and appearing from plaintiff’s-photographic exhibits 7 and 9 to be about 4Yz feet by 3 feet, and 3 feet high.

Plaintiff made oral objection to the alleged violations of the restrictions in September, 1962, and by letter of October 4, 1962, made demand for removal of the encroaching carport and dog pen. This action was filed November 5, 1962. Judgment was rendered October 17, 1963.

In view of our disposition of this matter we have endeavored to present a clear statement of the circumstances from which this litigation arose.

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1965 OK 38, 400 P.2d 797, 1965 Okla. LEXIS 290, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stuart-v-titus-okla-1965.