Trokey v. R.D.P. Development Group, L.L.C.

401 S.W.3d 516, 2013 WL 2402865, 2013 Mo. App. LEXIS 678
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 4, 2013
DocketNo. SD 32224
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 401 S.W.3d 516 (Trokey v. R.D.P. Development Group, L.L.C.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Trokey v. R.D.P. Development Group, L.L.C., 401 S.W.3d 516, 2013 WL 2402865, 2013 Mo. App. LEXIS 678 (Mo. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

WILLIAM W. FRANCIS, JR., J.

R.D.P. Development Group, L.L.C. (“RDP”), Donald L. Fennelly and Terri A. Fennelly (the “Fennellys”), and David Hie-chel and Vicki J. Hiechel (the “Hiechels”)1 appeal the “Judgment Entry and Order” (“Judgment”) of the trial court entered in favor of Harold Trokey and Beverly Tro-key (the “Trokeys”), which granted the Trokeys fee simple title in certain real estate. Appellants assert three points of trial court error. We affirm the Judgment of the trial court.

Facts and Procedural History

The Trokeys filed a “Petition to Quiet Title-Adverse Possession”2 (“petition”) against RDP alleging that since 1975, they had been “in open, notorious, hostile, uninterrupted, and undisputed possession of additional real estate that immediately joins the Northern property line” of the Trokeys. This tract of land is 1819.17 square feet in area, and contains portions of a gravel driveway and a concrete driveway (the “disputed property”).

Viewed most favorably to the judgment, Schroeder v. Proctor, 280 S.W.3d 724, 726 (Mo.App. W.D.2009), the testimony and evidence at trial established the following facts. In 1965, the Trokeys acquired ownership of a large tract of real estate in Camden County, Missouri. The Trokeys utilized the property as a resort, but also had a separate residence in which they had lived for 47 years. The property also contained a gravel driveway. Mr. Trokey [521]*521built a seawall and concreted a portion of the gravel driveway sometime in the early '70s. At issue in this case is a portion of the concrete driveway, and the gravel driveway adjacent to the concrete driveway.

On February 21, 1975, the Trokeys sold a portion of the large tract of real estate, specifically “parts” of Lots 24 and 25 of “The Boot Subdivision,” to Edward W. Mehl, Jr. and Marlene Helen Mehl (the “Mehls”). A survey was prepared on January 23, 1975, prior to the sale of the property. Mr. Trokey testified they sold the Mehls “all the cabins” and kept their “house and the property that the house went with, which was a concrete driveway there at the time and about nine feet on the north side of the driveway.”

The Mehls subsequently sold the property; however, the date of the sale is not clear from the record. There were three other owners before the Mehls eventually bought the property back through bankruptcy proceedings. Again, the date of their second purchase of the property is unclear.

While the Mehls owned the property, they continued to operate the resort and eventually leased the cabins3 out on a long-term basis.4 Mrs. Mehl testified at her deposition, which was admitted into evidence, that the concrete driveway belonged to the Trokeys. She acknowledged that part of the concrete driveway was on her property, but the Trokeys poured the concrete on the driveway, which was a benefit for all involved.

Mr. Trokey and Mrs. Mehl both testified the guests at the resort, the long-term renters, and the Mehls themselves, would all utilize the concrete driveway and the gravel driveway of the disputed property to get to the lake and a boat launching ramp on the lake. These individuals asked Mr. Trokey if they could use his concrete driveway when pulling their boats because it was easier to get them in and out. Mr. Trokey stated he never excluded any of these individuals from using the gravel and concrete driveways, and had no reason to deny permission. Mr. Trokey specifically testified that people in the resort area asked permission to use his driveway prior to using the disputed property, and they only used it when it was really necessary.

Mrs. Trokey also testified that the Mehls and their renters had used the driveways located on the disputed property and that she and her husband had never told them not to do so or excluded anyone from using the disputed property.

A survey was conducted in June 1995, and was purported to be prepared for the Trokeys.5 The 1995 survey showed the Trokeys’ property line cutting across and through the concrete driveway and not running to the edge of the seawall, indicating they did not own the disputed property. Mr. Trokey claimed the surveys showing the property line for his property running across and through the concrete driveway as “opposed to eight feet over,” were all wrong.6 Mrs. Trokey also testi[522]*522fied they had owned the disputed property for 47 years:

Q Okay. Your husband mentioned that you guys have owned this property for’47 years; is that correct?
A Well, we bought it in November of 1965, however many years that is.
Q Okay. And since you’ve owned it in November of 1965 up until this period in 2007, had you ever painted a line on the ground to show where you thought your property was?
A No, we didn’t have to, we owned it.
Q And it’s your position today — it’s your opinion that you own this property; is that correct?
A What property?
Q The area of property that you’re claiming in this suit.
A Yes.
Q It’s your position that you own it; is that right?
A Yes.
Q And that you’ve owned it since 1975 when you carved out the piece of property and sold it to the Mehls?
A That is correct.
Q It’s your belief that if there are surveys indicating that this property doesn’t belong to you, that those surveys are incorrect; is that right?
A That is correct.

Sometime in 1998 or 1999, the Trokeys had a garage constructed and Mr. Mehl, who later sold the property to RDP, excavated the hole and was the contractor for the garage construction.7 Since the construction of the garage, the Trokeys used the gravel part of the disputed property to pull into their garage because of the angle of the garage entrance. Without using the gravel driveway of the disputed property, the Trokeys claimed they would not be able to get in and out of their garage. They also occasionally used it for guest parking on the weekends or holidays, but not in the winter.8 Mrs. Mehl also testified that the Trokeys, along with their resort guests, parked cars on the gravel driveways.

In March 2007, RDP acquired ownership of the real estate from the Mehls. At the time of this transfer, the property had not yet been subdivided into Fox Cove Estates and was still part of Lots 24 and 25 of The Boot Subdivision. A dispute arose between the Trokeys and RDP as to the property line and ownership of the disputed property when RDP began development of the Fox Cove Estates. Mrs. Mehl testified the Trokeys raised an issue with the property line location when they sold the property to RDP. As a result, several surveys were done, the results of which Mr. Trokey disputed.9 This dispute eventually resulted in the Trokeys filing a petition alleging they adversely possessed the disputed property.10

[523]

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Bluebook (online)
401 S.W.3d 516, 2013 WL 2402865, 2013 Mo. App. LEXIS 678, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trokey-v-rdp-development-group-llc-moctapp-2013.