Truth Freewill Baptist Church v. Berwick Township

26 Pa. D. & C.4th 130, 1995 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 115
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Adams County
DecidedNovember 17, 1995
Docketno. 89-S-455
StatusPublished

This text of 26 Pa. D. & C.4th 130 (Truth Freewill Baptist Church v. Berwick Township) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Adams County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Truth Freewill Baptist Church v. Berwick Township, 26 Pa. D. & C.4th 130, 1995 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 115 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1995).

Opinion

KUHN, J,

This matter commenced when plaintiff, Truth Freewill Baptist Church, filed a complaint in equity against the various defendants. Plaintiff seeks to impose upon the defendants an obligation to bring Little Avenue into compliance with the street specifications of the Berwick Township Subdivision Ordinance and then to have that street dedi[132]*132cated as a public street. Extensive pleadings and discovery followed. Each defendant then filed a motion for summary judgment and plaintiff filed a motion to amend its complaint. These motions are before the court for disposition.

It has often been stated that,

“Summary judgment may be granted if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file show that there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.... Summary judgment may be entered only in cases that are clear and free from doubt. . . . The moving party . . . has the burden of proving that no material issue of fact exists. . ..” Allstate Insurance Co. v. McFadden, 407 Pa. Super. 537, 540, 595 A.2d 1277, 1278 (1991), allocatur denied, 529 Pa. 644, 602 A.2d 855 (1991). (citations omitted)

In addition, the record must be examined in a light most favorable to the non-moving party, accepting as true all well-pleaded facts in the pleadings and giving that party the benefit of all reasonable inferences drawn therefrom. Godlewski v. Pars Manufacturing Company, 408 Pa. Super. 425, 430, 597 A.2d 106, 109 (1991). Finally, pursuant to the Nanty-Glo rule, summary judgment is not available where the moving party relies exclusively upon oral affidavits or depositions to establish the absence of a genuine issue of material fact, except where that oral testimony consists of admissions of the opposing party or his witnesses. Johnson v. Johnson, 410 Pa. Super. 631, 637, 600 A.2d 965, 968 (1991).

From the record before the court the following background is revealed. Defendant, Mace Inc. was a Virginia corporation formed by defendants, Cecil and Mary Ar-trip, who were the sole shareholders and officers of [133]*133the corporation. On December 11, 1974, Mace Inc. registered as a foreign business corporation in Pennsylvania to do business in furniture and appliance sales.

The subject real estate1 lies south of U.S. Route 30 and east of S.R. 94 in Berwick Township. It is part of a larger parcel owned by a Mr. Shultz who sold to Sabre Heights Inc. The shareholders of the latter corporation were Cecil Artrip and his former wife. Mace Inc. bought the subject land from Sabre Heights Inc. and began steps to subdivide the land into five parcels. A gravel road known as Little Avenue extended from Rt. 94 eastward to and through the land purchased by Mace Inc. The stretch of the roadway up to Mace’s parcel which will be referred to as the original portion, was not maintained by Berwick Township.

In the spring of 1975, Mace Inc. submitted its subdivision plan to the township. The plan called for three lots on the southern side of Little Avenue with lot no. 1 being on the eastern end of the parcel and lot no. 3 being on the western end. Two parcels, nos. 4 and 5, were situated on the northern side of Little Avenue. At that time the township had in place a subdivision ordinance enacted on January 22, 1966, which required a stone base, macadam surface, curbs and gutters. Section 13 of the ordinance required that the street construction be completed in accordance with township specifications before a subdivision plan be approved or a bond or deposit of funds be submitted to insure compliance.

By letter dated April 28,1975, the township’s engineer recommended that the lot lines be taken to the street [134]*134right-of-way line to allow for later dedication to the township and that the street be constructed to the eastern edge of lot no. 1. If dedication was not intended at that time, he recommended that Little Avenue be labeled a “private street” on the plan. Mr. Artrip testified that he complained that the cost of extending a paved street across the original portion of Little Avenue to Rt. 94 would be prohibitive. There is some reason to accept this testimony because by letter dated June 23, 1975, the township engineer recommended in response to Mr. Artrip’s questions that Mace Inc. construct the roadway from the eastern edge of lot no. 1 to the western edge of lot no. 2. Mr. Artrip testified that the township further agreed to modify its construction specifications and that he hired Henson Paving Company to construct the street. The record contains a bill from Henson Paving indicating that on July 8, 1975, it constructed a “chip and oil road.” Mr. Artrip further testified that the township engineer was on the site to inspect construction.

Berwick Township approved the subdivision plan on July 12, 1975, without requiring the posting of a bond. The township did require and had in hand a statement dated July 10, 1975, from Mr. Artrip, in his capacity as president, that “Mace Inc. presently and in the future will maintain Little Avenue from the east end at lot no. 1 to the west end at lot no. 3.” The plan had been approved by the township planning commission on July 10, 1975, “subject to the fact that the streets are satisfactory to the township supervisors.” (Letter dated July 10, 1975, from Berwick Township Planning Board to the township board of supervisors.) The Adams County Planning Commission “reviewed” the plan on July 14, 1975, and it was recorded the same date with the notation “a private street” beside Little Avenue.

[135]*135On September 11, 1975, Mace Inc. sold lots no. 4 and 5 to plaintiff. The deed granted the right of travel over “Little Avenue, a 50 feet wide private street.. ..” The deed did not mention any obligation regarding street maintenance. Lot no. 1 became the parsonage for the church and was occupied by the pastor, Buck Riffe, up to 1981. Lot no. 3 was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Artrip and has been used by them as their residence.

Over the ensuing years, plaintiff’s buses and congregation used Little Avenue for church and school purposes. The street gradually deteriorated but at no time was it regularly maintained by the township. Mace Inc. may have done some maintenance. Plaintiff may contend that the township plowed snow on Little Avenue two times prior to 1981 so Mrs. Riffe, a township employee, could get to work. Trash collection is by a private hauler. Mail is not delivered to Little Avenue beyond its intersection with Rt. 94.

Mace Inc. was formally dissolved in Virginia on October 13, 1977. Its withdrawal affidavit dated May 8, 1981, and signed by Mr. Artrip was filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue on March 16, 1981. The affidavit indicates that Mace withdrew from doing business in Pennsylvania on May 1, 1980. There is no record of notice of the dissolution being given by newspaper publication or by notice to any other person or entity. According to Mr. Artrip, all corporate records have been destroyed since at least the early 1980s.

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Bluebook (online)
26 Pa. D. & C.4th 130, 1995 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 115, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/truth-freewill-baptist-church-v-berwick-township-pactcompladams-1995.