West Vale Homeowners' Ass'n v. Small

367 S.W.3d 623, 2012 WL 1890367, 2012 Ky. App. LEXIS 83
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedMay 25, 2012
DocketNo. 2011-CA-001157-MR
StatusPublished

This text of 367 S.W.3d 623 (West Vale Homeowners' Ass'n v. Small) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
West Vale Homeowners' Ass'n v. Small, 367 S.W.3d 623, 2012 WL 1890367, 2012 Ky. App. LEXIS 83 (Ky. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

OPINION

CAPERTON, Judge:

The Appellant, West Vale Homeowners’ Association, Inc., initiated litigation below for the purpose of enforcing subdivision restrictions against the Appellee, Eric Small. The trial court initially found Small to be in violation of the restrictions, and enjoined him from further action. However, following a motion to alter, amend, or vacate filed by Small, the trial court reversed its decision, finding that the actions by Small, subsequent to its initial ruling, waived its ability to enforce the restrictions. West Vale now seeks restoration of the trial court’s original ruling and continuation of the permanent injunction against Small. Upon review of the record, the arguments of the parties, and the applicable law, we reverse and remand this matter for additional proceedings consistent with this opinion.

The West Vale subdivision consists of large, estate-style lots located along a private, dead-end road in Paducah, Kentucky. Each home located in the subdivision is valued in excess of $1,000,000. The lots in the subdivision are large, with Small’s 3.6-acre lot being the smallest, and the largest measuring 6.3 acres. The original developer of West Vale imposed a series of restrictions upon the lots comprising the development. These restrictions, which appear of public record with the McCracken County Clerk, govern many aspects of property ownership within West Vale. Restrictions apply to aspects of building size, architectural approvals, and building setback lines. They also contain a provision affording property owners the opportunity to seek a waiver of one or more restrictions through the approval of a two-thirds vote of Homeowners’ Association members. All of the lots were subject to a 100-foot minimum setback line from the street in front of the lot, as well as being subject to a 25-foot minimum side setback to the sidelines.

The matter at issue sub judice arose when Small applied for such a waiver. Seeking to construct a large addition onto his home, Small requested a waiver of the setback restriction for the side lot line on his property so as to extend the proposed addition approximately 11 feet into the setback. Small submitted a proposal to the Association as well as a copy of the drawing of the proposed addition. The members of the Homeowners’ Association met, discussed the issue, and ultimately declined to grant the waiver. Nevertheless, Small decided to move forward with his planned addition. He notified the Homeowners’ Association of his intent to proceed, obtained a building permit, and commenced construction on the addition.

Upon discovering Small’s disregard of the restrictions, the Homeowners’ Association commenced the instant litigation, and obtained interlocutory relief from the trial court barring Small’s construction activities. In response to the action filed by the Homeowners’ Association, Small conceded that his proposed addition would violate the restrictions, but defended his actions by stating that the Association had, through acquiescence to other violations, waived its ability to enforce the restric[625]*625tions. After the Association initiated this action, Small hired Rick Tosh of Dummer Surveying & Engineering Services to perform a physical survey and inspection of the West Vale subdivision and, in particular, to look for structures which violated setback lines.

Tosh testified below that his crew found eleven separate violations of structures which were placed within the various setback lines on seven of the ten lots. As found by the trial court, these included retaining walls and other landscaping features, driveway pedestals and signs, portions of driveways, a porch column located ten inches into the setback, and a pool house located seven feet into the setback. There was never any evidence submitted below as to whether the proposed addition would have increased or diminished the value of Small’s home.

Upon reviewing these other alleged violations of the restrictions, the trial court concluded that only one — the construction of a pool house — was material. The court went on to hold that a single material violation did not equate to a waiver of the Association’s right to enforce the setback restriction, and granted the Association’s motion for a permanent injunction. Below, Leigh Smith, the Association president, testified that the Association had not been aware of the various violations, but acknowledged that no action had been taken to require the particular residents to remove the stone porch canopy or the pool house.

In its original opinion, the trial court noted that should any property owner be aggrieved by the pool house violating the setback restriction, the owner could file suit over the issue. Facing the possibility of additional litigation, the owners of the pool house property petitioned the Association for a post hoc waiver of the setback restriction for their pool house. The Association met, considered the request, and granted the variance. In so doing, the Association found that granting the variance would not materially affect the quality and character of West Vale.

Approximately four months later, following the prehearing conference in the original appeal, Small moved the trial court to alter or amend its original opinion based upon the grant of the variance. Small maintained that by granting the variance, the Association waived its ability to enforce the restriction against Small. The trial court accepted that argument, and granted Small’s request for relief under Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (CR) 60.02. It is from that order that the Homeowners’ Association now appeals to this Court.

As its first basis for appeal, the Association argues that it did not, through acquiescence, waive its ability to enforce the restrictions, and that the trial court erroneously found that the Association waived its ability to enforce the restrictions by formally granting a waiver. The Association argues that the trial court impermissibly concluded that by formally granting a waiver for the pool house violation, the Association waived its ability to enforce the setback restriction against other lot owners. The Association essentially argues that because the underlying subdivision restrictions allow for waiver by vote when there is a disagreement of the parties, it is error to find waiver by acquiescence, as the trial court found herein. Specifically, the Association takes issue with the trial court’s reliance upon the holding in Hardesty v. Silver, 302 S.W.2d 578, 581 (Ky.1956), because that case did not involve a situation where a waiver was formally granted pursuant to a waiver scheme established by underlying restrictions. The Association argues that it expressly intended for waivers to exist from time to time by providing for same in the [626]*626restrictions, and that it was error for the court to find that they were without authority to grant one in this instance.

Alternatively, the Association argues that even if the caselaw pertaining to waiver by implication were applied to the facts herein, it did not waive its ability to enforce the restrictions against Small simply because it voted to waive enforcement of the restrictions in the case of the pool house.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

U.S. Bank, NA v. Hasty
232 S.W.3d 536 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 2007)
Richardson v. Brunner
327 S.W.2d 572 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky (pre-1976), 1959)
Hardesty v. Silver
302 S.W.2d 578 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1956)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
367 S.W.3d 623, 2012 WL 1890367, 2012 Ky. App. LEXIS 83, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/west-vale-homeowners-assn-v-small-kyctapp-2012.