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Ib %\U:b 0 0D$UNhh^  z< w 4 !& G V    nNp mrE#UNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTb 0 B 0 D3V D- 0K AST 0 0D A,cAZ"Arial Regular(`$.8dd8    (#$  0  ("  Z6Times New Roman Regularᐝ)  C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wptOo)Ǟk3ݨ  R$      1     _ThereisnoindicationintherecordthatanyoftheotherpropertyownersalongthedriveobjecttoPlaintiffs  useofthedrive.3|xLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5U HP LaserJet 8000 Series PS0(I Z6Times New Roman Regular- -(|G2$ !.8Etd d 8         0  ( d(|3$ !.8Etd d 8     VVVV'dxd)!dxdx( $ Figure  1  ^_X`YE<<CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(|3$ !.8Etd d 8     ($$   1  X[Z&OLE 2.0 Box <=8C HKKKK !.8J d d8     _  L8$XXdd 8  @ GLINTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @%ATJACKSON#LG #Ԉ &   October25,2000OnBriefs L X NXL #LXX N#MAELENEFOWLER,etux.v.JERRYWILBANKSX NXL  J @@ ADirectAppealfromtheChanceryCourtforMcNairyCounty  J @@No.7269TheHonorableDeweyC.Whitenton,Chancellor  6 @@*AV) ` dE<` A   @@TTNo.W200000452_COA_ԄR3CVFiledDecember28,2000   AV) ` dE<|` A }     PlaintiffssuedtoenjoinDefendantfromdenyingtheirrighttouseaprivatedirtandgravelroadon x  Defendantspropertyinordertoaccesstheirproperty.ThetrialcourtheldthatPlaintiffsestablished d aneasementbyimplicationand/orprescriptionintheprivateroad,andenjoinedDefendantfrom P preventingPlaintiffsfutureaccesstotheroad.Defendantappeals.#LXX No#X NXL <  Tenn.R.App.P.3;AppealasofRight;JudgmentoftheChanceryCourtAffirmedand d Remanded  P   #LX N#X NX.LW.FrankCrawford,P.J.,W.S.,deliveredtheopinionofthecourt,inwhichAlanE._Highers_, ( J.andDavidR.Farmer,J.,joined.  KenSeaton,Selmer,ForAppellant,JerryWilbanks  TerryAbernathy,Selmer,ForAppellees,MaeleneFowlerandW.F.Fowler t c OPINION #LXX N#X NXL L  #LXX Nn #X NXL  8b XdXXd8  Plaintiffs,_Maelene_ԀFowlerandhusband,W.F.Fowler,suedDefendant,JerryWilbanks,to $"t! enjoinDefendantsinterferencewiththeiruseofaprivategravelanddirtroadalongtheeastern #`" boundarylineofdefendantsproperty. #L#   Plaintiffsclaimarighttousethisroadbywayofanimpliedorprescriptiveeasement. %$!% Plaintiffsowna2.687acreparceloflandlocatedinMcNairyCounty,Tennessee.Theland &"& Plaintiffspurchasedin1996isundeveloped,andtherecordindicatesthePlaintiffshaveharvested '"' asoybeancropontheirpropertyatleastoncesincetheyacquiredtheland.In1996,Defendant (#( purchaseda125'by125'parcelwhichadjoinsPlaintiffslandtothenorth.Bothparcelswereonce )$)  partofalargerpieceofpropertyownedbyGradyIngle,PlaintiffMaeleneFowlersfather. p*%*:   Thegravelanddirtroadatissueinthiscase(the drive)runsnorthsouthfromAllen  McCoyRoad,pastseverallots,andendingatthePlaintiffsproperty.  #  1      ׀Testimonyattrialindicated   thatthedrivehasbeeninexistenceforatleastthirtyfive(35)years,andisataslightlyhigher  elevationthanDefendantsproperty,withaditchontheeastsidetocarrywaterofftheroadway. t ThepartiesdisputetheuseofthatportionofthedrivewhichislocatedonDefendantsproperty,and ` runsalonghiseastboundary,betweenDefendantslotandalothiswifeowns.Therewasno L  evidencepresentedattrialthat,priortothislawsuit,therewaseveranydisputeovertheuseofthe 8  drive. $ t   OnJune30,1998,thechancellorgrantedatemporaryinjunctionlimitingPlaintiffsuseof  L  thedrivetopassengervehiclesandfarmimplementsandspecificallyprohibitingtheuseofheavy  8  equipment.OnOctober18,1999,followingabenchtrial,thechancellorenteredapermanent $  injunctioninfavorofPlaintiffs,specificallyfindingthatPlaintiffshavearighttotheuseofthedrive   asanimpliedorprescriptiveeasement.Defendanthasappealedandpresentsoneissueonappeal:   whetherthetrialcourterredinfindingthatPlaintiffsareentitledtoaneasementonthedisputeddrive   locatedonDefendantspropertybyimplicationand/orprescription.     Sincethiscasewastriedbythecourtsittingwithoutajury,wereviewthecase denovo upon \ therecordwithapresumptionofcorrectnessofthefindingsoffactbythetrialcourt.Unlessthe H evidencepreponderatesagainstthefindings,wemustaffirm,absenterroroflaw. See Tenn.R.App. 4 P.13(d).Althoughtheevidencetoestablishaprescriptiveeasementissomewhatsketchy,weagree  p withthechancellorthatPlaintiffshaveestablishedanimpliedeasementovertheroadinquestion.  \   Aneasementis arightanownerhastosomelawfuluseoftherealpropertyofanother. 4  Pevearv.Hunt ,924S.W.2d114,115(Tenn.Ct.App.1996).Variousformsofeasementsexist   underTennesseelaw,including:expresseasements;easementsbyreservation;impliedeasements;   prescriptiveeasements;andeasementsbyestoppel. Seeid. Tennesseecourtsrecognizetwogeneral  categoriesofeasements:easementsingrossandeasementsappurtenant. Seeid. In Pevear ,this  Courtexplainedthedifferencebetweenthesetwoformsofeasements:  8  8`   Inaneasementappurtenant,thereare2tractsofland,thedominant X  tenement,andtheservienttenement.Thedominanttenementbenefits D! insomewayfromtheuseoftheservienttenement.Easementsin 0"  grossaresimplyapersonalinterestorrighttousethelandofanother #l! whichdoesnotbenefitanotherproperty,ordominantestate,thus $X" easementsingrossusuallyinvolveonlyoneparcel.Aneasement $D # appurtenanttolandisfavoredoveraneasementingrossin %0!$ Tennessee. Goetzv.KnoxvillePower&LightCo. ,154Tenn.545, &"% 290S.W.409(1926).'#&` x` x  (#'  Id. at116.    Inarecentopinion,weaddressedtheissueofimpliedeasements:  8  8`   Animpliedeasementappurtenantshouldonlyarisewhereitisof ` suchnecessitythatwemaypresumeitwaswithinthecontemplation L  ofthepartiestoaconveyance. SeeLaRue ,166S.W.2dat1049.8 ` x` x 8  8`    Thepartyassertinganimpliedeasementhastheburdenof  ` showing theexistenceofallfactsnecessarytocreatebyimplication  L  aneasementappurtenanttohisestate. Linev.Miller ,309S.W.2d  8  376,377(Tenn.Ct.App.1957).$ ` x` x  ThePointe,LLCv.LakeManagementAssoc.,Inc. ,No.W200000211,slipop.at78(Tenn.Ct.   App.November6,2000).Thepartyassertingtheexistenceofaneasementbyimplicationmust   provethreeelements:   8  8`    ...(1)Aseparationofthetitle;(2)Necessitythat,beforethe \ separationtakesplace,theusewhichgivesrisetotheeasementshall H havebeensolongcontinuedandobviousormanifestastoshowthat 4 itwasmeanttobepermanent;and(3)Necessitythattheeasementbe  p essentialtothebeneficialenjoymentofthelandgrantedor  \ retained....H` x` x  Johnsonv.Headrick ,237S.W.2d567,570 (Tenn.Ct.App.1948)(quoting17Am.Jur.Easements,   pp.945,946).CourtsinTennesseehaveinterpretedtheterm necessityasmeaning reasonably  necessaryfortheenjoymentofthedominanttenement. See,e.g.,  Linev.Miller ,309S.W.2d376,  377(Tenn.Ct.App.1957); Johnsonv.Headrick ,237S.W.2dat570.    Inthiscase,therecordindicatesthatGradyIngle,PlaintiffMaeleneFowlersfather,owned X  theentiretractoflandatonetime.Ms.Fowlertestifiedthatthedisputedroadhasbeeninexistence D! for35years,andthatsheknewofnootheraccesstoherparcelbutbywayofthedrive.Defendant 0"  testifiedthattheroadwasplainlyvisiblewhenhepurchasedhisproperty,andheconcededthatthe #l! roadhasbeeninexistencealongtime.Finally,thetrialcourt,initsopinion,notedthatthe $X" Plaintiffsparcelis landlocked,renderinguseoftheroad reasonablynecessarytotheenjoyment $D # ofPlaintiffsland. %0!$   DefendantsuggeststhatPlaintiffscouldbypassthedisputedroadandaccesstheirproperty '#& bywayofanarrowstripoflandthatPlaintiffsownbehindDefendantshome.Wenotethatthe (#' recordincludestestimonythattheDefendantinthiscaseistheownerofanoutbuildingwhichis )$( located,atleastinpart,onthisstripofPlaintiffsland.EvenifDefendantweretoremoveany |*%) buildingswhichobstructthisstripofPlaintiffsproperty,Plaintiffswouldstillberequiredtocross h+&* propertywhichdoesnotbelongtotheminordertoaccessthenearestpublicroad.Additionally,as  thetrialcourtnotedinitsopinion, itwouldbeexpensivetoconstructandimprovearoadtothe  qualityoftheonewhichhasbeenusedformorethantwentyyears.Theevidencedoesnot  preponderateagainstthechancellorsfindingthattheproofestablishedthethreeelementsofimplied t easement. `   Accordingly,thefinaldecreeofthetrialcourtisaffirmed.Thiscaseisremandedtothetrial 8  courtforanyfurtherproceedingsasarenecessary.Costsofthisappealareassessedtothe $ t Defendant/Appellant,JerryWilbanks,andhissurety.#LXX N #X NXL  `    `     h   __________________________________________      `     h   W.FRANKCRAWFORD,PRESIDINGJUDGE,W.S.