Title: Angela Young Purser v. Solid Ground Development, LLC

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

REL: 03/12/2010 
Notice: T h i s o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e 
advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of 
Decisions, 
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 ((334) 229¬
0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any 
t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s 
may 
be 
made b e f o r e 
t h e o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2009-2010 
1081615 
Angela Young Purser 
v. 
S o l i d Ground Development, 
LLC 
Appeal from Shelby C i r c u i t Court 
(CV-07-277) 
STUART, 
J u s t i c e . 
A n g e l a Young P u r s e r a n d 
h e r b r o t h e r , A l t o n Y o u n g , J r . , 
s u e d 
S o l i d 
G r o u n d D e v e l o p m e n t , L L C , i n t h e S h e l b y 
C i r c u i t 
C o u r t . 
P u r s e r 
a l l e g e d 
t h a t 
S o l i d 
G r o u n d h a d u n l a w f u l l y 
d r a i n e d a l a k e on p r o p e r t y i t 
owned a d j a c e n t t o 
h e r 
p r o p e r t y , 
1081615 
t h e r e b y 
i n t e r f e r i n g w i t h h e r u s e and e n j o y m e n t o f t h a t 
l a k e , 
as w e l l as c a u s i n g a s m a l l e r 
l a k e on h e r p r o p e r t y t o a l s o go 
d r y ; 
Y o u n g , J r . , 
a l l e g e d 
t h a t 
S o l i d 
G r o u n d ' s 
a c t i o n s h a d 
c h a n g e d t h e f l o w o f r u n o f f w a t e r s u c h t h a t h i s p r o p e r t y was 
now f l o o d e d w h e n e v e r t h e r e were s u b s t a n t i a l amounts o f r a i n . 
The 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
e n t e r e d a summary j u d g m e n t i n f a v o r o f S o l i d 
G r o u n d on b o t h c l a i m s . 
P u r s e r now a p p e a l s t h a t j u d g m e n t .
1 We 
a f f i r m . 
I . 
I n J u n e 1965, P u r s e r ' s 
f a t h e r , A l t o n Young, S r . , a c q u i r e d 
f r o m two s e p a r a t e 
s e l l e r s a p p r o x i m a t e l y 3 7 a c r e s o f c o n t i g u o u s 
l a n d i n 
A l a b a s t e r . 
T h a t same month, Y o u n g , S r . , 
c o n v e y e d t h a t 
p r o p e r t y t o 
Waymon R u t h e r f o r d and W i l l i e R u t h e r f o r d , who, some 
months 
l a t e r , c o n v e y e d two a c r e s o f t h e l a n d b a c k t o Y o u n g , 
S r . 
P u r s e r 
a l l e g e s t h a t t h e o b j e c t o f t h e s e t r a n s a c t i o n s was 
f o r t h e R u t h e r f o r d s 
t o c o n s t r u c t a l a k e f o r 
t h e e n j o y m e n t o f 
t h e Young and R u t h e r f o r d 
f a m i l i e s and t h a t Young, S r . , was 
g i v e n t h e two a c r e s o f l a n d as p a r t i a l c o m p e n s a t i o n f o r h i s 
s u r v e y i n g 
s e r v i c e s 
a s s o c i a t e d 
w i t h t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h a t 
'Young, J r . , 
d o e s n o t c h a l l e n g e 
on a p p e a l t h e j u d g m e n t 
a g a i n s t h i m . 
2 
1081615 
l a k e . 
The R u t h e r f o r d s d i d i n f a c t t h e r e a f t e r b u i l d a dam and 
c o n s t r u c t a l a k e on t h e i r 
p r o p e r t y . 
I n a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1975, Y o u n g , S r . , c o n v e y e d a p o r t i o n o f 
t h e p r o p e r t y he h a d r e c e i v e d f r o m t h e R u t h e r f o r d s t o P u r s e r . 
The p r o p e r t y he c o n v e y e d t o P u r s e r was n o t l a k e f r o n t p r o p e r t y ; 
h o w e v e r , on O c t o b e r 3 1 , 1980, P u r s e r p u r c h a s e d some 
a d d i t i o n a l 
p r o p e r t y 
f r o m 
W i l l i e 
R u t h e r f o r d -- Waymon was 
d e c e a s e d 
-¬
w h i c h 
d i d i n c l u d e 
l a k e f r o n t 
p r o p e r t y 
and 
some 
o f 
w h i c h 
a c t u a l l y 
f o r m e d 
p a r t 
o f t h e l a k e 
b e d . 
I n 1989, 
P u r s e r 
c o n v e y e d a p o r t i o n o f h e r n o n - l a k e f r o n t p r o p e r t y t o Young, 
J r . 
On 
F e b r u a r y 
4, 1 9 9 1 , t h e e s t a t e o f W i l l i e 
R u t h e r f o r d 
c o n v e y e d t h e r e s t o f t h e p r o p e r t y c o n v e y e d b y Y o u n g , S r . , t h a t 
she owned a t h e r d e a t h t o Raymond W i l s o n . 
W i l s o n 
s u b s e q u e n t l y 
b e g a n c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a r o a d a r o u n d t h e p r o p e r t y . 
T h a t 
r o a d 
e x t e n d e d a l o n g h i s p r o p e r t y 
l i n e , a n d , b e c a u s e P u r s e r owned a 
p o r t i o n o f t h e s o u t h e a s t e r n p a r t o f t h e l a k e , W i l s o n s o u g h t t o 
c o n s t r u c t an e l e v a t e d 
r o a d b e d t h r o u g h 
t h e l a k e 
a l o n g t h e 
p r o p e r t y l i n e he s h a r e d w i t h P u r s e r . 
T h a t r o a d b e d w o u l d h a v e 
e f f e c t i v e l y b i s e c t e d t h e l a k e , r e s u l t i n g i n a l a r g e r l a k e on 
t h e W i l s o n p r o p e r t y and a s m a l l e r l a k e on P u r s e r ' s 
p r o p e r t y . 
P u r s e r o p p o s e d t h e p l a n n e d 
r o a d t h r o u g h t h e l a k e , a n d , a f t e r 
3 
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c o n s t r u c t i o n 
on i t b e g a n , 
she 
f i l e d 
a l a w s u i t t o s t o p i t , 
a l l e g i n g , 
among 
o t h e r 
t h i n g s , 
t h a t 
t h e 
r o a d b e d 
s l o p e d 
u n d e r w a t e r and e n c r o a c h e d upon h e r p r o p e r t y .
2 
I n S e p t e m b e r 
1998, she s e t t l e d h e r c l a i m s a g a i n s t W i l s o n 
f o r $30,000 
and 
a g r e e d 
t o an e a s e m e n t a l l o w i n g W i l s o n t o keep t h e u n d e r w a t e r 
edge 
o f t h e r o a d b e d 
on h e r p r o p e r t y 
b u t 
r e q u i r i n g 
h i m t o 
m a i n t a i n t h e r o a d w i t h g r a v e l o r s t o n e , n o t d i r t . 
A f t e r t h e 
r o a d b e d was 
f i n i s h e d , 
t h e r e e x i s t e d two l a k e s -- one 
l a r g e r 
l a k e 
e n t i r e l y 
on 
W i l s o n ' s 
p r o p e r t y 
and 
one 
s m a l l e r 
l a k e 
e n t i r e l y on P u r s e r ' s p r o p e r t y -- c o n n e c t e d by p i p e s b u i l t 
i n t o 
t h e r o a d b e d t h a t a l l o w e d w a t e r t o t r a v e l b e t w e e n t h e l a k e s . 
The l a k e on P u r s e r ' s p r o p e r t y was d e p e n d e n t upon w a t e r f l o w i n g 
t h r o u g h t h o s e p i p e s f r o m t h e l a r g e r l a k e t o m a i n t a i n i t s 
w a t e r 
l e v e l . 
In J a n u a r y 2005, S o l i d G r o u n d p u r c h a s e d 
t h e p r o p e r t y once 
owned by W i l s o n w i t h p l a n s t o e v e n t u a l l y d e v e l o p 
i t . 
As p a r t 
o f t h o s e p l a n s , 
S o l i d G r o u n d o p e n e d t h e dam on i t s p r o p e r t y , 
a l l o w i n g 
t h e l a k e 
on i t s p r o p e r t y 
t o d r a i n . 
As 
t h e 
l a k e 
d r a i n e d , w a t e r f l o w e d t h r o u g h t h e p i p e s r u n n i n g t o t h e l a k e on 
P u r s e r ' s p r o p e r t y , c a u s i n g t h e w a t e r 
l e v e l on t h a t l a k e a l s o 
2 I t i s n o t c l e a r f r o m t h e r e c o r d i n t h i s c a s e e x a c t l y what 
c l a i m s P u r s e r a l l e g e d a g a i n s t W i l s o n i n t h e e a r l i e r 
a c t i o n . 
4 
1081615 
t o d r o p s u b s t a n t i a l l y . 
On M a r c h 20, 2007, P u r s e r s u e d 
S o l i d 
G r o u n d i n t h e S h e l b y 
C i r c u i t C o u r t , 
a l l e g i n g t h a t S o l i d G r o u n d 
h a d i r r e v o c a b l y i m p a i r e d h e r u s e and e n j o y m e n t o f t h e o r i g i n a l 
l a k e and a s k i n g t h e c o u r t t o r e q u i r e S o l i d G r o u n d t o r e s t o r e 
t h e 
l a k e on i t s 
p r o p e r t y t o i t s 
o r i g i n a l 
c o n d i t i o n . 
S o l i d 
G r o u n d 
a n s w e r e d 
t h e 
c o m p l a i n t 
a n d , 
a f t e r 
a 
p e r i o d 
o f 
d i s c o v e r y , moved f o r a summary j u d g m e n t , a r g u i n g 
t h a t 
P u r s e r 
h a d no r i g h t 
e n t i t l i n g h e r t o t h e u s e and e n j o y m e n t o f a l a k e 
t h a t was e n t i r e l y on S o l i d G r o u n d ' s p r o p e r t y and t h a t 
P u r s e r 
h a d no r i g h t t o c o m p e l i t 
t o m a i n t a i n a l a k e on i t s p r o p e r t y 
t o 
b e n e f i t a c o n n e c t e d 
l a k e on h e r p r o p e r t y . 
On M a r c h 12, 
2009, t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t e n t e r e d a summary j u d g m e n t i n f a v o r o f 
S o l i d G r o u n d , n o t i n g t h a t t h e j u d g m e n t was s u p p o r t e d n o t o n l y 
by t h e a r g u m e n t s made b y S o l i d G r o u n d i n i t s s u m m a r y - j u d g m e n t 
m o t i o n , b u t a l s o by t h e d o c t r i n e o f c o l l a t e r a l e s t o p p e l as a 
r e s u l t o f P u r s e r ' s p r e v i o u s 
a c t i o n a g a i n s t W i l s o n . 
P u r s e r ' s 
e n s u i n g 
m o t i o n t o a l t e r , amend, o r v a c a t e 
t h e j u d g m e n t was 
d e n i e d b y o p e r a t i o n o f l a w p u r s u a n t t o R u l e 5 9 . 1 , A l a . R. 
C i v . 
P., and she f i l e d 
t h i s a p p e a l on A u g u s t 2 1 , 2009. 
I I . 
" T h i s C o u r t ' s r e v i e w o f a summary j u d g m e n t i s 
de 
n o v o . 
W i l l i a m s v . S t a t e Farm Mut. A u t o . I n s . Co., 
5 
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8 
8 
6 So. 
2d 72 , 74 
( A l a . 2 0 0 3 ) . 
We 
a p p l y t h e same 
s t a n d a r d 
o f 
r e v i e w 
as 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
a p p l i e d . 
S p e c i f i c a l l y , 
we must d e t e r m i n e w h e t h e r 
t h e movant 
has made a p r i m a f a c i e s h o w i n g t h a t no g e n u i n e 
i s s u e 
o f 
m a t e r i a l 
f a c t 
e x i s t s 
and 
t h a t 
t h e 
movant 
i s 
e n t i t l e d 
t o 
a j u d g m e n t 
as 
a m a t t e r 
o f 
l a w . 
R u l e 
5 6 ( c ) , 
A l a . R. C i v . P.; 
B l u e C r o s s & B l u e S h i e l d o f  
A l a b a m a v. 
H o d u r s k i , 899 
So. 
2d 
949, 
952-53 ( A l a . 
2 0 0 4 ) . 
I n m a k i n g 
s u c h 
a 
d e t e r m i n a t i o n , we 
must 
r e v i e w t h e e v i d e n c e i n t h e 
l i g h t most f a v o r a b l e 
t o 
t h e 
n o n m o v a n t . 
W i l s o n v. Brown, 496 So. 2d 756, 
758 
( A l a . 
1 9 8 6 ) . 
Once t h e movant makes a p r i m a 
f a c i e 
s h o w i n g 
t h a t t h e r e i s no g e n u i n e 
i s s u e o f 
m a t e r i a l 
f a c t , 
t h e b u r d e n 
t h e n 
s h i f t s 
t o t h e nonmovant 
t o 
p r o d u c e 
' s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e ' as t o t h e e x i s t e n c e 
o f 
a 
g e n u i n e 
i s s u e 
o f 
m a t e r i a l 
f a c t . 
B a s s 
v. 
 
S o u t h T r u s t Bank o f B a l d w i n C o u n t y , 
538 
So. 2d 
794, 
797-98 
( A l a . 1 9 8 9 ) ; A l a . Code 1975, 
§ 1 2 - 2 1 - 1 2 . " 
Dow 
v. A l a b a m a 
D e m o c r a t i c 
P a r t y , 
897 
So. 
2d 
1035, 
1038-39 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 4 ) . 
I I I . 
I n Wehby v. T u r p i n , 710 
So. 
2d 1243, 
1246 
( A l a . 1 9 9 8 ) , 
t h i s C o u r t c o n s i d e r e d , as an i s s u e o f 
f i r s t 
i m p r e s s i o n , 
"who 
has c o n t r o l o v e r t h e s u r f a c e w a t e r s o f a p r i v a t e 
n o n n a v i g a b l e 
l a k e , when t h e 
l a k e b e d 
i s owned by 
two 
o r more 
a d j o i n i n g 
l a n d o w n e r s . " 
A f t e r 
r e v i e w i n g t h e 
r e l e v a n t A l a b a m a 
l a w 
and 
d e c i s i o n s r e a c h e d by o t h e r j u r i s d i c t i o n s 
t h a t had c o n s i d e r e d 
t h e 
i s s u e , we a d o p t e d t h e m a j o r i t y common-law r u l e t h a t 
" t h e 
o w n e r s o f l a n d e x t e n d i n g b e n e a t h 
a r t i f i c i a l o r man-made l a k e s , 
n o t n a v i g a b l e as a m a t t e r o f l a w , have s u r f a c e - w a t e r 
r i g h t s 
6 
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o n l y i n t h e s u r f a c e w a t e r s a b o v e 
t h e i r 
l a n d . " 
I d . a t 1249. 
As 
a p p l i e d i n t h i s c a s e , t h i s r u l e d i c t a t e s t h a t P u r s e r h a d a 
r i g h t t o u s e and e n j o y 
o n l y 
t h a t 
p a r t o f t h e o r i g i n a l 
l a k e 
t h a t l a y upon h e r p r o p e r t y -- she h a d no p r o p e r t y 
r i g h t s i n 
t h e 
l a r g e r 
l a k e 
o r 
t h e 
o r i g i n a l 
l a k e 
as 
a 
w h o l e , 
n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g 
t h e f a c t t h a t t h e R u t h e r f o r d s 
and W i l s o n 
may 
h a v e a l l o w e d h e r f r e e u s e o f t h a t p a r t o f t h e l a k e now on t h e 
p r o p e r t y 
owned b y S o l i d G r o u n d . 
C o n v e r s e l y , 
W i l s o n , 
S o l i d 
G r o u n d ' s p r e d e c e s s o r i n t i t l e , h a d t h e r i g h t t o u s e and e n j o y 
t h a t 
p a r t o f t h e o r i g i n a l 
l a k e 
l y i n g on h i s p r o p e r t y 
as he 
w a n t e d , and he a c t e d 
w i t h i n h i s r i g h t s when he e r e c t e d t h e 
r o a d b e d 
t h a t 
b i s e c t e d t h e l a k e and c r e a t e d t h e two 
s m a l l e r 
l a k e s . 
S o l i d 
G r o u n d 
s i m i l a r l y h a d t h e r i g h t 
t o do as i t 
w i s h e d w i t h t h e l a k e on i t s p r o p e r t y , and i t 
a c t e d w i t h i n i t s 
r i g h t s when i t 
e l e c t e d t o d r a i n t h a t 
l a k e . 
P u r s e r now a r g u e s t o t h i s C o u r t t h a t she h a d an e a s e m e n t 
o r e q u i t a b l e 
r i g h t s e n t i t l i n g h e r t o u s e t h e e n t i r e t y o f t h e 
o r i g i n a l 
l a k e a n d / o r r e q u i r i n g S o l i d G r o u n d t o m a i n t a i n t h e 
o r i g i n a l l a k e l e v e l i n o r d e r t o m a i n t a i n t h e l e v e l o f t h e l a k e 
on h e r p r o p e r t y . 
However, t h e r e c o r d c o n t a i n s no d o c u m e n t a r y 
e v i d e n c e 
s u p p o r t i n g 
t h a t 
a s s e r t i o n . 
M o r e o v e r , 
t h e 
r e c o r d 
7 
1081615 
c o n t a i n s no e v i d e n c e i n d i c a t i n g t h a t P u r s e r made t h i s a r g u m e n t 
t o t h e t r i a l 
c o u r t . 
The r e c o r d d o e s n o t c o n t a i n any m o t i o n 
P u r s e r m i g h t have 
f i l e d 
o p p o s i n g 
S o l i d G r o u n d ' s m o t i o n f o r a 
summary j u d g m e n t , and h e r m o t i o n t o a l t e r , amend, o r v a c a t e 
t h e 
j u d g m e n t 
s t a t e s 
o n l y 
t h a t 
" t h e e v i d e n c e 
p r e s e n t e d 
b y 
[ P u r s e r ] was s u b s t a n t i a l and o f s u c h w e i g h t t h a t p r o v e d 
t h a t 
t h e r e was an e x i s t e n c e o f a g e n u i n e i s s u e o f m a t e r i a l 
f a c t . " 
" T h i s 
C o u r t 
c a n n o t 
c o n s i d e r 
a r g u m e n t s 
r a i s e d f o r t h e 
f i r s t 
t i m e 
on 
a p p e a l ; 
r a t h e r , 
o u r 
r e v i e w 
i s r e s t r i c t e d 
t o t h e 
e v i d e n c e 
and 
a r g u m e n t s 
c o n s i d e r e d 
by 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t . " 
A n d r e w s v . M e r r i t t O i l 
Co., 612 So. 2d 409, 410 
( A l a . 1 9 9 2 ) . 
See 
a l s o 
S t a t e v . R o b i n s o n , 510 So. 2d 834, 835 ( A l a . C i v . 
App. 
1987) 
( " I t i s t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y 
o f t h e a p p e l l a n t t o 
p r o v i d e 
enough 
o f 
t h e 
r e c o r d 
t o 
s u p p o r t 
t h e 
i s s u e s 
p r e s e n t e d . " ) . 
I n l i g h t o f t h e r e c o r d 
b e f o r e u s , we a r e n o t 
p e r s u a d e d t h a t 
t h e r e i s any l e g a l 
b a s i s on w h i c h t o r e q u i r e 
S o l i d G r o u n d t o m a i n t a i n t h e l a k e on i t s p r o p e r t y f o r P u r s e r ' s 
use and e n j o y m e n t . 
To t h e e x t e n t P u r s e r 
a l s o a r g u e s t h a t S o l i d G r o u n d 
s h o u l d 
be 
r e q u i r e d t o r e s t o r e t h e l a k e on i t s p r o p e r t y 
i n o r d e r t o 
m a i n t a i n 
t h e w a t e r 
l e v e l o f t h e l a k e on h e r p r o p e r t y , 
h e r 
8 
1081615 
a r g u m e n t i s n o t s u p p o r t e d 
by t h e a p p l i c a b l e l a w . 
I n B a i l e y v. 
F l o y d , 416 
So. 2d 404, 
404 
( A l a . 1 9 8 2 ) , t h i s C o u r t q u o t e d w i t h 
a p p r o v a l 
t h e 
f o l l o w i n g f r o m t h e a p p e l l a n t s ' 
b r i e f : 
" ' I f 
t h e 
l a n d i s i n s i d e a c o r p o r a t e 
l i m i t , 
t h e 
a p p l i c a b l e 
r u l e o f 
l a w 
i s c a l l e d 
t h e common-enemy 
d o c t r i n e . 
I t i s d i a m e t r i c a l l y o p p o s e d t o t h e 
c i v i l 
l a w 
r u l e 
and 
a l l o w s 
e a c h 
l a n d o w n e r 
t o 
use 
h i s 
p r o p e r t y 
as 
he 
p l e a s e s . 
E a c h 
l a n d 
owner 
has 
an 
u n q u a l i f i e d 
r i g h t 
t o 
d i v e r t 
t h e 
s u r f a c e 
w a t e r s 
w i t h o u t 
i n c u r r i n g 
l e g a l 
c o n s e q u e n c e s 
w h i l e 
o t h e r 
l a n d o w n e r s 
p o s s e s s 
t h e 
d u t y 
and 
r i g h t 
t o 
p r o t e c t 
t h e m s e l v e s 
f r o m 
t h e 
e f f e c t s 
o f 
t h i s 
d i v e r s i o n . 
A n n o t . 93 A . L . R . 3 d 1193, 
1199 
( 1 9 7 9 ) . ' " 
B e c a u s e a l l t h e p r o p e r t y a t i s s u e i n t h i s c a s e l i e s w i t h i n t h e 
m u n i c i p a l 
l i m i t s 
o f 
t h e 
C i t y 
o f A l a b a s t e r , 
S o l i d G r o u n d 
i s 
e n t i t l e d t o d i v e r t t h e w a t e r on i t s p r o p e r t y w i t h o u t 
r e g a r d 
t o 
t h e e f f e c t t h a t d i v e r s i o n w i l l h a v e on P u r s e r ' s p r o p e r t y . 
Any 
a r g u m e n t P u r s e r makes t o t h e c o n t r a r y i s u n f o u n d e d . 
I V . 
The 
summary j u d g m e n t e n t e r e d 
by 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
a g a i n s t 
P u r s e r 
and 
i n 
f a v o r 
o f 
S o l i d 
G r o u n d 
i s 
s u p p o r t e d 
by 
t h e 
a p p l i c a b l e 
l a w . 
A c c o r d i n g l y , 
t h a t j u d g m e n t i s a f f i r m e d . 
AFFIRMED. 
Cobb, C . J . , 
and L y o n s and 
B o l i n , 
J J . , c o n c u r . 
M u r d o c k , J . , c o n c u r s i n t h e 
r e s u l t . 
9 
1081615 
MURDOCK, J u s t i c e 
( c o n c u r r i n g i n t h e r e s u l t ) . 
A n g e l a Young P u r s e r t a k e s t h e p o s i t i o n on a p p e a l t h a t she 
had an i m p l i e d easement o r an e q u i t a b l e r i g h t o f some n a t u r e 
e n t i t l i n g her t o l a t e r a l s u p p o r t f o r the maintenance o f t h e 
l a k e 
l e v e l on her p r o p e r t y . 
Because no p e r s u a s i v e 
l e g a l 
argument f o r t h i s p o s i t i o n i s p r o p e r l y b e f o r e us, I concur i n 
the 
r e s u l t . 
10