Title: Directors of Seasons on Mt. Snow Condo. Owners Assoc. v. Seasons Assoc.

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

Directors of Seasons on Mt. Snow Condo. Owners Assoc. v. Seasons Assoc.(96-272) 
166 Vt. 618; 693 A.2d 735

[Filed 4-Apr-1997]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 96-272

                              MARCH TERM, 1997

Directors of Seasons on Mount        }     APPEALED FROM:
Snow Owners Association acting       }
by and through Seasons on Mount      }
Snow Condominium Owners              } 
Association, Inc.                    }
                                     }
v.                                   }    Windham Superior Court
                                     }    
Seasons Associates, Seasons on       }
Mount Snow, Inc., David Epstein,     }
and Robert S. Epstein                }     DOCKET NO. S289-6-944Wrcv
    

       In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       Defendants in this property dispute appeal from a summary judgment in
  favor of plaintiffs.  We reverse.

       In January 1985, defendants Seasons Associates and Seasons on Mount
  Snow, Inc. acquired a 27-acre parcel of land from the estate of Nellie Kull
  and began development of a 250-unit condominium project known as the
  Seasons on Mount Snow.  In June of 1988, defendants acquired a 10.12-acre
  parcel of land known as the Sundance property to construct an additional 82
  condominium units (Sundance Project).  The Sundance parcel adjoined the
  Nellie Kull parcel.  The original project Declaration contained a provision
  purporting to reserve a right-of-way over adjoining property owned or to be
  acquired by defendants.  In addition, quitclaim deeds were executed on
  behalf of the Condominium Owners Association purporting to convey an
  easement to use the Seasons Road for access to the Sundance property.  The
  sole means of egress from and ingress to the Sundance Project was the road
  that served the Seasons Project. 

       The Directors of the Seasons on Mount Snow Owners Association
  (plaintiffs) filed a declaratory judgment action in Windham Superior Court
  to determine whether defendants had a right to use the road for access to
  the Sundance Project.  The parties filed cross-motions for summary
  judgment.  The trial court granted judgment for plaintiffs, ruling that
  defendants could not create a "hybrid" easement over property to be
  acquired in the future, that such an easement would improperly add to the
  burden on the existing easement, and that the quitclaim deeds purportedly
  executed on behalf of the Owners Association did not comply with the
  provisions in the Seasons Project declaration and therefore were invalid.

       The fundamental issue is whether an easement may be reserved to apply
  to after-acquired property.  Section 10.6 of the Declaration in pertinent
  part provides:

              The Declarant [Seasons Associates], on
          behalf of and      for the benefit of itself and
          its successors and assigns, reserves a
          permanent easement over all roads, highways,
          private ways, streets, ski trails, and paths,
          whether now existing, designated as to be
          constructed in the future on any plans
          recorded herewith or shown on any plan or
          survey required for any board, agency,

 

          municipal or state approval of this
          condominium development, which it or its
          successors and assigns may use for access to
          adjoining premises now owned by it or which it
          may hereafter acquire.
          
       The character of an easement depends upon the intent of the parties,
  as drawn from the language of the deed, the circumstances existing at the
  time of execution, and the object and purpose to be accomplished by the
  easement.  Griffith v. Nielsen, 141 Vt. 423, 428,