# FILED May 6, 1996 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N THECOUR

TOFAPPEALSOFTENNES SEE EA STER N SEC TI O N

) R HEA C OUNTY GI LESE. R

OBER S ON a n dwi f e ) 03A 01- 9509- C

H - 00299 H A ZEL B. R

O BER S O N )

) Pl a i ntif f s - A

pp e lla nt s )

) ) v. ) HON. J EFFR EY F. STEW

AR T, ) C HANC ELLOR ) M AR Y M AR GAR ET( DAR

W I N) ) W AS S ON a n dPUG M

AR TI N, ) I ndi vi dua l l y, a nd d/ b/ a ) C ENTUR Y 2 1 PUG M

AR TI N R EALTY ) a n dSTEPHEN N. SNYDER a n d ) wi f e , BAR

BAR A L. SNYDER ) ) D e f e n d a nt s - A

pp e l l ees ) AFFI R M ED AND R

EM ANDED

HOW AR D L. UPC

HUR C H OFPI KEVI LLEFOR APPELLANTS M ATHEW D. BR OW NFI ELD a n dJ OHN R. ANDER S ON OFC

HATTANOOGA FOR APPELLEESSTEPHEN N. SNYDER a n dwi f e BAR

BAR A L. SNYDER

O PI N I O N

G odda r d, P. J .

Thi s s u i t w

a s f i l e db yPl a i nt i f f s G i l e s E. R

ob e r s o na n d hi s w i f e H azel B. R

ob e r s o nag a i n s t D e f e n d a nt s M

a r yM a r g a r e t1 M r s . W a s s on cont r a c t e d w i t h M s . M a r t i n t o s e l l her pr ope r t y . 2 ( D a r w i n) W a s s on a nd Pug M

a r t i n, 1i ndi vi dua l l y, a nd d/ b/ a C e nt ur y 21 Pug M

a r t i n R

e a l t y. The Pl a i nt i f f s s ought t o ha ve t he C our t de c l a r e t ha t a s t r i p of l a nd a ppr oxi m a t e l y 18 f e e t i n w i dt h, t i t l e d i n t he na m e of M r s . W a s s on, w

hi c h l a y be t w

e e n t w o s e pa r a t e t r a c t s ow

ne d by t he m

( s e e a ppe ndi x) " t o ha ve be e n a ba ndone d a nd t o be non- e xi s t e nt . " The c om pl a i nt w

a s l a t e r a m

e nde d t o a dva nc e t he t he or y of a dve r s e pos s e s s i on, a nd s t i l l l a t e r t o a dd a s pa r t i e s D

e f e nda nt St e phe n N . Snyde r a nd w

i f e Ba r ba r a L. Snyde r , w ho ha d pur c ha s e d t he pr ope r t y f r om M r s . W a s s on.

The Tr i a l C

our t gr a nt e d a s um m a r y j udgm

e nt i n f a vor of t he D e f e nda nt s a s t o t he a dve r s e pos s e s s i on t he or y a nd a t t he c onc l us i on of t he Pl a i nt i f f s ' pr oof s us t a i ne d t he D e f e nda nt s ' m ot i on t o gr a nt a j udgm e nt i n t he i r f a vor , w hi c h a t t ha t poi nt w a s pr e di c a t e d onl y upon t he a ba ndonm e nt t he or y.

Th e Pl a i ntif f s a pp e a l in s i s tin gth a t the Tr i a l C o ur t w a s i n e r r or i n gr a nt i ng s um m a r y j udgm

e nt be c a us e t he r e i s a di s p ut e o f m

a t e r i a l f a c t s , a n dinla t e r di s m i s s i n gthe i r s u i t be c a us e t he e vi de nc e pr e ponde r a t e s a ga i ns t hi s f i ndi ngs .

A s toth e is s u e s r a i s e d , w e a r e de a lin gw

ithtw o s e pa r a t e s t a nda r ds of r e vi e w . I n r e vi e w

i ng t he a c t i on of t he Tr i a l C

our t i n gr a nt i ng s um m a r y j udgm

e nt , w e a r e r e qui r e d t o t a ke t he s t r onge s t l e gi t i m a t e vi e w

of a l l t he e vi de nc e i n f a vor of t he3

non- m ovi ng pa r t i e s a nd t o i ndul ge a l l r e a s ona bl e i nf e r e nc e s i n t he i r f a vor . Byr d v. H a l l , 847 S . W

. 2d 208 ( Te nn. 1993) . The Supr e m

e C our t , i n C

ityo f C

o l um b i a v . C. F . W

. Co n s t . Co . , 557 S . W

. 2d 734, 740 ( Te nn. 1977) , a r t i c ul a t e s t he s t a nda r d t o be us e d i n non- j ur y c a s e s f or di s m i s s a l a t t he c onc l us i on of t he pl a i nt i f f ' s pr oof , w hi c h w e e qua t e w

i t h a m

ot i on f or j udgm

e nt i n de c l a r a t or y j udgm e nt c a s e s , a nd di s t i ngui s he s t ha t s t a nda r d f r om t he one t o be us e d i n j ur y c a s e s :

M ot i ons f or di s m

i s s a l i n non- j ur y c a s e s unde r R ul e 41. 02( 2) , Te nne s s e e R ul e s of C

i vi l Pr oc e dur e , a nd m ot i ons f or di r e c t e d ve r di c t s i n j ur y c a s e s unde r R ul e 50, Te nne s s e e R

ul e s of C

i vi l Pr oc e dur e , a r e s om e w ha t s i m i l a r , b ut , t h e r e i s a f u n d a m e nt a l di f f e r e n ce b e t w een t h e tw om o tio n s , in th a t, inthe jur yc a s e , th e ju d g e i s not t he t r i e r of f a c t s w hi l e i n t he non- j ur y c a s e he i s t h e t r i e r o f t h e f act s . I nt h e j ur ycas e he m u s t c ons i de r t he e vi de nc e m os t f a vor a bl y f or t he pl a i nt i f f , a l l o w al l r eas o n a b l e i nf e r e n ces i np l a i nt i f f ' s f a v or a nd di s r e ga r d a l l c ount e r a c t i ng e vi de nc e , a nd, s o c o n s i de r e d , i f t h e r e i s anym a t e r i a l evi de n ce t o s uppor t a ve r di c t f or pl a i nt i f f , he m us t de ny t he m ot i on. But i n t he non- j ur y c a s e , w he n a m

ot i on t o di s m i s s i s m

a de at t h e cl o s e o f p l a i nt i f f ' s cas e un de r R u l e 4 1 . 0 2 ( 2 ) , th e tr i a l ju d g e m u s t im p a r tia llyw

e i g h a n dev a l u a t e t h e evi de n ce i nt h e s a m e m a nn e r as t h o u g h he w e r e m a ki ng f i ndi ngs of f a c t a t t he c onc l us i on of a l l of t he e vi de nc e f or bot h pa r t i e s , de t e r m i ne t he f act s o f t h e case, app l yt h e l a w t ot h o s e f act s , an d , i f t he pl a i nt i f f ' s c a s e ha s not be e n m a de out by a pr e ponde r a nc e of t he e vi de nc e , a j udgm e nt m a y be r e n de r e da g a i n s t the p l a i ntif f o nthe m e r its , o r , th e t r i a l ju d g e , in hi s di s c r e tio n , m a yde c line tor e n de r j udgm e nt unt i l t he c l os e of a l l t he e vi de nc e . The a c t i on s houl d be di s m i s s e d i f on t he f a c t s f ound a nd t he a ppl i c a bl e l a w t he pl a i nt i f f ha s s how n no r i ght t o r e lie f . The Tr i a l C

our t , i n gr a nt i ng a s um m a r y j udgm

e nt a s t o t he t he or y of a dve r s e pos s e s s i on, s t a t e d t he f ol l ow i ng:4 The C our t i s of t he opi ni on t ha t a pa r t i a l Sum m a r y J udgm e nt s houl d be gr a nt e d i n f a vor of t he D e f e nda nt , St e phe n N

. a nd Ba r ba r a Snyde r on t he i s s ue of a dve r s e pos s e s s i on. The i s s ue of a dve r s e pos s e s s i on w oul d r e qu i r e th e Pl a i ntif f s toe s t a b lis hth a t o v e r the y e a r s t he y ha ve by ope n, hos t i l e a nd not or i ous us e of t he pr ope r t y i n que s t i on pos s e s s e d i t t o t he e xc l us i on of t he r i ght f ul ow

ne r . The Pl a i nt i f f s c a nnot a s s e r t a s a m a tte r o f la w

toh a v e c o l or o f title tothe s t r i po f l a nd i n que s t i on. The i r de e d s pe c i f i c a l l y r e f e r r e d t o t he i r pr ope r t y l i ne s be i ng bounde d by a " pr i va t e l a ne " w hi c h i s a l s o t he s t r i p of l a nd i n que s t i on i n t hi s cas e . Fur t h e r , t h e D e f e n d a nt s an dt h e i r pr e decess or s - i n- t i t l e t hr ough t he va r i ous de e ds of c onve ya nc e , gr a nt e d t he us e of s a i d s t r i p of l a nd t o t he Pl a i nt i f f s a nd t he i r pr e de c e s s or s - i n- t i t l e . Thi s gr a nt of t he us e o f thi s s t r i po f la n dtothe Pl a i ntif f s a n dthe i r pr e decess or - i n - t i t l e w o u l dde f eat a cl a i m t oadv e r s e pos s e s s i on i n a nd of i t s e l f . N one of t he gr a nt s a l l ow i ng t he us e i n a nyw a y pl a c e s a r e s t r i c t i on on t he us e , ot he r t ha n t o s a y i t c a nnot be a n e xc l us i ve us e a nd t he s t r i p of l a nd i s t he r e f or t he be ne f i t of t he Pl a i nt i f f a nd ot he r l a nd ow ne r s s e r vi c e d by t he s t r i p of l a nd.

N o e vi de nc e w

a s i nt r oduc e d by t he Pl a i nt i f f s t o c ont r a di c t t he Tr i a l C our t ' s f i ndi ngs of f a c t , w hi c h a r e s uppor t e d by e vi de nc e i nt r oduc e d by t he D e f e nda nt s .

A f t e r a he a r i ng a s t o t he a ba ndonm e nt t he or y, t he Tr i a l C our t gr a nt e d t he D e f e nda nt s ' m

ot i on f or j udgm

e nt a t t he c onc l us i on of t he Pl a i nt i f f s ' pr oof be c a us e i t " ha d not r i s e n t o t he s t a nda r d t ha t i s r e qui r e d by c l e a r or c onvi nc i ng pr oof of a n a ba ndonm

e nt . " Thi s s t a nda r d w a s m a nda t e d by C

o ttr e ll v . D

a ni e l , 30 Te nn. A

pp. 339, 205 S . W

. 2d 973 ( 1947) , w he r e i n t hi s C

our t , quot i ng f r om

a Supr e m

e C our t c a s e , s t a t e d, " t he r e m us t be s om

e c l ear an du nm

i s t a ka b l e af f i r m

a t i v e act i n di cat i n ga pur p o s e t o r e pudi a t e t he ow

ne r s hi p. "5 O ur r e vi e w

of t he r e c or d pe r s ua de s us t ha t - - a s t o bot h t he Tr i a l C

our t ' s a c t i ons ( gr a nt i ng a s um m a r y j udgm

e nt a s t o t he a dve r s e pos s e s s i on t he or y; gr a nt i ng t he D e f e nda nt s j udgm

e nt a s t o t he a ba ndonm

e nt t he or y)

- - t hi s i s a n a ppr opr i a t e c a s e f or a f f i r m a nc e unde r R

ul e 10( a ) of t hi s C our t . For t he f or e goi ng r e a s ons t he j udgm e nt of t he Tr i a l C our t i s a f f i r m

e d a nd t he c a us e r e m a nde d f or s uc h f ur t he r pr oc e e di ngs , i f a ny, a s m a y be ne c e s s a r y a nd c ol l e c t i on of c os t s be l ow . C os t s of a ppe a l a r e a dj udge d a ga i ns t t he R obe r s ons a nd t he i r s ur e t y .

_______________________________ H ous t on M

. G odda r d, P. J .6

CONC UR:

________________________________ H e r s c he l P. Fr a nk s , J .

________________________________ C l i f f or d E. S a nde r s , Sp. J .