# FILED October 1, 1997 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N THECOUR

TOFAPPEALSOFTENNES SEE EA STER N SEC TI O N

M AR K EDW AR D KI NSLER ) HANC OC K C OUNTY ) 03A 01- 9703- C

H - 00080 Pl a i ntif f - A

p p e lle e )

) ) v. ) HON. THOM ASR. FR

I ER S ON, I I , ) C HANC ELLOR ) CA RLBA K ER, e t u x ) EDI TH BAKER ) ) D e f e nda nt s - A

ppe l l a nt s ) AFFI R M ED AND R

EM ANDED

W I LLI A M E. PH I LLI PSO

FR O G ER SV I LLE FO

R A PPELLA N T FLOYD W

. R HEA OFSNEEDVI LLEFOR APPELLEE

O PI N I O N

G odda r d, P. J .
I nthi s s u it, th e Pl a i ntif f s e e k s a d e t e r m i n a tio nth a t he ow ns a r i ght - of - w

a y f r om

hi s pr ope r t y l oc a t e d i n t he Four t h D i s t r i c t of H

a nc oc k C

ount y ove r t he a dj oi ni ng pr ope r t y of t he D e f e n d a nt s .

The Tr i a l C

our t f ound i n f a vor of t he Pl a i nt i f f , r e s u ltin ginthi s a p p e a l, w hi c hr a i s e s th e f o llo w i n gis s u e s :2

1. D i dth e Tr i a l C

o ur t e r r inf a ilin gtof i n dth a t t he w e i ght of t he e vi de nc e pr e ponde r a t e d t ha t t h e easem

e nt o f t h e d o m

i n a nt es t a t e h a db een a ba ndone d. 2. D i dth e Tr i a l C

o ur t e r r inf a ilin gtof i n dth a t t he w e i ght of t he e vi de nc e pr e ponde r a t e d i n a f i ndi ng t ha t t he e a s e m e nt of t he dom

i na nt e s t a t e ha d be e n a dve r s e l y pos s e s s e d by t he ow ne r s of t he s e r v i e nt es t a t e an dt hu s t e r m i n a t e d . 3. D i dth e Tr i a l C

o ur t e r r inf a ilin gtof i n dth a t t he w e i ght of t he e vi de nc e pr e ponde r a t e d i n a f i ndi ng t ha t a n a t t e m pt e d a dve r s e pos s e s s i on of t h e d o m

i n a nt es t a t e ' s eas e m e nt h a dco m

m e n cedm

o r e t ha n s e ve n ( 7) ye a r s pr i or t o t he f i l i ng of p l a i ntif f ' s s u it thu s b a r r i n gp l a i ntif f ' s s u i t pur s ua nt t o t he pr ovi s i ons of T e nn. C ode Ann. § 28- 2- 103. The de e d w

he r e i n t he Pl a i nt i f f a c qui r e d t he r i ght - of - w a y he c l a i m

s a nd pr i or de e ds i n hi s c ha i n of t i t l e a r e a s f o llo w s : 1. N . T. Ba ke r a nd w

i f e t o L. D

. La w s on, da t e d M

a r c h 19, 1931, c ont a i ne d t he f ol l ow i ng l a ngua ge : " Pa r t i e s of t he f i r s t pa r t i s [ s i c ] t o f ur ni s h pa r t y of t he s e c ond pa r t a La ne r oa d out of t h e m . 2. N or a Ba ke r a nd w

i f e t o L. D

. La w s on, da t e d D

e c e m be r 1, 1932, c ont a i ne d t he f ol l ow i ng l a ngua ge : " N

or a Ba ke r a nd Lul a Ba ke r de e ds L. D

. La w s on a nd w

i f e a r oa d out ove r t he i r l a nd t o publ i c r oa d. " 3. L. D

. La w s on t o K

yl e Si z e m

or e a nd w

i f e , da t e d N

ove m be r 27, 1943, c onve ye d pr ope r t y a c qui r e d by pr e vi ous de e ds f r om Ba ke r . N o r i ght - of - w

a y w a s m e nt i one d, a l t hough t he de e d doe s c ont a i n a "her e di t a m

e nt an dap p ur t e n a n ce" cl a u s e .3

4. K y l e Si zem

o r e an dw

i f e t oR

o s c o e K

i n s l e r , d a t e dM

a r c h2 4 , 1945. N

o r i ght - of - w

a y w a s m e nt i one d, a l t hough t he de e d doe s c o nt a i na "her e di t a m e nt an dapp ur t e n a n ce" cl a u s e . 5. R os c oe K

i ns l e r a nd w

i f e t o Euge ne Si z e m or e , da t e d A

pr i l 6, 1956. N

o r i ght - of - w

a y w a s m e nt i one d, a l t hough t he de e d doe s c o nt a i na "her e di t a m e nt an dapp ur t e n a n ce" cl a u s e . 6. Eu g e n e Si zem o r e t oK

y l e Si zem

o r e an dw

i f e , d a t e dD

ecem b e r 7 , 1962. N

o r i ght - of - w

a y w a s m e nt i one d, nor doe s t he de e d c ont a i n a "her e di t a m

e nt an dap p ur t e n a n ce" cl a u s e . 7. K y l e Si zem

o r e an dw

i f e t oM

i c h ael C. H

i c km a nan dw

i f e , d a t e d J ul y 15, 1991, a l s o c onve yi ng " a ny r i ght , t i t l e a nd i nt e r e s t w hi c h t he y [ t he gr a nt or s ] m a y ha ve t o a ny e a s e m e nt s or r i ght s - of - w a y be ne f i t i ng t he a bove - de s c r i be d pr e m i s e s . " I t w i l l be not e d t ha t t he de e ds num be r 3, 4, 5 a nd 6 do not m e nt i on t he r i ght - of - w a y. The Tr i a l C

our t de t e r m

i ne d t ha t t he r i ght - of - w

a y pa s s e d by vi r t ue of t he he r e di t a m e nt a nd a ppur t e na nt c l a us e a nd no que s t i on i s m a de a s t o t hi s poi nt . W e do not e t ha t de e d num be r s i x doe s not ha ve a he r e di t a m e nt a nd a p p ur t e n a nt cl a u s e . Bu t , b ecau s e i t i s t h e g e n e r a l r u l e t h a t

" upon c onve ya nc e of pr ope r t y t he l a w i m pl i e s a gr a nt of a l l i nc i de nt s r i ght f ul l y be l ongi ng t o t ha t pr ope r t y a t t he t i m e of t h e co n v e y a n ce w

hi c hw a s es s e nt i a l t ot h e f u l l an dp e r f ect e nj oym e nt of t he pr ope r t y, " Bi s hop v. V i l l a ge of Br ookf i e l d, 425 N . E. 2d 1113 ( I l l . A pp. 1981) , a nd be c a us e no que s t i on i s m a de a s t othi s p o i nt e ith e r , w e w ill n o tic e it n of ur t h e r .4 O ur r e a di ng of t he r e c or d, i nc l udi ng t he Tr i a l C our t ' s m e m or a ndum

opi ni on, pe r s ua de s us t ha t 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 . I n r e a c hi ng t hi s c onc l us i on, w

e f i nd t ha t t he e vi de nc e doe s not pr e ponde r a t e a ga i ns t t he Tr i a l J udge ' s f i ndi ngs of f a c t , a nd t ha t hi s c onc l us i ons of l a w ba s e d t he r e on a r e a ppr opr i a t e . N ot w i t hs t a ndi ng our a f f i r m a nc e unde r R

ul e 10( a ) , w

e de e m i t a ppr opr i a t e t o br i e f l y a ddr e s s t w o poi nt s m

a de by t he D e f e nda nt s . Fi r s t , a s t o t he f e nc e t he y c ont e nd e nc l os e d t he i r pr ope r t y f or t he pr e s c r i pt i ve pe r i od a nd t he r e by e xt i ngui s he d t he r i g ht - o f - w

a yc l a i m

e db yth e Pl a i ntif f , it a p p e a r s th a t th e f e n c e w a s not c ons t r uc t e d, m a i nt a i ne d, or us e d i n a f a s hi on t ha t w oul d e xt i ngui s h t he Pl a i nt i f f ' s r i ght s . I nde e d, t he r e i s pr oof t ha t t he m a i n pur pos e of t he f e nc e w a s t o c onf i ne c a t t l e . The r e i s a no t r e s pa s s i ng s i gn ne a r t he publ i c r oa d i n c l os e pr oxi m

i t y t o a c e m

e t e r y. The D

e f e nda nt s di d pe r m i t f a m i l y m e m be r s of t hos e bur i e d t o vi s i t t he c e m e t e r y, a s i s r e qui r e d unde r our c a s e l a w . H i n e s v . S t a t e , 126 Te nn. 1, 149 S . W . 1058 ( 1911) . H

ow e ve r , t he y a l s o pe r m i t t e d M

r . K i ns l e r a nd hunt e r s t o t r a v e r s e th e i r p r o p e r t y . Inthi s r e g a r d , EdithBa ke r te s tif i e d a s f o llo w

s : Q R i ght . N

ow , M r . R he a a s ke d you a bout di d you m i nd M r . K i ns l e r c om

i ng a c r os s you, w a l ki ng. D

o you a l l ow pe opl e t o w

a l k up a nd dow

n your pr ope r t y? A Y e a h, t he r e ' s a l ot of pe opl e go i n t he r e a nd I s a y not hi ng.5 I t i s a ppa r e nt f r om t he r e c or d t ha t t he s i gn w a s

" m or e honour ' d i n t he br e a c h t ha n t he obs e r va nc e . "

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 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 D e f e nda nt s a nd t h e i r s ur e t y .

_______________________________ H ous t on M

. G odda r d, P. J . CONC UR:

________________________________ C h a r l e s D

. Su s a n o , J r ., J .

________________________________ W i l l i a m H . I nm a n , Sr . J .