# FILED October 2, 1995 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N THECOUR

TOFAPPEALSOFTENNES SEE EA STER N SEC TI O N

R I CK HAYNESa nd ) J EFFER SON C OUNTY KAR EN HAYNES ) 03A 01- 9504- C

H - 00133 ) Pl a i ntif f s - A

pp e lla nt s )

) ) v . ) HON. C HESTER S . ) R AI NW ATER , J R. , ) C HANC ELLOR J OHN W ALKER a ndwi f e ) R OSA M AEW ALKER a nd ) HAR OLD W OODS ) ) D e f e nda nt s - A

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

EM ANDED

C AR LR. OGLE, J R. , OFJ EFFER SON C I TY FOR

APPELLANTS J AM ESR. SC

R OGGI NSOFJ EFFER

SON C I TY FOR

APPELLEES

O PI N I O N

G odda r d, P. J .
The Pl a i nt i f f s , R i c k H a yne s a nd hi s w

i f e K a r e n H a yne s , i ni t i a l l y s ue d t he i r a dj a c e nt l a ndow ne r s , D

e f e nda nt s J ohn W

a l ke r a nd w i f e R os a M a e W a l ke r a nd H

a r ol d W

oods . The Pl a i nt i f f s s ought a de c l a r a t i on t ha t t he y w e r e e nt i t l e d t o a r i ght - of - w a y t o ga i n a c c e s s t o t r a c t 8 of t he C l i nt J one s pr ope r t y, a 15. 72- a c r e t r a c t2

ow ne d by t he m

i n J e f f e r s on C

ount y. The r e a f t e r , M i c ha e l W

oods a nd hi s w i f e Pa ul a Y

oung W oods , w

ho a c qui r e d a por t i on of H a r ol d W oods ' pr ope r t y, w e r e a dde d a s pa r t y D e f e nda nt s by a n a gr e e d or de r . The Pl a i nt i f f s c ont e nd t ha t t he r i ght - of - w a y i n que s t i on w

a s f or m

e r l y a publ i c r oa d, know n a s t he O

l d M i l l s Spr i ng R

oa d, a nd ha d ne ve r be e n of f i c i a l l y c l os e d. The y a l s o a s s e r t t h a t t he i r pr e decess or s i nt i t l e acqui r e dani nt e r e s t b y pr e s c r i pt i on a nd, f ur t he r , t ha t t hi s r oa dw a y " pr ovi de s t he onl y s ui t a bl e m

e a ns of i ngr e s s a nd e gr e s s t o t he i r pr ope r t y, " pr e s um a bl y a l l e gi ng t ha t t he y a r e e nt i t l e d t o a r i ght - of - w a y by necess i t y . The Tr i a l C our t f i r s t f ound t ha t t he Pl a i nt i f f s ha d not c a r r i e d t he i r bur de n t o s how t ha t t he r oa d i n que s t i on w a s e ve r a publ i c r oa d a nd, e ve n ha d t he y done s o, i t ha d be e n " a ba ndone d 50 or m

or e ye a r s a go. " The Pl a i ntif f s a pp e a l r a i s i ngthe f o llow i ngis s u e : W HETHER THEC HANC ELLOR ER R ED I N HOLDI NG THATTHE PLAI NTI FFSFAI LED TO PR OVE THEEXI STENC

EOFA PUBLI C R OAD C ONSTI TUTI NG A R

I GHT- OF- W

AY TO THEPLAI NTI FFS ' PR OPER TY, THATSUC

H PUBLI C

R OAD HAD BEEN ABANDONED, AND THATTHI SR

OADW AY DI D NOTCONSTI TUTEAN EASEM ENTBY N EC ES SI TY .1 A l t h o u g h n o t ass e r t e d as a t h e o r y b y t h e Pl a i n t i f f s , an y p r i v a t e r i ght ac c r u i ng t o t h e m af t e r t h e publ i c r o a d wa s aba ndone d w oul d l i k e w

i s e have b een ab a n d o n e d b y t h e act s of M r . Jon es.
2 Ru l e 10 . (a ) A f f i r m a n c e W i t hout O

p i n i o n . Th e Co u r t, with th e c onc u r r e n c e of al l j udge s par t i c i p a t i ng i n t h e ca s e , m a y af f i r m

t h e ac t i on of t h e t r i a l cour t by or d e r w i t hout r e nde r i ng a f o r m a l opi n i on w

h e n an opi n i o n woul d have no pr e c e d e n t i a l val u e and one or m o r e of t h e f o l l o w i n g c i r c u m

s t a n ces exi s t an d ar e d i spo s i t i v e o f t h e ap p eal : 3 The onl y e vi de nc e i n t he r e c or d t ha t t hi s w a s e ve r a pub l i c r o a dar e cer t a i nr e f e r e nces i ndeed s t ot he p a r t i e s andt o t he i r pr e de c e s s or s i n t i t l e , s om e of w hi c h s pe a k of " a r oa d, " a nd ot he r s of " a n ol d r oa d, " a nd t he " O l d M i l l Spr i ngs R

oa d. " The s e de e ds , how

e ve r , do not r e f e r t o a publ i c r oa d. H ow e ve r , a s s um i ng, a s di d t he C ha nc e l l or i n hi s m e m or a ndum

opi ni on a nd j udgm e nt , t ha t i t w

a s i n f a c t a publ i c r oa d, t he undi s put e d t e s t i m ony i s t ha t i t ha d not be e n know n or us e d a s a publ i c r oa d f or ove r 50 ye a r s pr i or t o t he he a r i ng be l ow . The r e i s a l s o undi s put e d t e s t i m ony t ha t C

l i nt J one s , w

hos e c hi l dr e n c onve ye d t he pr ope r t y t o t he Pl a i nt i f f s , f e nc e d a c r os s t he r oa d, w hi c h w oul d e vi de nc e a n i nt e nt t o a ba ndon i t . 1M or e ove r , M

r . J one s a l s o c onve ye d a t r a ns m i s s i on l i ne e a s e m e nt t o t he Te nne s s e e V a l l e y A

ut hor i t y w

hi c h s pe a ks of t he r oa d a s " a n a ba ndone d r oa d. " I n vi e w

of t he f or e goi ng, w e do not be l i e ve t he e vi de nc e pr e ponde r a t e s a ga i ns t e i t he r of t he C ha nc e l l or ' s f i ndi ngs . W e t hus c onc l ude t ha t a s t o t he f i r s t t w o poi nt s r a i s e d by t he D

e f e nda nt s ' i s s ue on a ppe a l - - t he C ha nc e l l or ' s f i ndi ng t ha t t he pr oof doe s not e s t a bl i s h t he r oa d i n que s t i on w a s publ i c a nd, e ve n i f s o, i t ha d be e n a ba ndone d- - 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 . 2( 1 ) t h e Co u r t co n c u r s i n t h e f act s as f o u n d o r as f o u n d b y n ecess a r y

i m p l i c a t i on by t h e t r i a l cour t . ( 2 ) t h e r e i s m

a t e r i a l evi d e n c e t o s uppor t t h e ver d i c t of t h e j u r y . ( 3 ) n o r e v e r s i b l e er r o r o f l a w ap p ear s . S u c h cases m

a y b e af f i r m

e d as f o l l o ws : "Af f i r m e d i n acco r d a n ce w i t h Co u r t o f A

p p eal s Ru l e 1 0 ( a ) . " 4 The onl y r e m

a i ni ng i s s ue i s w he t he r t he Pl a i nt i f f s acqui r e daneas e m e nt bynecess i t y . The r ul e as t os u c heas e m e nt s i s w

e l l s t a t e dbyt he a ut hor s of A

m e r i c a n J ur i s pr ude nc e Se c ond w i t h a ppr opr i a t e c ita tion s a s f o llow s : A w a y of ne c e s s i t y i s a n e a s e m e nt f ounde d on a n i m p lie dgr a nt or im p lie dr e s e r v a tion . It ar i s e s w he r e t he r e i s a conv e y a nce of a p a r t o f a t r act o f l a nd of s uc h na t ur e a nd e xt e nt t ha t e i t he r t he pa r t c onve ye d or t he pa r t r e t a i ne d i s s hut of f f r om a c c e s s t o a r oa d t o t he out e r w or l d by t he l a nd f r om w hi c h i t i s s e ve r e d or by t hi s l a nd a nd t he l a nd of s t r a nge r s . I n s uc h a s i t ua t i on t he r e i s a n i m pl i e d gr a nt of a w a y a c r os s t he gr a nt or ' s r e m a i ni ng l a nd t o t he pa r t c onve ye d, or c onve r s e l y, a n i m pl i e d r e s e r va t i on of a w a y t o t he gr a nt or ' s r e m a i ni ng l a nd a c r os s t he por t i on of t he l a nd c onve ye d. The or de r i n w hi c h t w

o pa r c e l s of l a nd a r e c onve ye d m a ke s no di f f e r e nc e i n de t e r m i ni ng w he t he r t he r e i s a r i ght of w a y by ne c e s s i t y a ppur t e na nt t o e i t he r . A w a y of ne c e s s i t y r e s ul t s f r om t he a ppl i c a t i on of t he pr e s um

pt i on t ha t w

he ne ve r a pa r t y c onve ys pr ope r t y he conv e y s w

h a t e ve r i s necess a r yf or t he b e ne f i c i a l u s e of t ha t pr ope r t y a nd r e t a i ns w ha t e ve r i s ne c e s s a r y f or t he be ne f i c i a l us e of l a nd he s t i l l pos s e s s e s . Suc h a w a y i s of c om

m on- l a w or i gi n, a nd i s pr e s um e d t o ha ve be e n i nt e nde d by t he pa r t i e s . A w a y of ne c e s s i t y i s a l s o s a i d t o be s uppor t e d by t he r ul e of publ i c pol i c y t ha t l a nds s houl d not be r e nde r e d unf i t f or oc c upa nc y or s uc c e s s f ul c ul t i va t i on. W he t he r a gr a nt or r e s e r va t i on of a w a y of ne c e s s i t y s houl d be i m pl i e d, how e ve r , de pe nds on t he t e r m s of t he c onve ya nc e a nd t he f a c t s o f the p a r tic ul a r c a s e . The im p lic a tionw

ill not be m a de w he r e i t i s s how

n t ha t t he pa r t i e s di d not i nt e ndit. N

or w ill a nim

p lie de a s e m

e nt o f ne c e s s ity5

be j udi c i a l l y r e c ogni z e d w he r e i t i s pr e c l ude d by s t a t ut e . 25 A m . J ur . 2d. , Ea s e m

e nt s a nd Li c e ns e s §35. W e f i r s t obs e r ve t ha t a s t o t he t he or y of e a s e m e nt by ne c e s s i t y, i t c oul d be c ons i de r e d w a i ve d be c a us e c ouns e l f or t he Pl a i nt i f f s di d not a s k t he C our t t o a m

e nd i t s f i ndi ng t o a ddr e s s t hi s i s s ue . H

ow e ve r , e ve n i f he ha d done s o, our e xa m i na t i on of t he r e c or d di s c l os e s t ha t t he t r a c t ow ne d by t he Pl a i nt i f f s f r ont s on a publ i c r oa d f or ove r 400 f e e t , a nd t ha t t he y a l s o, upon pur c ha s i ng t he pr ope r t y, a c qui r e d a r i ght - of - w a y t o a publ i c r oa d f r om

t he e a s t bounda r y of t he pr ope r t y c onve ye d. I t i s t r ue a s t o t he f r ont a ge on t he publ i c r oa d, t he r e i s pr oof t ha t t he r e i s a bl uf f s om

e 10 f e e t hi gh w

hi c h w e a s s um

e i s a l ong t he e nt i r e r oa d f r ont a ge of t he i r pr ope r t y. I t i s a l s o t r ue t he r e i s pr oof t ha t t he r i ght - of - w a y a c qui r e d i s s t e e p a nd t ur ns s ha r pl y a t a r i ght a ngl e , m

a ki ng us e of i t i nc onve ni e nt a nd uns ui t a bl e . Ev e ni f w

e as s um

e t h a t t he Pl a i nt i f f s h a ve no r eas on a b l e access t ot he i r pr op e r t y , w hi c hi s not ent i r e l ycl ear , t he i r r i ght - of - w

a y of ne c e s s i t y w oul d be ove r t he r e m a i ni ng pr ope r t y of t he s ub- di vi de r s . Thi s r i ght w a s pr e s um

a bl y r e c ogni z e d w

he n t he que s t i on a r os e pr i or t o t he Pl a i nt i f f s pur c ha s i ng t he l a nd, pr om pt i ng t he s ub- di vi de r s t o i nc l ude a r i ght - of - w

a y i n t he de e d c onve yi ng t r a c t 8 t o t he Pl a i nt i f f s . A l t hough t he i s s ue i s not r a i s e d, w e a l s o r e c ogni z e t ha t t he Pl a i nt i f f s ha ve a r i ght , i f t he y a r e i nde e d l a ndl oc ke d,6

a s c ont e m

pl a t e d by C

ha pt e r 14, Ti t l e 54, Te nne s s e e C ode A nnot a t e d, t o c onde m n a r i ght - of - w

a y t o ga i n a c c e s s t o t he i r pr ope r t y. 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 Pl a i nt i f f s a nd t he i r s ur e t y .

_______________________________ H ous t on M

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

________________________________ D on T. M

c M ur r a y, J .

________________________________ C h a r l e s D

. Su s a no , J r ., J .