FILED

October 2, 1995

Cecil Crowson, Jr.

Appellate Court Clerk

I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE

EASTERN SECTI ON

RI CK HAYNES a nd ) J EFFERSON COUNTY

KAREN HAYNES ) 03A01- 9504- CH- 00133

)

Pl a i ntif f s - Appe lla nt s )

)

)

v. ) HON. CHESTER S. 

 ) RAI NWATER, J R. ,

 ) CHANCELLOR

J OHN WALKER a nd wi f e )

ROSA MAE WALKER a nd )

HAROLD WOODS )

)

De f e nda nt s - Appe l l ees ) AFFI RMED AND REMANDED

 

CARL R. OGLE, J R. , OF J EFFERSON CI TY FOR APPELLANTS

J AMES R. SCROGGI NS OF J EFFERSON CI TY FOR APPELLEES

O P I N I O N

 Godda r d, P. J .

The Pl a i nt i f f s , Ri c k Ha yne s a nd hi s wi f e Ka r e n Ha 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 ndowne r s , De f e nda nt s J ohn Wa l ke r

a nd wi f e Ros a Ma e Wa l ke r a nd Ha r ol d Woods . 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 we r e e nt i t l e d t o a r i ght - of - wa y t o ga i n

a c c e s s t o t r a c t 8 of t he Cl i nt J one s pr ope r t y, a 15. 72- a c r e t r a c t
2

owne d by t he m i n J e f f e r s on Count y. The r e a f t e r , Mi c ha e l Woods a nd

hi s wi f e Pa ul a Young Woods , who a c qui r e d a por t i on of Ha r ol d

Woods ' pr ope r t y, we r e a dde d a s pa r t y De 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 - wa y i n

que s t i on wa s f or me r l y a publ i c r oa d, known a s t he Ol d Mi l l s

Spr i ng Roa 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 ha t t he i r pr e decess or s i n t i t l e acqui r e d an i nt e r e s t by

pr e s c r i pt i on a nd, f ur t he r , t ha t t hi s r oa dwa y " pr ovi de s t he onl y

s ui t a bl e me 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 uma 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 - wa y by

necess i t y.

The Tr i a l Cour 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 wa 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 mor e ye a r s a go. "

The Pl a i ntif f s a ppe a l r a i s i ng the f ollowi ng is s ue :

WHETHER THE CHANCELLOR ERRED I N HOLDI NG THAT THE

PLAI NTI FFS FAI LED TO PROVE THE EXI STENCE OF A PUBLI C

ROAD CONSTI TUTI NG A RI GHT- OF- WAY TO THE PLAI NTI FFS'

PROPERTY, THAT SUCH PUBLI C ROAD HAD BEEN ABANDONED, AND

THAT THI S ROADWAY DI D NOT CONSTI TUTE AN EASEMENT BY

NECESSI TY.
1 Al 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 woul d l i k e wi s e have

b een ab a n d o n e d b y t h e act s of Mr . Jon es.

2 Ru l e 10 . (a ) Af f i r ma n c e Wi t hout Op 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 , ma 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 wi t hout r e nde r i ng a f o r ma l opi n i on wh 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 mo r e of t h e f o l l o wi n g

c i r c u ms 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 wa s e ve r a

publ i c r oa d ar e cer t a i n r e f e r e nces i n deeds t o t he pa r t i e s and t o

t he i r pr e de c e s s or s i n t i t l e , s ome of whi 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 " Ol d Mi l l Spr i ngs Roa d. "

The s e de e ds , howe ve r , do not r e f e r t o a publ i c r oa d. Howe ve r ,

a s s umi ng, a s di d t he Cha nc e l l or i n hi s me mor a ndum opi ni on a nd

j udgme nt , t ha t i t wa 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 mony i s t ha t i t ha d not be e n known 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 mony t ha t Cl i nt J one s , whos 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, whi c h

woul d e vi de nc e a n i nt e nt t o a ba ndon i t .

1

 Mor e ove r , Mr . J one s

a l s o c onve ye d a t r a ns mi s s i on l i ne e a s e me nt t o t he Te nne s s e e

Va l l e y Aut hor i t y whi 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, we 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 Cha nc e l l or ' s f i ndi ngs .

We t hus c onc l ude t ha t a s t o t he f i r s t t wo poi nt s r a i s e d

by t he De f e nda nt s ' i s s ue on a ppe a l - - t he Cha 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 wa 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 ma nc e unde r Rul e 10( a ) of t hi s Cour 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 mp 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 ma 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 .

Su c h cases ma y b e af f i r me d as f o l l o ws : "Af f i r me d i n acco r d a n ce wi t h

Co u r t o f Ap p eal s Ru l e 1 0 ( a ) . "

4

The onl y r e ma i ni ng i s s ue i s whe t he r t he Pl a i nt i f f s

acqui r e d an eas e me nt by necess i t y.

The r ul e as t o s uc h eas e me nt s i s we l l s t a t e d by t he

a ut hor s of Ame r i c a n J ur i s pr ude nc e Se c ond wi t h a ppr opr i a t e

c ita tions a s f ollows :

A wa y of ne c e s s i t y i s a n e a s e me nt f ounde d on a n

i mplie d gr a nt or implie d r e s e r va tion. It a r i s e s

whe r e t he r e i s a conve ya nce of a pa r t of a t r act of

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 wor l d by t he l a nd f r om whi 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 mpl i e d gr a nt of a wa y

a c r os s t he gr a nt or ' s r e ma 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 mpl i e d r e s e r va t i on of a

wa y t o t he gr a nt or ' s r e ma 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 whi c h t wo pa r c e l s

of l a nd a r e c onve ye d ma ke s no di f f e r e nc e i n de t e r mi ni ng

whe t he r t he r e i s a r i ght of wa y by ne c e s s i t y

a ppur t e na nt t o e i t he r .

A wa 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 umpt i on t ha t whe ne ve r a pa r t y c onve ys pr ope r t y

he conve ys wha t e ve r i s necess a r y f or t he be ne f i c i a l us e

of t ha t pr ope r t y a nd r e t a i ns wha 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

wa y i s of c ommon- l a w or i gi n, a nd i s pr e s ume d t o ha ve

be e n i nt e nde d by t he pa r t i e s . A wa 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. Whe t he r a gr a nt or

r e s e r va t i on of a wa y of ne c e s s i t y s houl d be i mpl i e d,

howe ve r , de pe nds on t he t e r ms of t he c onve ya nc e a nd t he

f a c t s of the pa r tic ul a r c a s e . The implic a tion will not

be ma de whe r e i t i s s hown t ha t t he pa r t i e s di d not

i nt e nd it. Nor will a n implie d e a s e me nt of ne c e s s ity
5

be j udi c i a l l y r e c ogni z e d whe r e i t i s pr e c l ude d by

s t a t ut e .

25 Am. J ur . 2d. , Ea s e me nt s a nd Li c e ns e s §35.

We 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 me nt by

ne c e s s i t y, i t c oul d be c ons i de r e d wa 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 Cour t t o a me nd i t s f i ndi ng t o a ddr e s s

t hi s i s s ue . Howe ve r , e ve n i f he ha d done s o, our e xa mi 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 owne 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 - wa 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 ome 10 f e e t hi gh whi c h we a s s ume 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 - wa 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 , ma ki ng us e of i t i nc onve ni e nt a nd uns ui t a bl e .

Eve n i f we as s ume t ha t t he Pl a i nt i f f s ha ve no

r eas ona bl e access t o t he i r pr ope r t y, whi c h i s not ent i r e l y cl ear ,

t he i r r i ght - of - wa y of ne c e s s i t y woul d be ove r t he r e ma i ni ng

pr ope r t y of t he s ub- di vi de r s . Thi s r i ght wa s pr e s uma bl y

r e c ogni z e d whe 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 ompt i ng t he s ub- di vi de r s t o i nc l ude a

r i ght - of - wa 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 .

Al t hough t he i s s ue i s not r a i s e d, we 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 mpl a t e d by Cha pt e r 14, Ti t l e 54, Te nne s s e e Code

Annot a t e d, t o c onde mn a r i ght - of - wa 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 udgme nt of t he Tr i a l

Cour t i s a f f i r me d a nd t he c a us e r e ma nde d f or c ol l e c t i on of c os t s

be l ow. Cos 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.

_______________________________

Hous t on M. Godda r d, P. J .

CONCUR:

________________________________

Don T. Mc Mur r a y, J .

________________________________

Cha r l e s D. Sus a no, J r ., J .