Opinion ID: 4536005
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: The civil complaint for a permanent injunction in this case was brought at the same time as a criminal complaint charging - 354 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 305 Nebraska Reports COUNTY OF CEDAR v. THELEN Cite as 305 Neb. 351 John E. Thelen with three counts of obstructing a public road in violation of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 39-301 (Reissue 2016), based on repeated instances of erecting an electric fence within the ditch right-of-way of Cedar County, Nebraska (County), alongside a county road. Thelen was ultimately convicted of three misdemeanors for re-erecting the same fence in the same location on August 31 and September 6 and 13, 2016. In State v. Thelen, 1 we affirmed Thelen’s convictions on three counts of violating § 39-301. Following a bench trial on stipulated evidence, the district court granted an injunction against Thelen’s encroaching on the public road right-of-way 33 feet in either direction from the centerline, including those road ditches within that distance from the centerline, by erecting or placing fences or by placing or leaving any type of obstruction or obstacle thereon, or by causing another to do these actions. The court concluded that “the entire 33-foot area from the center of 870 Road to the north into the road ditch” was part of the “public road” described by § 39-301. The court found that Thelen had “repeatedly and flagrantly” violated Nebraska statutes relating to the road rights-of-way and that successive criminal prosecution had proved to be an inadequate remedy. Like in the criminal case discussed in Thelen, the evidence presented for purposes of the County’s complaint for injunctive relief established that the County controls a public road running along the south side of Thelen’s property and controls, maintains, and is responsible for its 66-foot right-of-way. Both the County’s highway superintendent, Carla Schmidt, and the chairman of the County’s board of commissioners, David McGregor, averred that, since 2013, Thelen has continuously and repeatedly placed a fence within the County’s right-of-way and has refused to voluntarily remove his fence after being given reasonable notice to do so. 1 State v. Thelen, ante p. 334, ___ N.W.2d ___ (2020). - 355 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 305 Nebraska Reports COUNTY OF CEDAR v. THELEN Cite as 305 Neb. 351 According to Schmidt, for purposes of moving his cattle from one pasture to another, Thelen regularly placed his fence in the County’s ditch right-of-way beginning in June and removed it in October or November. Schmidt noted that the fence had been repeatedly placed a mere 161⁄2 feet from the roadway centerline. McGregor averred that it was the County’s duty to keep its public roads’ rights-of-way, especially its ditches, free of debris, crops, fences, or any other obstructions. McGregor described that such obstructions presented a safety issue and that the County would subject itself to the loss of its tort liability insurance coverage if it failed to keep its ditches free of obstructions. Schmidt similarly averred that the fences repeatedly placed by Thelen in the County’s right-of-way endangered the traveling public and created liability for the County for the failure to comply with its statutory duty under § 39-301 to remove road obstacles. Schmidt opined that an alternative solution would be for Thelen to remove or not plant four to six rows of corn in order for his cattle to reach his pasture by simply crossing his property “without trespassing on the county road.” Schmidt asserted that she had repeatedly told Thelen that he cannot use the ditch right-of-way and asked him to move the fence onto his own property, “all to no avail.” According to the evidence submitted, Thelen has erected the same type of fence in the same location at least seven times and the County has repeatedly incurred the costs associated with removing the fence. Affidavits established that in 2013 and 2014, Thelen had re-erected the same type of fence in the same location within the County’s right-of-way, refusing to remove it when asked to do so. Then, in 2015, Thelen was found guilty of violating § 39-301 for erecting the same type of fence in the same location in July. Thereafter, in September, Thelen placed his fence anew in the County’s right-of-way. Thelen re-erected - 356 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 305 Nebraska Reports COUNTY OF CEDAR v. THELEN Cite as 305 Neb. 351 the fence on August 31 and September 6 and 13, 2016, each time after law enforcement had removed it. These three acts led to the criminal convictions affirmed in Thelen. 2 According to Schmidt, Thelen “has indicated that he will continue to disregard my notices in the future because the fine is only $25.00, indicating cheap pasture rent.” ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR Thelen assigns that the district court erred in (1) finding that placing the electric fence in the ditch violated § 39-301 and (2) failing to find that the County had an adequate remedy at law.