Opinion ID: 2257788
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: History of Conveyances

Text: [¶ 4] Because Dorey bases his rights to operate the dam on his ownership of real property and purported purchase of flowage rights, a review of the conveyances giving rise to his claim is necessary to an understanding of the issues. [3] At the heart of this litigation lies real property located at, the outlet of Foster Pond and along the outflowing Gristmill Brook to the northeast. In 1774, Asael Foster acquired the land encompassing this property from the proprietors of the Bridgton Township. Soon thereafter, Foster built a gristmill and a dam (not the dam in dispute here) on what is now known as lot 9, [4] which lies downstream from the Foster Pond outlet along Gristmill Brook. In 1839, Asael's son Francis conveyed to Benjamin Knapp the right to use the land at the outlet of Foster Pond to construct a dam and use its water power to undertake sawmill operations. Knapp and Joseph Foster, Francis's son, built the dam and sawmill the same year. [¶ 5] In 1849, Joseph Foster conveyed to Knapp a one-half interest in the sawmill property, [r]eserving to the mills on the old privilege below, and the owner & occupants of the same, the right to draw water for the use of any mills which are, or may be on said old privilege when needed[.] Knapp, however, relinquished that one-half interest back to Foster in 1860 in order to establish a third mill site downstream from the gristmill property. [5] The gristmill and sawmill properties then remained in the Foster family until 1916, when Edward Bennett inherited the properties upon the death of his mother, Almira Foster. By 1946, Bennett or his successors in title had conveyed to Everett and Frances Johnson four parcels of land along Gristmill Brook, spanning from the southwestern boundary of the original sawmill property, which encompassed the dam at the outlet of Foster Pond and the sawmill, to the northeastern boundary of the original gristmill property, which lay further downstream. [6] [¶ 6] During the 1960's, the Johnsons conveyed the central portion of the gristmill property, lot 9, the northeastern portion of the gristmill property, lot 9-2, and a small portion of the sawmill property, lot 9-1, to William and Margaret Sewell. When the Sewells died, those lots became part of the Margaret B. Sewell Revocable Trust, and on January 18, 1980, the Trustee of that Trust conveyed lots 9, 9-1, and 9-2 to Dorey. [¶ 7] Dorey then approached the Johnsons seeking to acquire the entirety of the original sawmill property for the purpose of generating electrical power for private use at his residence on lot 9. Although the Johnsons declined to sell the site of the outlet dam, identified as lot 27, or the site of the sawmill itself, identified as lot 11A, [7] they sold Dorey three property interests: (1) lot 9-3, a parcel adjacent to the northeastern border of the original gristmill property, (2) lot 9-4, a parcel lying in between lots 9 and 11A which straddles the original gristmill and sawmill properties, and (3) the flowage rights relative to the dam at the outlet of Foster Pond on lot 27. [¶ 8] Lots 9-3 and 9-4 were conveyed to Dorey through a single deed, dated May 27, 1980. The flowage rights were addressed through a separate deed, dated May 28, 1980, by which the Johnsons purported to convey to Dorey [t]he exclusive and perpetual right to use that certain dam erected at the outlet of Foster's Pond ... and ... all water power and rights as to the waters of said Foster's Pond and the outlet stream however acquired, now appurtenant, owned, used, and enjoyed in connection with the above described dam[.] The May 28 deed further stated that [t]he above described dam and flowage rights and privileges shall be appurtenant to those premises which [Dorey] recently purchased from David C. Hamblett, Trustee of the Margaret B. Sewell Revocable Trust Agreement by deed dated January 18, 1980[.]