Opinion ID: 2394775
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Finding of Nuisance

Text: The trial court, after exhaustive review of all of the testimony and exhibits and careful consideration of all of the facts, concluded that certain of the plaintiffs had suffered injury greater than that suffered by the public at large and that the effect of appellants' massive and commercial size display was such as to constitute a nuisance under the recognized definitions of nuisance in Arkansas. Appellants, on direct appeal, contend that the findings of fact and conclusion of law are erroneous. On appeal, chancery cases are reviewed de novo, but the findings of fact by the chancellor will not be reversed unless they are clearly erroneous, and the burden is upon the appellant to show that the findings are erroneous. Leathers v. W.S. Compton Co., 316 Ark. 10, 870 S.W.2d 710 (1994). The findings of fact by the chancellor were not clearly erroneous, and we find on direct appeal that she did not err in applying the law to those facts. Among many things considered by the chancellor in reaching that conclusion were evidence (1) of periods of extreme traffic congestion on public streets in the area of appellants' residence for protracted periods of time; (2) that the backup of traffic and slow movement of traffic presented a risk of physical danger to pedestrians in the area; (3) that the display attracted many pedestrians in the area; (4) the foot traffic in the area was not confined to the public streets but indeed trespassed upon private property of property owners living nearby the site of the display; (5) that motor vehicle accidents had occurred; (6) that pedestrians attempting to cross public streets in the area were endangered by the mass of motor vehicles moving in both directions; (7) that there was a reasonable basis to believe that, if an emergency occurred in the residential area served by the adjoining streets, emergency vehicles would encounter difficulties in accessing the site where service was required. Appellants contend that appellees suffered no direct physical damage, and, consequently, it was error to issue the injunction abating the nuisance. The argument is without merit. We have numerous cases in which nuisances have been found to exist that did not cause direct physical damage to the premises of other property owners; instead, the property owners' use and enjoyment of their property was made much more difficult, and the offensive activity was abusive to senses of hearing and smell. Examples are found in Southeast Ark. Landfill, Inc. v. State, 313 Ark. 669, 858 S.W.2d 665 (1993) (smells from landfill); Higgs v. Anderson, 14 Ark.App. 113, 685 S.W.2d 521 (1985) (noise from dog kennel); Baker v. Odom, 258 Ark. 826, 529 S.W.2d 138 (1975) (noise from motorcycle race track).