Opinion ID: 1179318
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the reserved strips:

Text: We will first consider (b), the ten-foot-reserved strips on either side of the east-west property line. We are advised that in 1919 the owner of Government Lot 7 was William Pitt Trimble and wife, and that the Trimbles were the common grantors of all property shown on the sketch. While we are assured that it was their purpose to reserve a ten-foot strip on either side of the east-west property line shown on the sketch for road purposes, we have actually only two conveyances from the Trimbles in the record before us. They relate (1) to what is designated as the Gail Smith property (and the west 6.92 feet of the Christonson property) on the north side of the east-west property line. This deed conveyed the north 320 feet of the west 336.92 feet of Government Lot 7, and was ... subject to right of way for county roads along the north and west sides thereof, also ten feet along the south side to be reserved for road purposes, and (2) the Thompson and Enquist properties on the south side of the east-west line; and in that deed, immediately after the description, we find: ... Ten feet off of the north side of the above described tract of land to be used for road purposes. Other reservations come into the record now before us in the following manner: On the north side of the east-west property line, the first Trimble deed (to which we have referred) covered the north 320 feet of the west 336.92 feet of Government Lot 7. In 1952, Gail Smith and wife acquired the north 320 feet of the west 660 feet of Government Lot 7 EXCEPT roads. What, if any reservation, there was relating to the east 323.08 feet of this tract is not shown in this record, other than the EXCEPT roads. When the Smiths were divorced, Gail Smith received the west half (330 feet) and his wife the east half (330 feet). The east half is here designated as the Christonson property and, except for the westerly 6.92 feet (included in the original Trimble grant of 336.92 feet), there is nothing in this record to indicate a reservation of a ten-foot strip north of the east-west property line, so far as the Christonson property is concerned. On the south side of the east-west property line, taking the properties from west to east, the evidence as to reservations is: (a) Seavey property. No deeds in evidence; Seavey testified that he bought his property in 1931 and that there is a reservation across the back of his property of a ten-foot right of way; (b) Thompson and Enquist property. Title comes through the second of the Trimble deeds (above referred to), which described a tract 160.96 feet in width (east-west) and contains the following: Ten feet off of the north side of the above described tract of land to be used for road purposes. (c) Jacobson property. No conveyance from Trimbles shown. Jacobson secured title in 1931 through a deed from the Waterfront Development Company, which contained the following reservation: A strip of land ten feet wide along the north end of this tract is reserved as a public road. (This is the only reference to a public road in any of the reservations, at least so far as the evidence in this case goes.) This tract was 160.96 feet in width (east-west). No other property is shown on the sketch, but there was a property owner still further east (Mrs. Anna Erickson) who testified that, as she understood it, there was a reservation over the north-ten feet of her property for road purposes. There is no contention that these reserved strips have ever been opened or used for road purposes, except as the Thompsons have gone across them, as shown on the sketch, to connect their property with the existing road lying north of the reserved strips. There is some evidence that the Enquists have, or are intending to open, an approach to the existing road across the reserved strips. The reserved area easement is overgrown with brush and small trees. No other use has been made of it, except as hereinafter described.