Opinion ID: 888504
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Southwest Property

Text: ¶ 46 We begin with Davis's (and now Blazer's) off-survey property to the south and west of Tract 4. The Waldhers do not dispute that COS 4446 depicts a strip 30 feet wide along the northern and western boundaries of Tract 1 and that this strip is clearly labeled 30' EASEMENT ROAD. However, they point out that [COS 4446] shows the road leaving Tract 4 onto unidentified real property and that [t]here are no labels, words or drawings to learn the scope of the easement nor the identity of the dominant estates within the COS. They argue that under Bache, Halverson, and Ruana, the grantee of property being burdened by a servitude must have knowledge of its use or its necessity and, to this end, there must be an adequate description of the easement on the referenced certificate of survey. They contend that an adequate description means that the servient and dominant tracts are known and depicted in the COS, and they point out that in both Bache and Halverson, the easement's termini were shown on the COS, thereby giving the grantee of the servient estate knowledge of the easement's use or necessity. Therefore, according to the Waldhers, an easement depicted on a certificate of survey can only be for the benefit of Tract(s) shown on the same COS. They acknowledge Davis's trial testimony that he wanted to provide access to his off-survey property to the south and west of Tract 4; however, they point out that an easement by reservation must arise from the written documents of conveyance and that Davis's southwest property is not shown or even mentioned in the Davis-Lockman transaction documents. ¶ 47 In response, Blazer asserts that there is no such requirement that a COS must show both the servient and the dominant estate on the same document. He opines that [a] servient estate does not exist in limbo; by its very nature it is servient to a dominant estate. Blazer then points out that although Davis's southwest property is not shown on COS 4446, it was shown on COS 4268 which is referenced in Blazer's deed. However, the Davis-Blazer deed cannot reserve an easement over land (in particular, Tract 1) not then owned by Davis. Rather, as explained above, the Davis-Lockman deed is decisive here, and that deed refers to COS 4446, not COS 4268. Blazer cites no authority for relying on a certificate of survey (No. 4268) that was not referenced in the pertinent instrument of conveyance (the Davis-Lockman deed). Blazer also relies on Davis's September 2004 trial testimony, though he cites no authority for incorporating this extrinsic evidence into the Davis-Lockman transaction documents. ¶ 48 We agree with the Waldhers that the easement road depicted on COS 4446 cannot benefit the off-survey property to the south and west of Tract 4, and we correspondingly reject Blazer's suggestion that his alleged right to use the easement may be established through extrinsic evidence. We reach this conclusion for the following reasons. ¶ 49 First, we have stated repeatedly that [a]n easement by reservation must arise from the written documents of conveyance  (emphasis added). Halverson, 268 Mont. at 172, 885 P.2d at 1288; Ruana, 275 Mont. at 447, 913 P.2d at 1251; Tungsten Holdings, 282 Mont. at 390, 938 P.2d at 642; see also Pearson v. Virginia City Ranches Ass'n, 2000 MT 12, ¶¶ 20, 23, 298 Mont. 52, ¶¶ 20, 23, 993 P.2d 688, ¶¶ 20, 23; § 70-20-101, MCA (No estate or interest in real property . . . can be created, granted, assigned, surrendered, or declared otherwise than by operation of law or a conveyance or other instrument in writing. . . .). Our easement-by-reference cases recognize the creation of an easement based on a plat or certificate of survey that is referenced in the deed. Bache, 267 Mont. at 285-86, 883 P.2d at 821-22; Halverson, 268 Mont. at 173-74, 885 P.2d at 1289. Our cases do not, however, recognize the creation of an easement based on unreferenced documents and post-transaction testimony as to what the parties intended. Moreover, nothing in our cases even suggests that a property description which has not been included in the written documents of conveyance may be supplied by extrinsic documents or by the grantor himselfat his discretion and if he happens to be available17 years after the fact. Indeed, as explained in our discussion of Tract 4 below, such evidence is not admissible for this purpose. See ¶¶ 69-72, infra. ¶ 50 Again, in Tungsten Holdings, we held that [t]he mere fact that lot 34's long and narrow configuration gives it the appearance of a roadway or that the developers may have intended it as [a] roadway is not sufficient. Easements by reservation must be created or reserved in writing. Tungsten Holdings, 282 Mont. at 390, 938 P.2d at 643. Likewise, the mere fact that the grantor intended a particular property to benefit from a reserved easement is insufficient; that intent must be expressed in the written documents of conveyance. Halverson, 268 Mont. at 172, 885 P.2d at 1288; Ruana, 275 Mont. at 447, 913 P.2d at 1251; Tungsten Holdings, 282 Mont. at 390, 938 P.2d at 642-43. Here, Blazer concedes that Davis's property to the south and west of Tract 4 is not identified in the Davis-Lockman deed or on COS 4446. ¶ 51 Second, a land description is necessary in an instrument conveying title so that the extent of the claim to the property may be determined, and a reference to a plat or certificate of survey may be included to express, confirm, or amplify the land description. See Halverson, 268 Mont. at 172, 885 P.2d at 1288. Furthermore, reference in an instrument of conveyance to a plat or certificate of survey on which an easement is adequately described is sufficient to establish the easement. Halverson, 268 Mont. at 173, 885 P.2d at 1289. It is axiomatic, however, that an easement appurtenant has not been adequately described when the identity of the dominant tenement has been omitted and cannot be ascertained from the documents of conveyance. See Lennertz v. Yohn, 118 Ind. App. 443, 79 N.E.2d 414, 417 (1948) ([T]he rule established by the weight of authority is to the effect that, in order to create an express easement, or a covenant granting a right of way by deed or other written instrument, `The instrument by which an easement by express grant is created should describe with reasonable certainty the easement created and the dominant and servient tenements. A reservation of an easement is not operative in favor of land not described in the conveyance.' (internal citations omitted)). In addition, we consistently have emphasized that [i]n determining the existence of an easement by reservation in documents of conveyance, it is necessary that the grantee of the property being burdened by the servitude have knowledge of its use or its necessity. Halverson, 268 Mont. at 172, 885 P.2d at 1288; Ruana, 275 Mont. at 447, 913 P.2d at 1251; Pearson, ¶ 20. Plainly, an easement's use or necessity for the benefit of particular land cannot be ascertained from the documents of conveyance if those documents fail to depict or identify that particular land. ¶ 52 We have recognized the creation of an easement where the deed referred to a plat or certificate of survey on which the easement was clearly depicted and labeled as burdening an identifiable servient tenement for the benefit of an identifiable dominant tenement. But we have never recognized an easement created to benefit a dominant tenement that was not ascertainable from the referenced plat or certificate of survey. In Bache, the certificate of survey established the division of the Baches' land into two parcels, Tracts 1 and 2. The certificate of survey also depicted a 30-foot-wide strip of land along the western boundary of Tract 2 (the grantee's property). The strip of land extended from Tract 1 (the grantors' retained property) to a state route on the other side of Tract 2, and it was labeled P.R.E., which the legend identified as private roadway easement. See Bache, 267 Mont. at 285-86, 291, 883 P.2d at 821-23. It was clear from this depiction and labeling that the easement burdened Tract 2 for the benefit of Tract 1 to provide access from Tract 1 to the state route. In Halverson, the need for a reservation of a way of ingress and egress over the grantee's (Turner's) tract for the benefit of the grantor's (Dahlia's) retained and otherwise-landlocked tract was apparent on the certificate of survey, which showed a 30-foot-wide road extending from the common boundary between Turner's and Dahlia's respective tracts, 188.52 feet across Turner's tract, to a public street. See Halverson, 268 Mont. at 170-71, 173, 885 P.2d at 1287, 1288. The certificate of survey made it clear that the easement burdened Turner's tract for the benefit of Dahlia's tract to provide access from Dahlia's tract to the public street. In Pearson, the plat clearly depicted and labeled a bridle path easement crossing the subdivision for the use of all lot owners. See Pearson, ¶¶ 1-27. ¶ 53 By contrast, in the case at hand, the alleged dominant tenementDavis's (and now Blazer's) property to the south and west of Tract 4is not identified anywhere on COS 4446. Rather, COS 4446 depicts Tracts 1 through 7 and an easement road crossing Tracts 1 and 4 and continuing to unidentified off-survey property located beyond Tract 4. COS 4446 fails to provide any information whatsoever as to the use or necessity of the open-ended road leaving Tract 4. Accordingly, because Blazer's off-survey property to the south and west of Tract 4 is not an identifiable dominant tenement on COS 4446, it cannot benefit from the easement depicted thereon. ¶ 54 In sum, an easement by reservation must arise from the written documents of conveyance. Reference in an instrument of conveyance to a plat or certificate of survey on which an easement is adequately described is sufficient to establish the easement. However, an easement appurtenant is not adequately described if the identities of the dominant and servient tenements are not ascertainable with reasonable certainty from the referenced plat or certificate of survey. The grantor's intent to reserve an easement for the benefit of particular land must be clearly and unmistakably communicated and not left to inference, implication, or extrinsic evidence. Accordingly, because Davis's property to the south and west of Tract 4 is not an identifiable dominant tenement on COS 4446, the reference in the Davis-Lockman deed to COS 4446 did not create or reserve easement rights in Davis and his successor in interest (Blazer) for the benefit of that property.