Opinion ID: 2595511
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Outlet to or Connection with Public Road

Text: The Millers, Burkhalters and Board of County Commissioners contend that the district court erred in finding that Bradley has no outlet to or connection with a public road. In essence, their argument is that the Bradley property and the adjoining property to the west and south are owned by the same entity (the United States); the adjoining property is connected to a public road (Riverview Road); Bradley has the ability pursuant to 25 U.S.C. § 323 to seek a right of way from the Secretary of the Interior across the adjoining federal lands to Riverview Road; therefore, Bradley is not entitled to the establishment of a private road under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 24-9-101. Section 24-9-101 provides in pertinent part as follows: Any person whose land has no outlet to, nor connection with a public road, may apply in writing to the board of county commissioners of his county for a private road leading from his premises to some convenient public road.    [I]f the board finds that the applicant has complied with the law and that the private road is necessary, the board shall appoint three (3) disinterested freeholders and electors of the county, as viewers and appraisers, and shall cause an order to be issued directing them to meet on a day named in the order on the proposed road, and view and locate a private road according to the application therefor, and to assess damages to be sustained thereby.    The viewers shall then proceed to locate and mark out a private road in accordance with the application or in such other manner and location they deem appropriate   . The proposed road    shall be located so as to do the least possible damage to the lands through which the private road is located. In applying this statute, we have held that the language of the provision must be given a sensible construction and that convenience and reason should prevail in establishing private roads. McGuire v. McGuire, 608 P.2d 1278, 1286 (Wyo.1980); Lindt v. Murray, 895 P.2d 459, 462 (Wyo.1995). We have said that the statute was intended to provide a procedure whereby a landowner could obtain access to his property in a readily available, economically affordable, and time efficient manner. McGuire, at 1288. We have construed the statute to mean that any person whose land is so situated that it has no outlet, that is, no legally enforceable means by which he can gain access, has demonstrated necessity as a matter of law. Id. at 1286. We have also said that necessity is established under § 24-9-101 where a petitioner has no presently existing outlet to or connection with a public road. Walton v. Dana, 609 P.2d 461, 463 (Wyo. 1980). We have held that there is no requirement in § 24-9-101 that a petitioner for a private road must overcome every obstacle standing in his way, regardless of the expense and impracticability. Walton, 609 P.2d at 463 Thus, we have held that a petitioner cannot be compelled to pursue a claim of common law way of necessity before he may seek relief under § 24-9-101. Id.; but see Ferguson Ranch, Inc. v. Murray, 811 P.2d 287, 290 (Wyo.1991) (making clear that a civil action for a common law way of necessity is not available because of the existence of § 24-9-101). In the same vein, we have held that the potential remedy of an implied easement is not relevant to the determination of whether a private road is necessary. Lindt, 895 P.2d at 462-63. Section 24-9-101 contains no requirement that other forms of relief be pursued prior to seeking the relief available under its provisions. McGuire, 608 P.2d at 1286; Walton, 609 P.2d at 463; Lindt, 895 P.2d at 462. Here, although it was not required, the petitioner did seek other relief prior to filing a petition for a private road pursuant to § 24-9-101. In February of 1996, Bradley filed an action in district court for determination of whether a federal easement existed on Eagle Road. The outcome of that action was an order from the district court ruling that no federal or implied easement under state law existed and that Bradley's remedy was before the Board of County Commissioners under § 24-9-101. In accordance with that order, Bradley filed her petition seeking the establishment of a private road. Given the procedural history of this case, a holding by this court requiring Bradley to seek relief from the Secretary of Interior under the federal statutes would frustrate the purposes of § 24-9-101; reason and convenience would not prevail from such a holding. That other relief may be available to Bradley under the federal statute is not relevant to her right to proceed under the Wyoming statute. She has no presently existing outlet to or connection with a public road and was entitled to seek relief under § 24-9-101.