Opinion ID: 2638645
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: School District Easement

Text: [¶ 25] The Hasvolds maintain that the district court erred when it granted a summary judgment in favor of the School District. The district court ruled that, as a matter of law, the School District had not abandoned its easement across their property. The School District contends that the district court correctly held that it was entitled to a judgment, as a matter of law, confirming its easement over the Hasvold property. [¶ 26] An easement holder may abandon his easement and relieve the servient estate of the burden of the easement under certain circumstances. Carney v. Board of County Comm'rs of Sublette County, 757 P.2d 556, 562 (Wyo.1988). Abandonment of an easement requires an intentional relinquishment indicated by conduct which discloses the intention to surrender the right to use the land authorized by the easement. Mueller, 887 P.2d at 505. As such, the determination of whether or not an easement has been abandoned turns largely upon the intention of the dominant estate owner. Id. at 506 The servient estate owner must prove that the dominant estate owner intended to abandon the easement and such intention may be inferred only from strong and convincing evidence. Id. (quoting Harrison v. State Highways & Transp. Comm'n, 732 S.W.2d 214, 221 (Mo.App.1987)). Abandonment cannot be established simply by showing a period of nonuse. Mueller, at 505. Abandonment may, however, be proven by showing a period of nonuse and providing evidence of affirmative and unequivocal acts indicative of an intent to abandon which are inconsistent with the continued existence of the easement. Mueller, 887 P.2d at 506 (quoting Richards Asphalt Co. v. Bunge Corp., 399 N.W.2d 188, 192-93 (Minn.App. 1987)). [¶ 27] When viewed in the light most favorable to the Hasvolds, the evidence presented in the summary judgment proceedings was not sufficient to justify the district court's decision that the School District had not abandoned its easement. School District employees averred that they used the easement to access an irrigation ditch to burn vegetation in 1994 or 1995. In 1994, the School District erected a chain-link fence around the perimeter of the school property. The fence transects the easement, but the School District did not construct a gate at the point where the fence crosses the easement. Consequently, it was impossible for the School District to access the easement from the northern boundary of the school property without removing the fence. Additionally, the School District created a habitat area on its property adjacent to the easement. The trees, shrubs, and pond in the habitat area may be obstacles to the School District's future use of the easement. There are also piles of dirt, abandoned cars, and weeds obstructing part of the southern end of the easement. The School District has also developed other accesses to its property, potentially vitiating its need to use the easement across the Hasvold property. [¶ 28] Taken together, this evidence was sufficient to create material issues of fact regarding the School District's intentions as to its future use of the easement. Consequently, we hold that the district court erred by ruling, as a matter of law, that the School District did not abandon its easement.