Opinion ID: 1801898
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Footing Encroachment

Text: Our de novo review of the record convinces us that construction of the grain bin so close to Omega's building caused specific, identifiable, and continuing injury to the building's foundation, basement floor, and east wall. In this regard, the testimony of Omega's engineering expert, James Hossak, was particularly convincing. Hossak described the cause of the circular cracking found on the basement floor of Omega's building next to the east wall and the vertical cracks running through the middle of the concrete blocks of the east wall immediately adjacent to the grain bin. A drawing prepared by Hossak demonstrated that the circular cracks in the basement floor paralleled the circumference of the grain bin and that the vertical cracks through the concrete block in the east wall all appear directly adjacent to the closest point between the Omega building and the grain bin's footing flange. Hossak testified that the phenomenon which caused the circular cracking in the floor is explained by the transfer of the load from the footing of the grain bin to the footing of Omega's building. Hossak further testified that by driving rods into the ground, he determined the relative footing depths of the two structures. He found that the bottom of the footing for the grain bin was 10 inches above the top of the footing for Omega's building and that the two footings were separated by a horizontal distance of 1 ½ to 2 inches. Because of this spatial relationship, 80 percent of the load of the grain bin was being transferred to the footing of Omega's building and to the soil below this footing. Hossak testified that this caused settlement in Omega's building and stress to the wall of the building. Hossak also opined that this condition will further deteriorate if the grain bin is used again. United Seeds attempted to refute Hossak's claim in cross-examination when it suggested that Omega's building was in poor repair prior to the construction of the grain bin and that the damage alleged to have been caused by the grain bin is no different from the damage attributable to other causes. In addition, United Seeds, through testimony of Jones, disputed Hossak's claim that the grain bin footing was at a higher elevation in relation to the building's footing. However, United Seeds' claims do not comport with the evidence. The damage alleged to be specifically caused by the grain bin is the circular cracking in the basement floor and the vertical cracks through the middle of the concrete blocks in the east wall. The evidence clearly demonstrates that such damage appears only in proximity to the grain bin. The other nonspecific damage that United Seeds points to consists of horizontal and vertical cracks through the mortar joints of other walls, not through the concrete block in those walls. The expert testimony revealed that damage to mortar joints can be attributed to shrinkage or other factors. However, vertical cracks through the concrete block on the east wall were attributed solely to the stress of the grain bin. United Seeds also offers as a defense evidence of due care in the design and construction of its grain bin. However, it is well settled that the exercise of due care is not a defense to a claim based on nuisance. Hall v. Phillips, 231 Neb. 269, 436 N.W.2d 139 (1989). Furthermore, the evidence presented does not support United Seeds' contention that it exercised due care. United Seeds failed to inform the engineer it hired to design the grain bin's foundation, Schroder, that it intended to locate the structure within 4 feet of an already existing building. Thus, Schroder was unable to design a foundation which would minimize an encroachment onto the footing of Omega's building. Accordingly, we conclude that the encroachment onto the footing of Omega's building by United Seeds' grain bin, resulting in damage to the footing, basement floor, and east wall of the building, was a substantial and ongoing invasion of the private use of Omega's building and thus constitutes a nuisance.