Opinion ID: 2361257
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Apparentness

Text: For their final point, appellants take issue with the chancery court's finding that the easement along the Southern Drive was apparent upon an ordinary inspection of the lot, and that due to this apparentness, Riley was on notice of the drive's history and had a duty to inquire. Riley points to the cable and signs across the Southern Drive blocking traffic at the time. Despite the fact that the Southern Drive was paved and curbed, he argues that he was not put on notice of the possibility of the lot being encumbered with an easement. Riley further emphasizes that he asked about the status of the drive and was told that it had been closed for over a year. This court has held that when ordinary inspection of the premises by a purchaser, followed by reasonable inquiry, would reveal the existence of a servitude, then that purchaser is charged with notice. Armstrong v. McCrary, 249 Ark. 816, 462 S.W.2d 445 (1971) (citing Hannah v. Daniel, 221 Ark. 105, 252 S.W.2d 548 (1952)). When a person has knowledge sufficient to lead him or her to a fact, that person will be deemed to know it. Hannah v. Daniel, supra ; Waller v. Dansby, 145 Ark. 306, 224 S.W. 615 (1920). Whether or not an easement is apparent is a question of fact. Diener v. Ratterree, 57 Ark.App. 314, 945 S.W.2d 406 (1997). The chancery court made the following findings on this point: George Riley, Jr. is not an innocent purchaser for value. By his own testimony, he was aware of the significance of the open access and non-permanent cable (i.e., it was apparent), as evidenced by his inquiry of Reggie Clow. Further, the Owners Association of Foxcroft Woods, through Bill Rea, its president, was well aware of the long and continuously uninterrupted public use. Therefore, Riley cannot contend that the easement was not apparent. As a result of the apparentness of the nature of the easement, the law mandates that Mr. Riley exercise ordinary care and diligence in inquiring into the nature of the potential encumbrance. After learning only that the cable had been up for over a year, Mr. Riley testified that he did not inquire into anything further, such as why a permanent barrier had not been put up across the access area, nor did Mr. Riley seek to determine or verify the time period the Southern Drive had actually been blocked, or ask how the open access came to be private. Considering Mr. Riley contends he would not have purchased the property if he had known the nature of the public access, his actions clearly did not meet the standard of ordinary care and diligence required under Diener v. Ratterree, supra ; Waller v. Dansby, supra ; Hannah v. Daniel, supra ; and Childress v. Richardson, supra. These facts, in addition to the apparent age of the numerous commercial projects abutting or surrounding the Southern Drive, along with the paved, curbed, and open nature of the access with no permanent barrier, provided Mr. Riley with more than sufficient information to lead him to the true facts, that the cable had only been up less than a year, and that the Owners Association of Foxcroft Woods, Inc. had been aware of the public nature of the access for several years, all facts of which Reggie Clow and Bill Rea were aware, based on the minutes of the Foxcroft Property Owners Association and their depositions. We cannot say that the chancery court clearly erred in finding that Riley was on notice of the potential for an easement burdening his land. There was a paved asphalt road with curbs running across a portion of his lot. That fact alone was sufficient to put Riley on notice. Further, the manner in which the road was blocked was not permanent. There were no posts sunk in the middle of the road, permanently blocking traffic. And the fact that Riley was told that the Southern Drive was closed for over a year begs the question of what was its status before then. We decline to reverse the chancery court on this point. Affirmed.