Opinion ID: 1059034
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: amstutz property

Text: In 2000, Amstutz acquired approximately 29.77 acres of real estate that border State Route 612 in Spotsylvania County. [4] The parcel is the acreage through which the disputed section of Brightwell Road passes and lies between the Jones and Thomas parcels and the public road. According to Amstutz's estimation, the length of the road from State Route 612 across the 29.77-acre parcel to the Jones property is 1100 feet. During the period from 1951 until 1999, the Amstutz property was owned by an entity referred to as Chesapeake. [5] An individual who had managed Chesapeake's land from 1983 until 1995 testified the company had always assumed that there was a prescriptive right-of-way across Chesapeake's property from State Route 612 for the benefit of the parcels situated to the west. According to the land manager, the road now in dispute was obvious upon visual inspection and was the only access to both the Jones and Thomas tracts. Although he never saw anyone using the road, he observed evidence of truck traffic because the road was rutted. At one point while Chesapeake owned the property, a gate was installed on the road to keep people from dumping on the property. This was done with Jones' permission, and Jones was given a key to the gate.