Opinion ID: 3181497
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Parties’ Source Deeds1

Text: [¶11] Before the Blackinton Plan was recorded in 1924, Eliza and Cora conveyed out of the Perry Parcel the lots that now comprise the properties owned by the Fishers, the Johnsons, and Moulton (collectively, the pre-record owners). The properties now owned by the Massimis, Roy and Watrous, Bolan, Long, Perkins, Paul, and Lawrence (collectively, the post-record owners) were conveyed out of the Perry Parcel, in whole or in part, after the plan’s recording.2 [¶12] The following facts regarding the language of the parties’ source deeds are drawn from the deeds summarized by Exhibit 211, which was entered in evidence as a demonstrative aid and relied upon by the parties and the court. All of the neighboring property owners derive title through source deeds that refer to (1) the “plan of Cooper’s Beach as laid out in June 1882”; (2) the “plan of said Coopers Beach as laid out in June 1882”; or (3) the “plan of Coopers Beach made by A.D. Blackin[]ton, Surveyor, dated June, 1882.” [¶13] Based on the contents of Exhibit 211 and the deeds to which that exhibit refers, the trial court found that the pre-record source deeds convey the 1 In this action, the parties used the phrase “source deeds” to refer to the originating deeds by which the Perrys first conveyed their lots with metes and bounds descriptions. We adopt that referent herein. 2 As explained infra, the temporal relationship between the recording of the Blackinton Plan and the origination of the neighboring property owners’ source deeds affects our analysis of the neighboring property owners’ easement claims. We therefore refer to those whose source deeds pre-date the recording of the plan as the “pre-record owners” and refer to those whose source deeds post-date the recording of the plan as the “post-record owners.” 7 “privilege” or “privileges of all streets laid out on said Plan,” while the post-record source deeds convey “rights of way” shown on the plan. [¶14] The trial court also found that a majority of the neighboring property owners derive title through source deeds that grant “use of the beach for boating and bathing purposes.” As demonstrated by the deeds in the record, this finding holds true for all of the neighboring property owners except Bolan and Lawrence. Instead of “beach” rights, the source deeds for the properties held by these individuals grant “all riparian rights and shore privileges of every nature.” [¶15] Neither the plan nor the parties’ source deeds identify the location of the “beach” or the area subject to “riparian rights and shore privileges.” When the Perrys first conveyed “beach” rights, they owned the intertidal area in front of the properties that are now owned by the Gravisons, Titcomb, and the Edwardses.