Opinion ID: 2586477
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Affidavit of Alden C. Robinson dated June 23, 2006

Text: [¶ 22] This affidavit states: 1. I am one of the general partners of ROBINSON FAMILY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP LLP. 2. I was born November 9, 1923 in Moorcroft, Wyoming. 3. I grew up on the family ranch in Crook County. I graduated from Moorcroft high school. While growing up on the family ranch, I helped with all ranching work, including fencing and moving and working livestock. I lived continuously on the family ranch until 1994, when my wife, Effie, and I moved to the town of Moorcroft, Wyoming. The Moorcroft city limits border our family ranch. 4. The family ranch lands are adjacent to the property described in the complaint in this matter (the property). While I was growing up on the family ranch and helping with the ranch work, we openly claimed the property as our own and continuously possessed and used it as our own by enclosing the property with our fences and grazing our livestock on it. We did not allow anyone else to use the property. Our claim to the property, and our possession and use of it, were known in the community. 5. In 1957, my brother, Lucian H. Robinson, Jr., and I purchased the family ranch lands from our father's estate. My brother and I continued to openly claim the property as our own, and continuously possessed and used it as our own by enclosing the property with our fences and grazing our livestock on it. We did not allow anyone else to use the property. Our claim to the property, and our possession and use of it, were known in the community. 6. I acquired my brother's one-half (½) of the family ranch lands in 1961. I continued openly claiming the property as my own, and continuously possessed and used it as my own by enclosing the property with my fences and grazing my livestock on it. I did not allow anyone else to use the property. My claim to the property, and my possession and use of it, were known in the community. 7. In 1992, my wife, Effie, and I, conveyed title to the family ranch lands to our revocable trusts. Through our trusts, we continued openly claiming the property as our own, and continuously possessed and used it as our own by enclosing the property with our fences and grazing our livestock on it. We did not allow anyone else to use the property. Our claim to the property, and our possession and use of it, were known in the community. 8. Our family formed the Robinson Family Limited Partnership LLP (the partnership) in November 2001, and my wife, Effie, and I conveyed the family ranch lands to the partnership. The partnership continued openly claiming the property as its own, and continuously possessed and used it as its own by enclosing the property with its fences and grazing its livestock on it. The partnership did not allow anyone else to use the property. The partnership's claim to the property, and its possession and use of the property, were known in the community. 9. When the family ranch lands were conveyed, it was always my intent to include all the lands we were possessing, using, and claiming as our own, including the property. Any omission of the description of the property from the conveyances was inadvertent. 10. When paying the real estate taxes on the family ranch lands, it was always my intent to pay the taxes for all the lands we were possessing, using, and claiming as our own, including the property. The total yearly real estate tax we pay on the family ranch lands is approximately $6467. On information and belief, the yearly real estate tax on the property is approximately $140. Any failure on our part to pay the real estate taxes on the property was inadvertent. [¶ 23] This affidavit is insufficient in several respects. In paragraphs 4 through 8, the affiant states that for more than ten years we (paragraph 4), my brother and I (paragraph 5), I (paragraph 6), our trusts (paragraph 7), and the partnership (paragraph 8) openly claim[ed] the [disputed] property as our own, and continuously possessed and used it as our own by enclosing the [disputed] property with our fences and grazing our livestock on it. We did not allow anyone else to use the [disputed] property. Our claim to the [disputed] property, and our possession and use of it, were known in the community. The substance of these paragraphs is virtually identical to and no more than a restatement of the principal allegation of paragraph four of Robinson's complaint: Plaintiff and its predecessors in interest have had hostile, actual, open, notorious, exclusive, and continuous possession of the property under a claim of right for more than ten (10) years last past. During all of such time, plaintiff and its predecessors have enclosed the property with fence and have grazed their livestock on the property. These affidavit paragraphs are only categorical assertions of ultimate facts without specific supporting facts. They are mere statements of the elements of an adverse possession claim, without any evidence of the specific material facts associated with those elements. For example, these paragraphs contain no specific facts describing the location, quality, and purpose (casual or intentional) of the fencing and who built it. There are no specific facts informing the Court whether the fencing surrounds only the exterior of the Robinson family ranch lands within which is located the unfenced disputed property or whether Robinson separately enclosed the disputed property within a fence. There are no specific facts describing the geographical location of the Robinson family ranch lands in relation to the disputed property. There are no specific facts informing us of the acreage of the Robinson family ranch lands. There are no specific facts explaining and describing in what ways the affiant or his family members did not allow anyone else to use the disputed propertywhat did they do and when. With respect to grazing livestock, there are no specific facts concerning the type and number of livestock, whether that livestock was placed on the Robinson family ranch lands and allowed to roam and stray freely onto the disputed property or whether that livestock was intentionally driven to, placed on, and purposely kept on the disputed property. There are no specific facts stating whether the grazing livestock were purposely placed on the disputed property each year during the full period of the growing season. The last sentence in each of the paragraphs 4 through 8, our claim to the property, and our possession and use of it, were known in the community, is inadmissible subjective belief and opinion having no factual basis. [¶ 24] In paragraph 9, the affiant refers to the conveyances of the Robinson family ranch lands but does not state that the disputed property was included in those conveyances. As we noted earlier, the failure of an adverse possession claimant and its ancestors to execute any title instruments affecting the disputed property, although they did execute title instruments affecting their deeded land, is a fact to be weighed by the trier of fact along with the other circumstances in the case. Affiant's statements about his intent to include the disputed property in conveyances of the family ranch lands and about inadvertent omission of the disputed property's description in such conveyances are inadmissible self-serving subjective opinion. [¶ 25] In paragraph 10, the affiant refers to the payment of real estate taxes on the Robinson family ranch lands, but does not state that he paid the real estate taxes on the disputed property. As we noted earlier, an adverse possession claimant's failure to pay the real estate taxes on the disputed property, while not conclusive, is a fact to be weighed along with the other circumstances in the case and tends to weaken a claim of ownership by adverse possession. Affiant's statements about his intent to pay the taxes on the disputed property and Robinson's inadvertent failure to pay those taxes are inadmissible self-serving subjective opinion. [¶ 26] We hold that Alden C. Robinson's affidavit fails to show the absence of genuine issues of material fact related to Robinson's adverse possession claim.