Opinion ID: 2544453
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: acceptance of easements

Text: The County contends that it did not accept easements across Wailea Elua. Specifically referring to Easements 61, 62, and 63, the County submits that the easements cannot be forced upon it because the language of the deed to Wailea Alanui Drive conveying the easements was conditional and the County never accepted the easements. As previously stated, the language of the deed, conveyed the future road (Lot 5) to the County together with: easements for drainage purposes over, under and across portions of the lots adjoining Lot 5, said easements to be determined and designated after construction of the improvements in Lot 5 has been completed by [WDC], and [WDC] agree[s] to promptly file a petition to designate such easements and to execute Grant of Easement documents in favor of the [County] in such form as shall be mutually agreed upon; provided that [the County] shall execute a document canceling this grant concurrently with the execution of Grant of Easement documents from [WDC] to [the County]. (Emphases added.) The language of the deed expressly conveyed drainage easements to the County that were appurtenant to the road; this deed was accepted by the County Council the following day. However, the location of the drainage easements was conditioned upon further agreement between WDC and the County. Apparently, a meeting of the minds never transpired with respect to location, notwithstanding the fact that WDC designated Easements 61, 62, and 63. The Association argues that, even though the location of Easements 61, 62, and 63 was not mutually agreed upon, subsequent events established the County's acquiescence as to the location of the easements. As discussed below, we agree that, under the particular circumstances of this case, the County accepted Easements 61, 62, and 63 and that, therefore, the trial court did not err in concluding that the County also possessed easements in the location of the pipes connecting Easements 61, 62, and 63. Substantial evidence adduced at trial supports the conclusion that the County intended to possess drainage easements involving drainpipes through the Wailea Elua property. Brian Gray, a civil engineer, testified that, from an engineering perspective, the term drainage easement typically involves a pipe or conduit in which the holder is responsible for its maintenance and repair. Gray contrasted this with a flowage easement, in which the upslope owner has no such responsibility. Alan Watanabe also acknowledged that he was aware of other situations where the County was responsible for repairing and maintaining pipes that were part of drainage easements. This evidence of engineering practice supports the conclusion that the County intended to be responsible for pipe maintenance when it accepted the drainage easements in the deed. Moreover, WDC's 1973 roads and drainage plan, which was reviewed and approved by County officials before the County Council accepted the deed, showed curb inlets where water would be draining off of the proposed Wailea Alanui Drive; it would only be logical that such inlets would lead to the locations that WDC subsequently designated as easements. Given that the road was part of a larger development, the reasonable inference that can be drawn from the evidence is that the County knew that pipes would be used to carry water from these locations. Although there was contradictory testimony that the roadside easements constituted apron easements, whose purpose was merely to prevent erosion or to permit the County to obtain access to the culverts passing under the road, an appellate court will not pass upon issues dependent on the credibility of the witnesses and the weight of the evidence, which are matters within the province of the trier of fact. In re Doe, 95 Hawai`i 183, 190, 20 P.3d 616, 623 (2001). Consequently, the trial court did not err when it effectively found that the County intended to possess drainage easements and the pipes associated therewith. See Findings of Fact noted supra at 111-112, 58 P.3d at 623-624. Under the particular circumstances of this case, it can be concluded that the County accepted easements for drainage purposes across Wailea Elua. The County points out that Easements 61, 62, and 63 do not contain the actual area of land where the underground drainpipes traverse Wailea Elua. The County is correct. However, it would not be possible to effectuate the intent to utilize drainpipes to drain water away from the locations of Easements 62 and 63 without the drainpipes themselves. Moreover, the water from these locations apparently would not drain to Easement 61 without the presence of the pipes. Thus, although the only definitively located express easements are Easements 61, 62, and 63, the need for the existence of the pipes connecting Easements 61, 62, and 63 is essential for the proper functioning of those easements. Pursuant to Restatement, supra, § 4.10, the holder of an easement or profit . . . is entitled to use the servient estate in a manner that is reasonably necessary for the convenient enjoyment of the servitude. See also Restatement, supra, § 4.10 comment c (Under the rule stated in this section, the servitude holder is entitled to make any use of the servient estate that is reasonably necessary for the convenient enjoyment of the easement. Even when the easement is located in a specific portion of the servient estate, the servitude beneficiary has the right to use other parts of the servient estate when reasonably necessary for convenient use of the easement.... Frequently, reasonably necessary uses will also include making improvements or constructing improvements for use of the easement. If necessary, additional areas of the servient estate may be used during construction. The right to use additional areas of the servient estate is sometimes called a secondary easement. Conceptually, a secondary easement can be regarded either as an easement by necessity or as inherently included within the primary-use rights granted by the easement.); cf. Adair v. Kona Corp., 51 Haw. 104, 114, 452 P.2d 449, 455 (1969) (The absence of metes and bounds description [in an express easement] would not have posed any insurmountable problem in case of disagreement between the mortgagor and the mortgagee, for the law is that where an easement is not definitely located in a grant or a reservation, and the dominant and servient owners fail to agree, a court may locate it in the exercise of its equity powers.). Based on the foregoing, the trial court did not err in concluding that the County's express easements include easements in the locations of the twenty-four inch and fifty-four inch drainpipes.