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

Heading: Summary of Litigation

Text: On July 24, 1995, the Association filed an amended complaint seeking a declaratory judgment that: (1) WRC was the owner of the twenty-four inch and fifty-four inch drainpipes traversing the Wailea Elua property; (2) the drainpipes were not common elements of the Wailea Elua condominium project; (3) WRC should either remove the pipes or designate an easement for themselves and the County across that portion of the Wailea Elua property occupied by the drainpipes; and (4) WRC, as an owner of the pipes, was responsible for the maintenance and repair of the pipes. The amended complaint also sought damages for repairing the pipe and roadway. Thereafter, the Association filed a motion for partial summary judgment against WRC and the County, seeking, inter alia, a declaration that WRC and the County were owners of easements in the drainpipes and were responsible for the repair and maintenance of the pipes. The trial court granted summary judgment with respect to WRC, but denied summary judgment with respect to the County and reserved for trial the following issues: (1) whether the County was the holder of an easement in the pipes; and (2) the apportionment of responsibility for repair and maintenance of the drainpipes. WRC filed a motion for reconsideration of the court's partial summary judgment ruling, which was denied. Further details of the summary judgment proceeding and of the remaining events summarized in the paragraph below are described in the discussion section infra. WRC subsequently made an offer of judgment to the Association, which the Association rejected. Shortly before trial, the trial court granted the Association's motion in limine to exclude evidence that the drainpipes were common elements of Wailea Elua property. Following a bench trial, the court ruled that the County was the owner of express or, alternatively, implied, easements in the location of the drainpipes. The court also ruled that all three partiesthe Association, WRC, and the Countywere responsible for the repair and maintenance of the drainpipes in relative proportion to the percentage of water flowing through the pipes from each of their respective properties, adopting, with some minor modifications, the runoff figures propounded by WRC's drainage expert. Following trial, WRC moved for costs pursuant to HRCP Rule 68, contending that its offer to the Association was greater than the judgment ultimately obtained by the Association. The court denied WRC's motion. Both WRC and the County timely appealed the trial court's March 9, 1999 judgment. [5]