Opinion ID: 1923644
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Points 3, 4 and 5

Text: Under these points in their brief defendants challenge the validity of the order in paragraph 2 of the judgment ordering defendants to    forthwith convey in fee simple to the Complainants the presently-existing Wilkesbarre Pier, including the right to use said vessel berth on the northerly side of said Pier. Under point 3 defendants argue that the trial justice erred in ordering defendants to give a deed of any kind to plaintiffs. They claim that even if plaintiffs' contentions were correct with respect to the proper interpretation to be given to the 1941 deed, a judicial declaration by this court recorded in the records of land evidence would be a perfectly adequate remedy and hence that no mandatory injunction is called for. They argue that the provisions of the reservation are self-executing and require no additional instrument. Under point 4 defendants argue that the trial justice erred in ordering defendants to give a deed in fee simple to the pier to plaintiffs, as distinguished from a deed to an easement or some lesser estate. They contend that even if it be assumed for purposes of argument that the giving of a deed of some kind was proper, such a deed should only have been to the pier itself when constructed as required by the 1941 deed reservation and should certainly not have included the land under it, except possibly that said deed might properly contain an easement to encroach, that is, an easement to maintain the pier on defendants' land. Under point 5 defendants argue that the trial justice erred in ordering defendants to give a deed to plaintiffs before they fulfilled the condition of constructing a pier. In brief, they argue that the demolition of the existing pier and the construction of a new one were conditions precedent to plaintiffs' entitlement to the pier. The plaintiffs contend that such is not the case and that the judgment compels defendants only to give a deed to the pier itself to evidence plaintiffs' ownership of such pier. The plaintiffs claim that, by concensus of the parties to the 1941 deed, the pier is not realty but personalty. They point out that it is constructed of wooden pilings driven into the soil, that atop these pilings are crosstimbers and planking, and that granite blocks rest upon the outer edges of the planking and contain the earthen fill placed upon the planking. The plaintiffs' position that the pier was intended to be treated as personalty by the parties is supported by a letter dated July 17, 1941 from Colonial's attorney to P&W's president where the former stated: I am assuming that the pier would be deemed to be personal in view of our agreement that your Road is to own it and would thereby be taxed separate from the land. If this is to be so, we would be paying taxes on the land upon which you have your pier, and that would be contribution enough. We believe that plaintiffs correctly perceived the meaning of the trial justice's order as requiring defendants to give plaintiffs a fee simple to personalty, that is, a conveyance of the totality of interests in the existing pier save for defendants' right to use the north side of said pier. [12] Thus, we agree also with defendants' claim that the 1941 deed conveyed to Colonial a fee simple to the land upon which the pier is constructed subject to an easement by reservation in P&W. We reject, however, defendants' contention that enjoyment of those easement rights by P&W or its successors is contingent upon their demolition of the existing pier and construction of a new one. The current status of the property by virtue of the 1941 deed and reservations is that defendants, as Colonial's successors in title, own an undivided interest in the entirety of parcel 1, including the land beneath the pier, in fee subject to easement rights in P&W-Del., as P&W's successor in interest, to maintain a pier on the site of the existing pier. The trial justice's decision has not limited defendants' estate or created in them a lesser estate in the land. We feel, however, that the trial justice erred in ordering defendants to execute a conveyance of the pier to plaintiffs. We agree with their contention in this regard that the provisions of the 1941 deed reservation are self-executing and that the recording in the land evidence records of a judicial declaration by this court would accomplish the same results as the delivery of a conveyance to plaintiffs. The terms of the reservation clauses and the language of this opinion are sufficiently self-explanatory to put any interested party on notice that plaintiffs have exercised their reserved rights; that the pier is now plaintiffs' property ; and that plaintiffs have a right to use the vessel berth on the north side of the pier. For the reasons stated, we hold that paragraph 2 of the judgment is superfluous, and, therefore, it is hereby vacated.