Opinion ID: 1834699
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Property South Of Highway 90

Text: The resolution of the first issue turns on the construction of the deed conveying Gilich's interest in the property. It is a well settled rule of construction that a deed must be construed as a whole without separating it into its formal parts, and that the intent of the parties be gathered from the language employed. Manson v. Magee, 534 So.2d 545, 548 (Miss. 1988) The intent of the parties must be ascertained from the four corners of the instrument and construction is limited to the four corners of the instrument unless intent is ambiguous or unascertainable. Pursue Energy Corp. v. Perkins, 558 So.2d 349, 353 (Miss. 1990); Sanford v. Jackson Mall Shopping Center, 516 So.2d 227, 230 (Miss. 1987). Gilich alleges that he owns the sand beach lying south of Highway 90 running to the Gulf of Mexico and that previous deeds to the property and deeds to neighboring properties support his position that the intent of the deed was for his property to extend to the Gulf of Mexico. He also cites Duane v. Saltaformaggio, 455 So.2d 753 (Miss. 1984) to argue that descriptive information in the plat is to be considered to determine the intent of the deed. These arguments, however, ignore the rule that intent must be construed first from the four corners of the document when it is clear and unambiguous. The deed is clear and unambiguous in describing Gilich's property. It clearly describes the southern boundary of his property to be the northern line of Highway 90. It does not include the sand beach portion extending to the Gulf of Mexico upon which the I-110 Loop is built and which Gilich alleges is taken. Descriptions in the original plat and other deeds are not considered as evidence of intent, as intent is discerned from the four corners of the deed. These are considered only if the description in the deed is ambiguous and unclear. To look to these descriptions or other outside evidence makes the deed, when clear and unambiguous, of no value. From the reading of the deed, Gilich's property does not include the sand beach south of Highway 90. Without record title to the property, there exists no genuine issue of material fact as to whether the Highway Commission took Gilich's property or damaged the concomitant riparian and littoral rights. As to property south of Highway 90, the trial court properly sustained the motion for summary judgment.