Opinion ID: 2632294
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Cattle Guard

Text: [¶ 12] Although they do not raise it as a separate issue on appeal, landowners make considerable argument in their brief that easement owner's placement of a cattle guard that meets applicable state standards upon the easement places an inappropriate increased burden upon the easement. Further, landowners argue that the holding rendered in Van Raden v. Harper, 891 P.2d 78 (Wyo.1995), is not authoritative precedent that should be applied in this case since the facts sufficiently differ from this case than those which arose in Van Raden. They contend that Van Raden dealt with a general easement and not an easement subject to conditions. Hence, landowners assert that this difference is adequate reason why the holding in Van Raden is not controlling in this case. We do not agree. [¶ 13] In Van Raden, this court held as a matter of law that installing cattle guards on a right of way easement is a permissible improvement of an easement and does not materially increase the burden of the servient estate. 891 P.2d at 79-80. In addition, we recognized that the easement involved in Van Raden was an access easement. Similarly, we also noted that in the case of Weiss v. Pedersen, 933 P.2d 495, 500 (Wyo.1997), wherein we subsequently recognized Van Raden, that such easement also involved an alleged prescriptive right of way or access easement. [¶ 14] Looking at the easement in this case, we hold the language used to be clear and unambiguous and that extrinsic evidence need not be considered in its construction. The language used plainly expresses a solitary desire to grant an easement for ingress and egress or right of way to the grantee, his heirs, successors, and assigns to their land and, as such, constitutes an access easement. Similarly, the easement reserves the right of the grantors, their heirs, successors, and assigns to use the easement to also access their land. Therefore, we see no reason why the rule of law espoused in Van Raden should not be applied in this case. We recognized in Van Raden that the installation of a cattle guard promoted the primary purpose of the easement which was to provide convenient passage. This is likewise the case here. Placing a cattle guard on the easement by easement owner in no way prohibits access and convenient passage of landowners as reserved; therefore, it cannot be said to place an inappropriate increased burden upon the easement.