Opinion ID: 2119729
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the easement claim.

Text: On September 7, 1948, Gold and Sarah Reed, successors in interest to the Oneys, and Green Gearhart, successor in interest to the Martins, purported to convey right-of-way easements over their properties to TCO's predecessor in interest, United Fuel Gas Company, for the purpose of construction and maintenance of pipeline P-66. Construction was completed in 1949 and TCO claims that P-66 has been used to transmit gas across the Reed and Gearhart tracts continuously since that time. On September 19, 1989, Consol purchased the surface estates of both tracts from the successors in interest to the Reeds and Gearhart. In 1991, Consol notified TCO of its intent to mine the mineral estate and demanded removal of P-66. TCO refused, Consol relocated P-66 at its own expense, and this lawsuit ensued. TCO admits that pursuant to the case law interpreting the easement-granting clause contained in the Northern form deeds by which Consol's predecessor acquired its interest in the mineral estate from the Oneys and the Martins, the Reeds and Gearhart had no right to grant pipeline easements across their properties, and that their attempts to grant such easements to United Fuel Gas Company in 1948 were nullities. However, TCO claims to have acquired a prescriptive easement across Consol's property as a result of its continued use of the pipeline right-of-way for forty-three years before its attempted ouster by Consol in 1991. The right to acquire an easement by prescription is of ancient origin and is grounded in the common law. Hall v. McLeod, 59 Ky. (2 Metc.) 98 (1859). As with adverse possession of a fee simple estate, a prescriptive easement can be acquired by actual, hostile, open and notorious, exclusive, and continuous possession of the property for the statutory period of fifteen years. KRS 413.010 (fifteen years); Riggs v. Ketner, 299 Ky. 754, 187 S.W.2d 287 (1945) (private water pipeline); Riley v. Jones, 295 Ky. 389, 174 S.W.2d 530, 531, 532 (1943) (underground water pipeline); Pickel v. Cornett, 285 Ky. 189, 147 S.W.2d 381, 382 (1941) (prescriptive easements generally). The acts necessary to acquire an easement by prescription depend on the nature of the interest to be possessed: [T]he physical nature of the thing possessed must determine the character of the acts necessary to impart notice that the right to use or possess is asserted and exercised without consent, continuously, and in open hostility to anyone's right to interfere. For example, it is impossible to continuously exercise the same acts of dominion over a river bank, sand bar and its accretions as an adverse possessor could exercise over pasture land or woodland, the area and usability of which are not affected by the rise and fall of a stream. Combs v. Adams et al., 282 Ky. 629, 139 S.W.2d 447. A pipe conveying water is usually laid underground, and hence is not visible except at its inlet and outlet. Yet, if the owner of the land which it occupies throughout its length has notice of its existence, it could hardly be said that the right to maintain it was not adverse because the pipe was not visible or its use apparent. Riley v. Jones, supra, 174 S.W.2d at 532. TCO asserts that P-66 was located partially below and partially above the surface, and that at least one metering station housing gas-measuring devices was clearly visible on the surface for many years. However, the Circuit Court never reached the facts supporting TCO's claim of prescriptive possession, but granted summary judgment to Consol on the basis of KRS 381.430.