Opinion ID: 2013455
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dodge County

Text: ¶ 53. We now turn to whether Dodge County's liability is limited by public policy considerations. Before turning to Dodge County's legal arguments, we note the relationship between Dodge County, the tree, and the stop sign. Highway Z is an arterial highway and Dodge County installed the stop sign requiring drivers to stop when proceeding on Ledge Road. Furthermore, Dodge County personnel annually drove through the county to check the visibility of signs. The inspection was usually during November, at night, and the primary purpose was to determine reflectivity. ¶ 54. Dodge County argues it is not liable for failing to trim the branches of the Frankes' tree because (1) under the public policy in Walker, municipalities may not be held liable for failure to cut vegetation; (2) under Brown, Dodge County cannot be liable because it does not maintain either the right of way or the Frankes' property; and (3) Dodge County is prohibited from trimming the Frankes' tree branches under Wis. Stat. § 86.03(3) and (4). We address each argument in turn. ¶ 55. First, based on the public policy discussion in Walker, Dodge County contends that a municipality cannot be held liable for failure to trim vegetation in order to assure motorist visibility. Dodge County contends that Walker controls here, and that as a matter of law it cannot be held liable. We disagree. In Walker, the plaintiffs were in a traffic accident and sued both the town and county in charge of maintaining the roads. The plaintiffs alleged that the municipalities were negligent in failing to trim weeds in the areas adjacent to the roads, and because they were so overgrown, the weeds obstructed the view of the intersection. Walker, 100 Wis. 2d at 258. This court declined to assert that municipalities have an affirmative duty to cut roadside vegetation in order to assure motorist visibility, and declared as a matter of public policy that municipalities should not be exposed to common law liability in these circumstances. Id. at 266. The court reasoned that such liability would place an unreasonable and unmanageable burden upon municipalities, and that the height and density of vegetation would become a factor in nearly every intersection accident case. Id. ¶ 56. The court of appeals recently applied Walker in another roadside vegetation case, Estate of Robert Wagoner v. City of Milwaukee, 2001 WI App 292, 249 Wis. 2d 306, 638 N.W.2d 382. In Wagoner, the court of appeals refused to distinguish between a municipality that does not cut roadside vegetation and a municipality that cuts roadside vegetation, but does so negligently. Id. at ¶ 8. Based on the same policy concerns enunciated in Walker, the court of appeals refused to create municipal liability for failure to cut roadside vegetation. Id. at ¶ 10. [35] ¶ 57. Dodge County argues that the policy concerns in Walker (and subsequently Wagoner ) apply here, concluding that municipalities are not liable for failing to cut vegetation, even if the vegetation is obstructing the view of a stop sign. In contrast, Smith contends that Walker does not apply here because a stop sign is involved, and Dodge County has an affirmative duty to maintain the stop sign under Wis. Stat. § 349.065. We agree with Smith, the circuit court, and the court of appeals that Walker should not be extended to circumstances where a traffic control sign, and not just general visibility at the intersection, is obscured. Physicians Plus, 2001 WI App 148, ¶ 31. [36] ¶ 58. We decline to conclude that Dodge County's liability is limited by public policy because under the statutes and case law, Dodge County had an affirmative duty to maintain the stop sign. Wisconsin Stat. § 349.065 states, Local authorities shall place and maintain traffic control devices upon highways under their jurisdiction to regulate, warn, guide or inform traffic. (Emphasis added.) Furthermore, the statute requires that local authorities use and maintain such traffic control devices according to the Department of Transportation's manual. Id.; see also Wis. Stat. § 84.02(4). The manual requires All traffic signs should be kept in proper position, clean and legible at all times. The manual also requires the municipality to schedule inspection, cleaning and replacement and states that Special attention and necessary action should be taken to see that weeds, trees, shrubbery and construction materials do not obscure the face of any sign. Based on these express recognitions of a county's duty to maintain traffic control signs, we refuse to conclude that Dodge County is excused from such a duty regarding the stop sign it placed in this case. ¶ 59. In addition to the statutory requirements, this court's prior decisions support our conclusion. In Naker v. Town of Trenton, 62 Wis. 2d 654, 215 N.W.2d 38 on rehearing, 62 Wis. 2d 660, 660a, 217 N.W.2d 665 (1974), this court explicitly stated, A sign once erected by legislative action must be properly maintained. . . . As the municipality with the duty to erect the stop sign at the intersection of Ledge Road and Highway Z, Dodge County appropriately took action to erect the stop sign, and subsequently also had a duty, based on the statutes and case law, to maintain that sign. According to the Department of Transportation Manual, Dodge County's maintenance duty encompasses assuring visibility and taking necessary action to assure the face of the stop sign is not obscured by trees. This duty could not be stated any clearer. ¶ 60. In affirming this duty, we also recognize that the policy concerns of Walker shift significantly when the focus is on a traffic control sign, rather than general visibility at an intersection. The uncertainty of whether trimming vegetation increases general visibility is not present when the question focuses on a specific object such as the stop sign. Accordingly, based on the explicit directives discussed above, including the statutes, the manual, and the case law, we decline to extend Walker to the present facts. [33] [37] ¶ 61. Dodge County's second argument is that it cannot be liable because, under Brown, liability is limited to the Frankes and the Town of Leroy. Dodge County contends that it escapes liability because it does not maintain either the property on which the tree is located, or the right-of-way where the stop sign is placed. Again, we disagree with Dodge County's interpretation of this court's precedent. In Brown, this court concluded that city ordinances gave the city authority to remove the dead tree on the landowner's property, and in no way limited the power of the landowner to remove the dead tree on his or her property. 199 Wis. at 591. Applied here, the principles enunciated in Brown require that we conclude that Dodge County cannot escape liability for failing to trim, or to request others to trim, the tree branches. As we discussed above, the statutes and the Department of Transportation Manual give Dodge County the authority toand in fact requirethat Dodge County maintain the visibility of the stop sign. This duty specifically encompasses taking necessary action, for example, trimming trees, to assure that trees do not obscure the face of the stop sign. Accordingly, we reject Dodge County's interpretation of Brown as limited to its facts. [38] ¶ 62. Finally, Dodge County argues that under Wis. Stat. § 86.03(3) and (4), it is prohibited from trimming the tree branches. Dodge County argues that it was prohibited from trimming the tree because the tree was not within its right-of-way, and the most it could do was request others to trim the offending branches. Specifically, Dodge County relies on language in § 86.03(3) and (4) stating, trees . . . shall be cut or removed only by the owner or occupant of the abutting land or by the public authority having control of the highway. We agree with the court of appeals' discussion of this argument, and similarly reject that argument for several reasons. First, as discussed above, § 349.065 and related statutes and regulations require Dodge County, in the course of maintaining the stop sign, to take necessary action to assure the visibility of the stop sign. Furthermore, as Smith points out, § 83.015(2)(a) allows Dodge County to enter private lands with their employees to remove weeds and brush. . . . Accordingly, Dodge County was not powerless in being able to trim the offending branches, or request the assistance of the Frankes or the Town of Leroy in trimming the branches that it knew, or should have known, were obstructing the visibility of the stop sign. We, therefore, conclude that Dodge County does not escape liability based on its failure to trim the offending branchesto abate the public nuisance.