Opinion ID: 2976648
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Use of the Access Road

Text: The partition of the A. Lea & Co. lands to the Bacon family in 1888 did not expressly grant any easement in favor of the landlocked property now known as the Rice and Rorie tracts. J.A. at 159 (Rice Dep. at 43). From 1941 forward, however, Plaintiffs-Appellees and their predecessors (members of the Rorie family) used the field-access road through the property of the federal government’s predecessors in title (Shoaf, Sullivan, Rice) to access their lands. J.A. at 45 (Joint Pretrial Order at 8). Milton Rice testified that he and his family recognized the Rories’ right to use the road over the Rice tract, without needing to ask for permission. J.A. at 131 (Rice Dep. at 15). Similarly, during the time that members of the Rice family owned the Rice tract, they enjoyed access to the road over the Sullivan tract, without needing to ask permission from the people who owned the lands to the north. J.A. at 125, 131-32 (Rice Dep. at 9, 15-16). Occasionally, Charles Shoaf would put a gate up on the access road, but Rorie could always get a key and Rice also obtained a key through Rorie. J.A. at 128 (Rice Dep. at 12). Furthermore, Cyburn Sullivan, III testified that when he purchased the Sullivan tract from Charles Shoaf, Shoaf told him that an easement traversed the property; accordingly, Sullivan never required Rice to ask permission to use the road. J.A. at 217-18 (Sullivan Dep. at 16-17). There exists some confusion in the record as to whether any lands were at one time sold off the Sullivan tract. J.A. at 123-24 (Rice Dep. at 7-8). Regardless of the nature and timing of the sales, purchasers who owned property south of Highway 87 had to use the field road to access their properties. J.A. at 148-50 (Rice Dep. at 32-34). After the federal government purchased first the Sullivan and, later, the Rice tracts, the Rice and Rorie families enjoyed continued use of the field-access road. Milton Rice testified that the government never put him on notice that it had the “right to prevent me or my family members (as owners), or anyone else to whom we gave permission to go on to the Rice lands, from using the roadway at any time we chose to do so.” J.A. at 178 (Rice Aff. at 4). In 1991, the Fish and Wildlife Service put up a gate on the field-access road between the Sullivan and Rice tracts. The Fish and Wildlife Service issued a key to Milton Rice pursuant to a Special Use Permit, to enable him to access the Rice tract south of the national wildlife refuge located on the Sullivan tract. J.A. at 14345 (Rice Dep. at 27-29); J.A. at 197 (Permit Letter). Rice, however, testified that he understood the key not to restrict his access but rather to enable him, as well as Rorie, to access their properties when the road was closed to the general public during the waterfowl-migration season, from November 15 to March 15. J.A. at 145 (Rice Dep. at 29). The Fish and Wildlife Service issued keys and Special Use Permits to Milton Rice and Elvy Rorie, Jr., among other individuals, in 1991, and to Elvy Rorie, Jr. in 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1999. J.A. at 461-73 (Defendant’s Exs. 5463). The Fish and Wildlife Service issued a key and Special Use Permit to Plaintiff-Appellee Tankersley in 2002. J.A. at 475 (Defendant’s Ex. 65). In 2002, the government locked a gate across the field-access road and denied PlaintiffsAppellees permission to use the road between November 15, 2002 and March 15, 2003.1 A 1 There exists some confusion regarding the year in which the government locked the gate. The Amended Complaint states that the government “in 2003 . . . locked a gate across the roadway [and] denied Plaintiffs permission to use the roadway between November 15 and March 15, 2003.” J.A. at 30 (Amended Compl. at 8). Of course, this statement must contain a mistake because the period between November and March spans two years. Either the No. 06-6369 Burlison et al. v. United States Page 4 government agent told Plaintiffs-Appellees on November 20, 2003, that, “I just don’t want you on the access road. It disturbs the waterfowl and damages the road.” Id. On November 15, 2004, the government again prevented Plaintiffs-Appellees from using the road by locking a metal gate across it. J.A. at 31 (Amended Compl. at 9).