Opinion ID: 2191055
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Validity of Clifford Family Limited Liability Company v. Cox, 334 Ark. 64, 971 S.W.2d 769 (1998)

Text: The Cochrans argue that this court should revisit what they suggest is the rigid and strict application doctrine requiring removal of offending structures set forth in this court's opinion in Clifford Family Ltd. Liability Co. v. Cox, 334 Ark. 64, 971 S.W.2d 769 (1998). They contend that in each case using the doctrine, the offending party had actual notice of the covenants prior to construction of the offending structure and that it is undisputed that they were unaware of the covenants prior to or until the first complaint was registered by Mr. Bentley after construction was completed. They urge that the balancing of the equities, in considering the relative hardships to the parties, weighs heavily in their favor. The Bentleys submit that the Cochrans have not presented any compelling reason why such established precedent should be overruled. For that reason, they claim, the rule in Clifford should be applied to the instant case. In Clifford , the Cliffords alleged that the chancellor erred in refusing to require the Coxes to remove a deck that they constructed on their property. While the chancellor found that the deck encroached upon the setback in violation of the protective covenants, he declined to order removal of the deck, concluding that removal would be a harsh remedy where he was unable to discern any interference with the Cliffords' enjoyment of their property. Relying on the same rules for interpreting and enforcing restrictive covenants as are set forth earlier in this opinion, the Clifford court reversed and remanded the chancellor's decision, holding that the language in the restrictive covenant was clear and that the chancellor erred in examining the respective properties to determine whether the encroachment by the Coxes caused any interference with the Cliffords' enjoyment of their land. The court then remanded the matter to the chancellor to enforce the covenant by requiring the removal of the encroachment. [3] There is a strong presumption of the validity of prior decisions. See Council of Co-Owners for the Lakeshore Resort & Yacht Club Horizontal Prop. Regime v. Glyneu, LLC, 367 Ark. 397, 240 S.W.3d 600 (2006). While the Cochrans urge this court, in essence, to overrule the strict application and construction set forth in Clifford , this court has held that it is necessary, as a matter of public policy, to uphold prior decisions unless great injury or injustice would result. See id. The policy behind stare decisis is to lend predictability and stability to the law. See id. In matters of practice, adherence by a court to its own decisions is necessary and proper for the regularity and uniformity of practice, and that litigants may know with certainty the rules by which they must be governed in the conducting of their cases. See id. Precedent governs until it gives a result so patently wrong, so manifestly unjust, that a break becomes unavoidable. See id. No such point has been reached. Here, the Cochrans again argue that they did not have actual notice of the protective covenant at issue. However, a review of the record reveals that the protective covenant was filed with the clerk on December 16, 1940, and was a matter of record. Notations on the filing further reflect that the plat could be found on page 595-A. We have held that a purchaser of lands takes them with constructive notice of whatever appears in the conveyance which constitutes his chain of title[.] Abbott v. Parker, 103 Ark. 425, 429, 147 S.W. 70, 72 (1912). We have further observed that a landowner is bound by restrictions that appear in a properly recorded deed in his chain of title even though the instrument conveying title to him does not contain the restrictions. See McGuire v. Bell, 297 Ark. 282, 761 S.W.2d 904 (1988). Accordingly, the Cochrans were charged with notice of the protective covenants and whether or not they had actual notice of the protective covenants is irrelevant. Whether the Cochrans had constructive or actual notice, they were charged with notice of the covenant and their situation in no way differs from that in Clifford . Moreover, our decision in Clifford does not dictate removal of a violating structure in every instance. Thus, we decline to revisit or overrule that decision, which clearly sets forth this court's longstanding rules for interpreting, applying, and enforcing restrictive covenants.