Opinion ID: 1191526
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: APPEAL DEMOSKI v. NEW

Text: The facts found by the trial court are as follows. What is referred to as the Teas' homestead was public land first entered in 1952 by Ray Skelton, who put in Tribulation Trail beginning in 1953. An alternative access to the property was built by Skelton after 1958, the so-called Lower Road. In 1959 Skelton relinquished his right of entry to Teas. Teas improved Tribulation Trail and used it daily to reach his homestead. Although Teas also used the Lower Road, Tribulation Trail was his principal means of obtaining access to the property. Teas allowed anyone to use Tribulation Trail. Teas acquired patent to his homestead in 1968. In 1971 he conveyed the eastern half to Skelton and, at about the same time, conveyed the northwest forty acres in ten acre parcels to the Demoskis, Everharts, Schoen, and Presnell. Teas reserved a right of access for himself through the Lower Road in the deed to Skelton. None of the other deeds mentioned access. In 1975 Teas sold five acres including his homesite to Quist and his remaining thirty-five acres to the News. In September of 1978, Quist was blocked from using Tribulation Trail by the Demoskis and Everharts, who claimed that the road was private. The court found that the Lower Road had not been maintained since 1971 and was virtually useless as an access route for nine months of the year. Although not noted by the court, it is uncontested that Teas failed to obtain approval from the Fairbanks North Star Borough for the various subdivisions of his homestead. Likewise, the Demoskis and Everharts have divided each of their ten acre parcels into four two and one-half acre parcels without approval of the Borough. The court concluded that under the authority of Freightways Terminal Co. v. Industrial Indemnity Co., 381 P.2d 977 (Alaska 1963), clearly the [News] have an easement by implication which would allow them or their successors to use Tribulation Trail as access to their property, and further that that easement is appurtenant to and runs with the retained lands of the grantor so that successive owners of the retained portion would have the right to use the easement. Observing that the fact that the News had an easement by implication did not necessarily mean that the road was public, the court went on to find that it was in fact a public road for the reasons which follow: 1. It was the intention of the original owners of the road, Skelton and Teas, that the road be open to the public. 2. Tribulation Trail was the only access to the property in question prior to 1958, and the only viable access to the property since then. 3. None of the defendants ever inquired as to the status of Tribulation Trail at any time since purchase. 4. The defendants never overtly asserted exclusive use of the road until 1978. 5. Quist, who was introduced to Teas by defendant, was never told of defendant's assertion to exclusive use of the road. 6. All the parties to the lawsuit have maintained or contributed to the maintenance of Tribulation Trail. 7. That portion of the road over the Bullwinkle-Salisbury property is dedicated to public access. 8. Tribulation Trail has been used by property owners, sightseers, visitors and contractors uninterruptedly since it was first established. 9. The defendants Demoski and Everhart have recognized the public nature of the road by claiming rights to use that portion of Tribulation Trail which passes through the New property, even though they have absolutely no legal right to do so.
The Demoskis' first substantive argument is that the trial court erred in finding that the News have an easement by implication along Tribulation Trail. An easement by implication arises where there is (1) a quasi-easement at the time of contract of sale or conveyance, (2) which is apparent, (3) reasonably necessary for the enjoyment of the land retained or the land conveyed, and (4) continuous in nature. Freightways Terminal Co., 381 P.2d at 983; W. Burby, Real Property § 28, at 72-75 (3d ed. 1965). Even if these elements exist, an easement by implication will not be found where the parties intend that such an easement not exist. Id. at 75. The Demoskis' attack the court's conclusion that an easement by implication exists, based on the alleged absence of reasonable necessity and the existence of a contrary intent of the parties. They argue that the reasonable necessity requirement has not been met because the Lower Road provides servicable, even preferable, access to the remainder of the Teas' homestead. The Demoskis also claim that the parties' intent negates creation of a private easement. They rely on the testimony of Allen Demoski and Douglas Everhart to support both points. When the two met with Teas he allegedly told them that the access to their property would be over the Lower Road. Although he mentioned Tribulation Trail, he allegedly observed that neighbors were feuding over the public or private nature of what is now the public highway, Rosie Creek Road, into which Tribulation Trail runs, and that we might even get shot at if we went over there. Everhart also testified that Tribulation Trail was closed by snow and was not in use when they visited with Teas for the purpose of buying the property. At that time they gained access by means of the Lower Road. The Demoskis' allegations require a review of the trial court's findings of fact. The standard of review of factual determinations made by the trial court is expressed in Alaska Civil Rule 52(a): findings of fact shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous, and due regard shall be given to the opportunity of the trial court to judge the credibility of witnesses. We will not declare a trial court's finding to be clearly erroneous unless, after a review of the entire record, we are left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. State v. Phillips, 470 P.2d 266, 268 (Alaska 1970). Furthermore, we will generally accept the determination of witnesses' credibility that are made by the court as a trier of fact, since the court heard and observed the witnesses first hand. Curry v. Tucker, 616 P.2d 8, 12 n. 3 (Alaska 1980). We are not convinced that the trial court's findings of fact are clearly erroneous in this case. The testimony of Teas and Skelton as to the relative usage and utility of Tribulation Trail and Lower Road was in conflict with the testimony of Everhart and Demoski. Skelton testified that both roads were impassable at times. Tribulation Trail washed out in the spring when the snow melted, and Lower Road became submerged under water. Skelton used whichever road was open at any given time. Teas corroborated Skelton's testimony, and added that Tribulation Trail was the better means of reaching his property during the year as a whole. The court decided to believe Teas and Skelton when determining whether access over Tribulation Trail was reasonably necessary to enjoy Teas' property. As to the pre-sale conversation between Teas, and Demoski and Everhart, Teas testified that he came away from the meeting with the understanding that there wouldn't be any problem with the road and that it would stay. This evidence is consistent with the intent to create an easement by implication over Tribulation Trail. On this point too the trial court evidently credited the testimony of Teas. The court did not clearly err in making these credibility choices. We affirm the trial court's decision to recognize an implied private easement running from the north boundary of Teas' original homestead, across Tribulation Trail, to the property that Teas sold to the News.
Appellants' primary substantive point on appeal is that the court erred in finding that Tribulation Trail, as it crosses appellants' land, is a public road. They observe that while the decision of the court contains no clear theory which explains its conclusion, it appears to be relying on a public dedication theory.
We explained public dedication in Hamerly v. Denton, 359 P.2d 121, 125 (Alaska 1961): There is a dedication when the owner of an interest in land transfers to the public a privilege of use of such interest for a public purpose. It is a question of fact whether there has been a dedication. This fact will not be presumed against the owner of the land; the burden rests on the party relying on a dedication to establish it by proof that is clear and unequivocal. (Footnotes omitted). Our review of the record convinces us that there was no act of public dedication by Teas or Skelton. There is no evidence that they ever communicated an intent to dedicate Tribulation Trail to public use before the land was sold in 1971. Although they did not object to casual use by sightseers and hunters, such a low level of use cannot support a finding of public dedication. [1] Our discussion in Hamerly, 359 P.2d at 125, applies equally to the present case: It is true that the road was used during the tenures of [the homesteaders] ... But the road was initially established by these homesteaders for their own use. It had no other substantial use except when occasion made it convenient for persons to visit [the homesteaders] either socially or for business purposes or simply out of curiosity. It cannot be implied from this that either [of the homesteaders] intended to dedicate the road for public use. Nor can such intent be presumed from the fact that the homestead claimants apparently did not attempt to stop sightseers and hunters from occasionally using the road. Dedication is not an act or omission to assert a right; mere absence of objection is not sufficient. Passive permission by a landowner is not in itself evidence of intent to dedicate. Intention must be clearly and unequivocally manifested by acts that are decisive in character. (Footnotes omitted, emphasis added). See also Swift v. Kniffen, 706 P.2d 296, 301 (Alaska 1985). This case is distinguishable from Olsen v. McRae, 389 P.2d 576 (Alaska 1964), where an adequate evidentiary basis for a finding of public dedication was presented to the court. In Olsen a homesteader constructed a road for the purpose of creating access to areas beyond his homestead. By contrast, Tribulation Trail was constructed by Skelton, and then Teas, for the purpose of reaching the homestead and not property beyond it. In sum, the road leading to one's home does not become public merely because one fails to stop an occasional sightseer from using it. More affirmative acts by a property owner are required to dedicate a private road to public use.
The News also argue that the judgment is sustainable on the following theory. The implied easement which Teas retained when he conveyed part of his land to the Demoskis and the three others was an easement which was reasonably necessary for the beneficial enjoyment of the remaining property that he owned. The only easement fitting that description, according to the News, would be a public easement since the beneficial use of the remaining property required further subdivision. Such a subdivision could not occur under applicable Borough ordinances unless Tribulation Trail was public. [2] Therefore the implied easement was public. Even though this was not a theory relied on by the trial court, the News are procedurally correct that it may be raised. An appellee may seek to defend a judgment on any basis established by the record, whether or not it was relied on by the trial court or even raised before the trial court. Ransom v. Haner, 362 P.2d 282, 285 (Alaska 1961). However, we reject this theory on the merits for two reasons. First, the News did not establish that the beneficial enjoyment of the remaining property would entail subdividing it further. Teas told Demoski and Everhart that he did not anticipate further subdividing of his property. Second, assuming that subdivision was required for beneficial enjoyment, Borough officials testified that subdivisions were occasionally approved during 1971 and 1972 where there was legal access but no roadway was actually built. Here, there was legal access to the Teas' homestead along the section line which forms the east boundary of Teas' property, so the subdivision might well have been accomplished without declaring Tribulation Trail to be a public road. Therefore, we conclude that Tribulation Trail is an implied easement but not a public road. [3]