Opinion ID: 2276031
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Delimiting Order and Protective Order

Text: Irrespective of the fact that the current appeal of the 1994 order should be dismissed, an appeal from the two remaining 2002 orders is still viable. The order delimiting the easement, based on a survey, was entered in 2002, eight years after the easement by necessity for ingress and egress was declared over LHR's property in the 1994 order. The 2002 order was collateral to the 1994 order and merely fixed the boundaries to the court-found easement by means of an engineer's survey. National Enterprises does not contest the delimiting order itself. Accordingly, this court will not permit the delimiting order to be used as a vehicle for bootstrapping issues for appeal that have previously been decided by a final order in 1994. National Enterprises also maintains that their condominiums have become dilapidated, uninhabitable, and valueless since 1994 and that this warrants a reexamination of the issues relating to amenities, utilities, and parking. Hence, it contends that discovery into these matters should not be curtailed. The circuit court disagreed and entered a protective order in 2002 limiting discovery to matters pertaining to the easement for ingress and egress. We disagree that the protective order should be set aside. We have said that a circuit court has wide discretion in matters of discovery, and we will not reverse a decision absent an abuse of discretion. See, e.g., Parker v. Southern Farm Bureau Cas. Ins. Co., 326 Ark. 1073, 935 S.W.2d 556 (1996). As already stated in this opinion, the 1994 order became final when National Enterprises failed to mount a timely appeal. This meant, of course, that the court's conclusions regarding rights to parking, use of amenities, and utilities on LHR's property were final and binding on National Enterprises. For that reason, the circuit court understandably concluded that there was no need for discovery on matters which had already been decided. The circuit court did not abuse its discretion in granting the protective order against the appellants. Motion to dismiss the appeal with respect to the 1994 order is granted. Affirmed. IMBER, J., not participating.