Opinion ID: 852775
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Claim of Title to Airport Property

Text: The plaintiffs also argue that they raised a claim at trial court that the City of Fort Wayne, not the Airport Authority, holds title to Smith Field and that the trial court improperly disposed of this argument on summary judgment. In Count II of the plaintiffs' amended complaint, at paragraph 38, the plaintiffs allege that the City of Fort Wayne holds legal and equitable title to Smith Field and Fort Wayne International Airport. The plaintiffs argue that the Authority's motion for summary judgment did not address this issue and this issue was not properly before the trial court and therefore remains to be resolved. The Authority responds that this title claim is nothing more than an allegation that the City owns this property contained in the same count as the claim that the statute creating the Authority is unconstitutional. No basis for that allegation is alleged other than perhaps an inference to be drawn from the claimed unconstitutionality of the Airport Authority Statute. The Authority asserts that the plaintiffs did not contend in the trial court that the title claim was a separate cause of action, so the plaintiffs may not raise on appeal an issue not properly presented to the trial court. When the Authority moved for summary judgment, the plaintiffs responded, also asking for summary judgment. The plaintiffs did not mention this claim in their trial brief, assert it in the statement of disputed facts, or designate any evidence as to it. Rather, it stands simply as an allegation in the claim that we hold barred by laches. We agree that this claim was not properly presented to the trial court as a separate ground for relief, and do not read it as stating a claim.