Court Opinion

ID: 9731257
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 15:40:31.963371+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:16.590977
License: Public Domain

SULLIVAN, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
After a review of the record and my analysis of the law in this area, I must disagree with the majority’s reasoning and conclusion. In so doing, I am mindful of the standard an appellate court must use in reviewing a trial court’s judgment rendered without findings:
“[I]f the action of the trial court is sustainable on any theory, it must be affirmed, [citation omitted] Further, it is well settled this court will not weigh conflicting evidence nor resolve questions concerning the credibility of witnesses. We may consider only that evidence most favorable to the prevailing party, together with all reasonable inferences to be drawn, and if from that viewpoint there is evidence of probative value to sustain the judgment of the trial court, that judgment will not be disturbed.” Ray v. Goldsmith (2d Dist. 1980) Ind.App., 400 N.E.2d 176, 177.
Facts favorable to the judgment, some of which are not recited by the majority, are as follows: The parcel of land purchased by the Argyelans in 1970 consisted of two lots, both of which were unimproved at that time. The natural flow of surface water in the area was and still is in a general southeasterly direction from Washington Street, across the two lots owned by the Argyelans to the Havilands’ property, and to a creek about one block away. This flow pattern made and makes the Havilands the lower property owners vis a vis the Argyelans.
The Argyelans’ lot 10, bordering on Washington Street, was zoned for business at the time of purchase, and construction of a building was quickly completed in 1971. Lot 9, bounded on the south by the Havi-lands’ property, was originally zoned for residential purposes but was rezoned for business. A second building was completed on this lot in 1974.
The second building’s three downspouts are on its south side, the side towards the Havilands’ property. The two end downspouts terminate in standard footings while the center downspout is diverted east along the building to a point approximately fifty feet from the Argyelans’ eastern property line, and approximately twenty feet from their southern line with the Havi-lands’ property.
It is uncontested that prior to the completion of this second building, although at times there may have been some standing water, the Havilands had no problem with flooding. It is also uncontested that the flooding begins only an hour after a moder*576ate to heavy rainfall, and can remain for up to twenty-four hours. Finally, as the majority concedes, when the top of the four-inch retaining wall is reached, water cast from the downspouts flows over the wall to the Havilands’ property. The record shows the accumulation of water after a rainfall, due to this situation, to be much greater than would be dispensed by “average” downspouts.
The majority correctly cites Cairo & V. R. Co. v. Stevens (1881) 73 Ind. 278, for the proposition that an upper land owner has the right to make reasonable use of his property, including improvements thereon, without incurring liability for altering the accumulation or flow of surface waters. There are, however, limitations upon this right. For our purposes here, it is sufficient to state that while a land owner may make reasonable use of his property, he may not collect or concentrate surface water and cast it upon the lands of lower owners. Patoka Township v. Hopkins (1891) 131 Ind. 142, 30 N.E. 896; Conner v. Woodfill (1890) 126 Ind. 85; Weis v. City of Madison (1881) 75 Ind. 241; Gene B. Glick Co. v. Marion Construction Co. (1st Dist. 1975) 165 Ind.App. 72, 78-79, 331 N.E.2d 26, 31, reh. denied, 333 N.E.2d 140 (and cases cited therein).
While the majority of the “collect” or “concentrate” cases involve situations in which ditches or drains were used to channel surface water to the lower property, our Supreme Court has held that a downspout may also be used for this improper purpose. Conner v. Woodfill, supra. In Conner the Court twice stated the circumstances which required reversal in that case:
“The rain-fall upon the building is shedded, as near as may be, one-half to the east and the other half to the west; at the southwest and northwest corners of the building are down spouts to receive and carry from the building the water which is shedded to the west side of said building; passing through these spouts to the ground the water passes off the ap-pellees’ lot and on the lot of the appellant, to his injury, etc.
The appellees were trespassers whenever they shed the water from their building so as to throw it upon the appellant’s lot.” 126 Ind. at 86 (emphasis added).
The majority has here reviewed the evidence and has reached a conclusion contrary to that reached by the trier of fact. The majority conclusion necessarily hinges upon an assumption that the retaining wall totally negated the collection and discharge of water by the downspouts. The assumption is unwarranted, particularly in light of testimony that the water came over the wall “like a waterfall”. That description would permit a conclusion imposing liability in that the water collected and discharged by the downspouts “poured [over the wall] in a volume” on to plaintiff’s land. Mitchell v. Bain (1895) 142 Ind. 604, 42 N.E. 230, 234.1
The proper focus is upon whether the water has been collected, concentrated, and cast, and not upon the instrumentality used. In this light the majority’s attempt to distinguish Templeton v. Voshloe (1880) 72 Ind. 134, and Gene B. Glick Co. v. Marion Construction Corp., supra, is invalid. The trial court here was thus faced with a purely factual question. That question was resolved in the Haviland’s favor, and is supported by ample evidence in the record.
The trial court heard and weighed the evidence, making the requisite factual determination. We are not at liberty to overturn the decision, for it is not contrary to law, and as the record shows it is not against the weight of the evidence.
If in the 1980’s, as opposed to the 1890’s, greater deference should be paid to the beneficial or profitable use of land without the risk of incurring liability, such change must emanate from the legislature or from our Supreme Court.
I would affirm the judgment.

. The majority gives an unwarranted and misleading implication to Mitchell v. Bain, supra. The majority gratuitously inserts the word “concentrated” as a modifier of “volume” and then proceeds to give it additional emphasis. (Majority opinion, p. 572.) The word “concentrated” is not found in the Mitchell decision.