Court Opinion

ID: 9732393
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 16:18:47.974622+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:27.062352
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE LINDBERG, dissenting: I joined in the court’s granting of the petition for rehearing by defendants-appellees, who essentially prevailed on appeal by reason of our determination that the deed in question was one of fee simple and not one granting only a “right-of-way.” Having prevailed on the determinative issue, defendants-appellees, in their petition for rehearing, objected to our remanding the cause for further proceedings. Defendants reminded this court that plaintiffs’ two-count amended complaint was based exclusively upon plaintiffs’ contention that the deed was a “right-of-way” deed and did not convey a fee simple. In particular, plaintiffs did not plead ownership of the property pursuant to the doctrine of adverse possession. (See Joiner v. Janssen (1981), 85 Ill. 2d 74, 421 N.E.2d 170; see also In re Application of DuPage County Collector (1981), 98 Ill. App. 3d 950, 424 N.E.2d 1204.) Defendants further contended that plaintiffs pleaded facts showing that they did not have exclusive possession of the property, exclusive possession being one of the elements of a claim under adverse possession, in that the utility used the property for its overhead power lines and supports in addition to any use for which any plaintiffs may have used the property. Defendants concluded that we erred in remanding the cause for further proceedings. I agree and plaintiffs, in their response to defendants’ petition for rehearing, have provided no authority to support a remand. When the trial court strikes a complaint and the plaintiff does not ask leave to amend, this is considered to be an election to stand by the complaint. If the lawsuit is dismissed, the cause of action must stand or fall upon the contents of the stricken pleading. (Mlade v. Finley (1983), 112 Ill. App. 3d 914, 445 N.E.2d 1240.) Nonetheless, the granting of a motion to dismiss for failure to state a cause of action should be affirmed on appeal only when no set of facts can be proved under the pleadings which will entitle plaintiffs to relief. Payne v. Mill Race Inn (1987), 152 Ill. App. 3d 269, 504 N.E.2d 193. The pleading here was that the deed was for a right-of-way, and we concluded that the judgment of the trial court in dismissing plaintiffs’ suit was correct because the deed was one in fee simple. Plaintiffs asserted no facts entitling them to relief under that pleading, nor was there a pleading asserting ownership through adverse possession. The case should not have been remanded. I conclude that our holding that the deed was for a fee simple disposed of the only issue raised in plaintiffs’ pleading. No facts pled or adduced at the hearing supported a claim of ownership pursuant to deed as contended, and, thus, plaintiffs were entitled to no relief. I no' longer adhere to the majority disposition that the judgment be vacated and the cause be remanded with directions. I would simply affirm the judgment of the circuit court.