Court Opinion

ID: 9549166
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 18:14:20.169297+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:19:56.262020
License: Public Domain

ANDREWS, Judge (dissenting). I respectfully dissent. In 1938, the New Mexico Supreme Court indicated its approval of the generally recognized rule that a landowner cannot collect surface water into an artificial channel or change its volume or precipitate it in greatly increased or unnatural quantities upon his neighbor, to the substantial injury of the latter. Rix v. Town of Alamogordo, 42 N.M. 325, 77 P.2d 765 (1938). Since that date, this rule has been applied by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals a number of times, Little v. Price, 74 N.M. 626, 397 P.2d 15 (1964); Martinez v. Cook, 56 N.M. 343, 244 P.2d 134 (1952); Groff v. Circle K. Corporation, 86 N.M. 531, 525 P.2d 891 (Ct.App. 1974), but an analysis of the discussion in each of the opinions demonstrates some reliance during the proceedings on various theories of negligence. Much of the confusion in this area of the law is caused by a failure to ascertain whether water doctrine arises under property or tort law. It has generally been assumed that the rules relative to surface waters are a branch of property law, and the legal relationships of the parties have usually been stated in terms of property concepts. Keys v. Romley, 64 Cal.2d 396, 50 Cal.Rptr. 273, 412 P.2d 529 (1966). This classification undoubtedly results from the fact that most controversies over private waters arise between adjoining landowners and nearly always involve invasions of interests in land rather than interests in personalty or chattels. 50 Cal.Rptr. at 280, 412 P.2d at 536. Yet, clearly an unjustified invasion of a possessor’s interest in the use and enjoyment of his land through the medium of surface waters, or any other type of waters, is as much a tort as a trespass or private nuisance. Keys v. Romley, supra. However, the potential for confusion in New Mexico is alleviated in Martinez Cook, supra, where the court makes clear that the rule in this state is the civil-law rule as it applies to surface waters. Particularly, we have never followed it [common law] in connection with our waters, but, on the contrary, have followed the Mexican or civil law, and what is called the Colorado doctrine or prior appropriation and beneficial use. 56 N.M. at 349, 244 P.2d at 138. A statement as to the nature of the civil-law rule is found in “Waters”, 78 Am. Jur.2d, § 121: Diametrically opposed to the common-enemy doctrine is the civil-law rule under which the owner of the upper or dominant estate has a legal and natural easement or servitude in the lower or servient estate for the drainage of surface water, flowing in its natural course and manner; and such natural flow or passage of the waters cannot be interrupted or prevented by the servient owner to the detriment or injury of the estate of the dominant proprietor, unless the right to do so has been acquired by contract, grant, or prescription. The rule finds its justification in the feeling that those purchasing or otherwise acquiring land should expect and be required to accept it subject to the burdens of natural drainage, and has been supported by an appeal to the maxim “aqua currit et debet currere, ut currere solebat,” water being “descendible” by nature. On the other hand, the upper owner can do nothing to change the natural system of drainage so as to increase the natural burden. In some jurisdictions, the civil-law rule is held applicable to rural, and inapplicable to urban, property. (Emphasis added.) Certainly, this rule is harsh and should be modified to allow for reasonableness of conduct, a question of fact to be determined in each case upon consideration of all the relevant circumstances. Application of such a test requires that courts analyze “prerequisites of liability”, Keys v. Romley, supra, 50 Cal.Rptr. 273, 412 P.2d at 563, and thereby accept tort as the basis for this type of case. New Mexico courts have not yet changed the rule, and to do so now unfairly affects these parties, assuming that if reliance upon existing law motivated the conduct of the parties, they were guided by the civil-law rule. See Keys v. Romley, supra. The law in New Mexico is clear. An upper owner can do nothing to change the natural system of drainage so as to increase the natural burden. Submission of the instruction on strict liability was not error. The decision of the trial judge should be affirmed.