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I N THE COURT OF APPEALS OF TENNESSEE EASTERN SECTI ON

FILED
October 2, 1995 Cecil Crowson, Jr.
Appellate C ourt Clerk

RI CK HAYNES a nd KAREN HAYNES Pl a i nt i f f s - Appe l l a nt s

v.

J OHN W ALKER a nd wi f e ROSA M AE W ALKER a nd HAROLD W OODS De f e nda nt s - Appe l l e e s

) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

J EFFERSON COUNTY 03A01- 9504- CH- 00133

HON. CHESTER S. RAI NW ATER, J R. , CHANCELLOR

AFFI RM ED AND REM ANDED

CARL R. OGLE, J R. , OF J EFFERSON CI TY FOR APPELLANTS J AM ES R. SCROGGI NS OF J EFFERSON CI TY FOR APPELLEES

O P I N I O N

Godda r d, P. J .

The Pl a i nt i f f s , Ri c k Ha yne s a nd hi s wi f e Ka r e n Ha yne s , i n i t i a l l y s ue d t he i r a dj a c e nt l a ndowne r s , De f e nda nt s J ohn W l k e r a a n d wi f e Ros a M e W l ke r a nd Ha r ol d W a a oods . The Pl a i nt i f f s s ou g h t

a d e c l a r a t i on t ha t t he y we r e e nt i t l e d t o a r i ght - of - wa y t o ga i n a c c e s s t o t r a c t 8 of t he Cl i nt J one s pr ope r t y, a 15. 72- a c r e t r a c t

o wn e d b y t he m i n J e f f e r s on Count y.

The r e a f t e r , M c ha e l W i oods a n d

h i s wi f e Pa ul a Young W oods , who a c qui r e d a por t i on of Ha r ol d W ods ' o or de r . pr ope r t y, we r e a dde d a s pa r t y De f e nda nt s by a n a gr e e d

The Pl a i nt i f f s c ont e nd t ha t t he r i ght - of - wa y i n q u e s t i o n wa s f or me r l y a publ i c r oa d, known a s t he Ol d M l l s i Sp r i n g Roa d, a nd ha d ne ve r be e n of f i c i a l l y c l os e d. The y a l s o

a s s e r t t ha t t he i r p r e de c e s s or s i n t i t l e a c qui r e d a n i nt e r e s t b y p r e s c r i pt i on a nd, f ur t he r , t ha t t hi s r oa dwa y " pr ovi de s t he onl y s u i t a b l e me a ns of i ngr e s s a nd e gr e s s t o t he i r pr ope r t y, " p r e s u ma bl y a l l e gi ng t ha t t he y a r e e nt i t l e d t o a r i ght - of - wa y b y n e c e s s i t y.

The Tr i a l Cour t f i r s t f ound t ha t t he Pl a i nt i f f s ha d n o t c a r r i e d t he i r bur de n t o s how t ha t t he r oa d i n que s t i on wa s e ve r a p u b l i c r oa d a nd, e ve n ha d t he y done s o, i t ha d be e n " a ba ndone d 5 0 o r mor e ye a r s a go. "

The Pl a i nt i f f s a ppe a l r a i s i ng t he f ol l owi ng i s s ue :

W HETHER THE CHANCELLOR ERRED I N HOLDI NG THAT THE PLAI NTI FFS FAI LED TO PROVE THE EXI STENCE OF A PUBLI C ROAD CONSTI TUTI NG A RI GHT- OF- W TO THE PLAI NTI FFS' AY PROPERTY, THAT SUCH PUBLI C ROAD HAD BEEN ABANDONED, AND THAT THI S ROADW DI D NOT CONSTI TUTE AN EASEM AY ENT BY NECESSI TY.

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The onl y e vi de nc e i n t he r e c or d t ha t t hi s wa s e ve r a p u b l i c r oa d a r e c e r t a i n r e f e r e nc e s i n de e ds t o t he pa r t i e s a nd t o t h e i r p r e de c e s s or s i n t i t l e , s ome of whi c h s pe a k of " a r oa d, " a n d o t h e r s of " a n ol d r oa d , " a nd t he " Ol d M l l Spr i ngs Roa d. " i Th e s e d e e ds , howe ve r , do not r e f e r t o a publ i c r oa d. Howe ve r ,

a s s u mi n g, a s di d t he Cha nc e l l or i n hi s me mor a ndum opi ni on a nd j u d g me n t , t ha t i t wa s i n f a c t a publ i c r oa d, t he undi s put e d t e s t i mo ny i s t ha t i t ha d not be e n known or us e d a s a publ i c r o a d f o r o v e r 50 ye a r s pr i or t o t he he a r i ng be l ow. The r e i s a l s o

u n d i s p u t e d t e s t i mony t ha t Cl i nt J one s , whos e c hi l dr e n c onve ye d t h e p r o pe r t y t o t he Pl a i nt i f f s , f e nc e d a c r os s t he r oa d, whi c h wo u l d e vi de nc e a n i nt e nt t o a ba ndon i t .
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M e ove r , M . J one s or r

a l s o c o nve ye d a t r a ns mi s s i on l i ne e a s e me nt t o t he Te nne s s e e Va l l e y Aut hor i t y whi c h s pe a ks of t he r oa d a s " a n a ba ndone d r oa d . " I n v i e w of t he f or e goi ng, we do not be l i e ve t he e vi de nc e p r e p o n d e r a t e s a ga i ns t e i t he r of t he Cha nc e l l or ' s f i ndi ngs .

W t hus c onc l ude t ha t a s t o t he f i r s t t wo poi nt s r a i s e d e b y t h e De f e nda nt s ' i s s ue o n a ppe a l - - t he Cha nc e l l or ' s f i ndi ng t h a t

t h e p r o of doe s not e s t a bl i s h t he r oa d i n que s t i on wa s publ i c a n d , e v e n i f s o, i t ha d be e n a ba ndone d- - t hi s i s a n a ppr opr i a t e c a s e f o r a f f i r ma nc e unde r Rul e 10( a ) of t hi s Cour t .
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Al t h o u g h n o t a s s e r t e d a s a t h e o r y b y t h e P l a i n t i f f s , a n y p r i v a t e r i g h t a c c r u i n g t o t h e m a f t e r t h e p u b l i c r o a d wa s a b a n d o n e d wo u l d l i k e wi s e h a v e be e n a ba ndone d by t he a c t s o f M . J o ne s . r

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Ru l e 1 0 . ( a) Af f i r ma n c e W t h o u t Op i n i o n . i Th e c o n c u r r e n c e o f a l l j u d g e s p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n t h e c a s e , ma y a f f t h e t r i a l c o u r t b y o r d e r wi t h o u t r e n d e r i n g a f o r ma l o p i n i o n wo u l d h a v e n o p r e c e d e n t i a l v a l u e a n d o n e o r mo r e o f t h e f o l l c i r c u ms t a n c e s e x i s t a n d a r e d i s p o s i t i v e o f t h e a p p e a l :

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Co u r t , wi t h t h e i r m t he ac t i on of wh e n a n o p i n i o n o wi n g

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The onl y r e ma i ni ng i s s ue i s whe t he r t he Pl a i nt i f f s a c qu i r e d a n e a s e me nt b y n e c e s s i t y.

The r ul e a s t o s uc h e a s e me nt s i s we l l s t a t e d by t he a u t h o r s of Ame r i c a n J ur i s pr ude nc e Se c ond wi t h a ppr opr i a t e c i t a t i ons a s f ol l ows :

A wa y of ne c e s s i t y i s a n e a s e me nt f ounde d on a n i mpl i e d g r a nt or i mpl i e d r e s e r va t i on. I t ar i s es wh e r e t he r e i s a c onve ya nc e of a pa r t of a t r a c t of l a nd of s uc h na t ur e a nd e xt e nt t ha t e i t he r t he pa r t c o nve ye d or t he pa r t r e t a i ne d i s s hut of f f r om a c c e s s t o a r oa d t o t he out e r wor l d by t he l a nd f r om whi c h i t i s s e ve r e d or by t hi s l a nd a nd t he l a nd of s t r a nge r s . I n s uc h a s i t ua t i on t he r e i s a n i mpl i e d gr a nt of a wa y a c r os s t he gr a nt or ' s r e ma i ni ng l a nd t o t he pa r t c o nve ye d, or c onve r s e l y, a n i mpl i e d r e s e r va t i on of a wa y t o t he gr a nt or ' s r e ma i ni ng l a nd a c r os s t he por t i on o f t he l a nd c onve ye d. The or de r i n whi c h t wo pa r c e l s o f l a nd a r e c onve ye d ma ke s no di f f e r e nc e i n de t e r mi ni ng wh e t he r t he r e i s a r i ght of wa y by ne c e s s i t y a p pur t e na nt t o e i t he r . A wa y of ne c e s s i t y r e s ul t s f r om t he a ppl i c a t i on of t h e pr e s umpt i on t ha t whe ne ve r a pa r t y c onve ys pr ope r t y h e c onve ys wha t e ve r i s ne c e s s a r y f or t he be ne f i c i a l us e o f t ha t pr ope r t y a nd r e t a i ns wha t e ve r i s ne c e s s a r y f or t h e be ne f i c i a l us e of l a nd he s t i l l pos s e s s e s . Suc h a wa y i s of c ommon- l a w or i gi n, a nd i s pr e s ume d t o ha ve b e e n i nt e nde d by t he pa r t i e s . A wa y of ne c e s s i t y i s a l s o s a i d t o be s uppor t e d by t he r ul e of publ i c pol i c y t h a t l a nds s houl d not be r e nde r e d unf i t f or oc c upa nc y o r s uc c e s s f ul c ul t i va t i on. W t he r a gr a nt or he r e s e r va t i on of a wa y of ne c e s s i t y s houl d be i mpl i e d, h o we ve r , de pe nds on t he t e r ms of t he c onve ya nc e a nd t he f a c t s o f t he p a r t i c ul a r c a s e . The i mpl i c a t i on wi l l not b e ma de whe r e i t i s s hown t ha t t he pa r t i e s di d not i nt e nd i t . Nor wi l l a n i mpl i e d e a s e me nt of ne c e s s i t y

( 1) t h e Co u r t c o n c u r s i n t h e f a c t s a s f o u n d o r i mp l i c a t i o n b y t h e t r i a l c o u r t . ( 2) ( 3) t h e r e i s ma t e r i a l evi de nc e t o s uppor t of l a w a ppe a r s .

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b e j udi c i a l l y r e c ogni z e d whe r e i t i s pr e c l ude d by s t a t ut e . 2 5 Am. J ur . 2d. , Ea s e me nt s a nd Li c e ns e s

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