Peck v. Loyd
Peck v. Loyd
Opinion of the Court
We think it clearly appears from the motion for a new trial that the plaintiff has a right of way over the defendant’s land, originating in the deed of partition of the estate of Nathaniel Sackett among his heirs in 1769. The lands now owned by the plaintiff and tlie defendant were originally parts of that estate, and each of the parties has come into the possession and ownership of the land through a long line of conveyances from the heirs of that estate. The estate was divided among the heirs in strips of land running through the estate from east to west, and the deed of partition gave each of the heirs, his heirs and assigns, a right of way over
The right of way was therefore made appurtenant to each of the pieces of land, and each deed in the plaintiff’s line of conveyance conveyed the land with the appurtenances thereof, which was sufficient of itself to convey the right of way, together with the land, to each of the grantees, and finally to the plaintiff. Frink v. Branch, 16 Conn., 260; Smith v. Moodus Water Power Co., 85 id., 392; Post v. Smith, id., 561; Strong v. Benedict, 5 id., 219.
Six of the deeds in the defendant’s line of conveyance from the estate of Nathaniel Sackett grant the land subject to the plaintiff’s right of way over the land. The last three deeds are of this description, thereby showing that the defendant’s immediate grantors acknowledged while they were the owners of the defendant’s land that the land was under the servitude of the plaintiff’s right of way, and conveyed the land subject thereto. In addition to these faots, the court finds from parol evidence that down to the .time the defendant’s grantor owned the land now owned by the defendant, there was a regular defined way, as appears by the plaintiff’s map of the premises, from the land now owned by the plaintiff over the defendant’s land to the highway on the south, which had been used by the owners and occupiers of the plaintiff’s land from the earliest recollection of aged witnesses, as occasion required.
We think these facts clearly establish a right of way appurtenant to the plaintiff’s land over the land of the defendant, unless the way has been abandoned within a few years.
The defendant claimed on the trial in the court below, and offered parol evidence to prove, that the two immediate grantors of the defendant, when they deeded the land subject to the plaintiff’s right of way, did so through the mistake of the scrivener, but the court rejected the evidence, and we think correctly. 1 Greenl. Ev., secs. 275, 6, 7.
It further appears in the case that one Downes owns a tract of land, derived from the estate of Nathaniel Sackett, over which the plaintiff’s right of way extends. The land lies south of the plaintiff’s land, and joins the defendant’s land
The defendant claimed as matter of law that these licenses given by the plaintiff to Downes precluded the plaintiff’s recovery in this suit against the defendant for obstructing the plaintiff’s right of way on the defendant’s land. It is difficult to see what foundation there is for this claim. These licenses show no intention in the plaintiff to abandon the way, but on the contrary they show an intention to continue the use of the way, the same after the licenses were given as before ; for the plaintiff required that Downes should provide a way by the building and through the division fence in consideration of the licenses.
Neither is it any defence in this case that the plaintiff could not enter the defendant’s premises through the bar-way provided by Downes for the plaintiff’s use, without committing a technical trespass to the defendant’s land. It would be remarkable indeed if the plaintiff’s right of way existing by deed should be destroyed, because the plaintiff, through the merest accommodation to Downes, allowed him to perform an act which resulted in rendering the plaintiff unable for the time being to enjoy the way, without committing a technical trespass to the rights of some one along the line. Rights existing by deeds are not held by such feeble terms. The rights exist whether they can be enjoyed in presentí or not, owing to
We see nothing in the acts of Smith upon his land lying south of the defendant’s land, in regard to the plaintiff’s right of way upon his land, that constitutes a defence to this action. . The acts were done without objection from the plaintiff’s grantor, who then owned the land now belonging to
We do not advise a new trial.
In this opinion the other judges concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Andrew J. Peck v. Thomas Loyd
- Status
- Published