Woolsey v. Let
Woolsey v. Let
Opinion of the Court
OPINION OF THE COURT BY
This is a suit for an adjudication of a prescriptive private right of way from the lower side of King street between Kekau-like and Piver streets in Honolulu to the plaintiff’s premises between the premises of the respective defendants. The existence of the way is not questioned; its width alone is in dispute. All these premises and other premises were formerly parts of one tract (L. C. A. 170, P. P. 1088, to M. Kékuanaoa.) The lane runs down from King street through the -middle of the tract straight for 75 or 80 feet and then makes two short turns, first diagonally to the
The lane is now 2.9 feet wide at its entrance, 3.3 feet near the middle of the straight part where Winston’s two lots join, 3.5 feet at the rear of Lee Let’s lot, 4.4 feet to 4.3 feet along most of its rear portion and then narrows to 2.2 feet. The plaintiff claims a way 4-£ feet wide more or loss throughout. The commissioner awarded her a way of that width, requiring a narrow strip to be taken from Lee Let’s land along the entire length of his boundary on the lane, and ordered Winston to remove a pipe which he had placed in the lane at its entrance for the purpose of carrying off water from the roof and to give up a small triangle of land where his wall cut across outside of his boundary at the first turn in the rear. The defendants appealed. ■
All the buildings and fences about the lane burned down in each of the two great Chinatown fires of 1886 and 1900 and
First, as to the boundary on the Lee Let side. The side of his building is conceded to be exactly upon the boundary called for by the deeds. The fence along that side also was exactly upon that boundary immediately before the fire of 1886 as shown by an accurate survey made at the time. So clear indeed was it that he had not encroached on the lane that after evidence had been taken at a number of hearings the case was dismissed as to him with the consent of the plaintiff. After some further evidence had been taken he was brought in again upon motion supported by affidavits of what was claimed to be newly discovered evidence nine months later. It is contended that error was committed in thus bringing him in again under all the circumstances, but in the view we take it will be unnecessary to pass upon that. The only evidence relied on against him which was different in character from that introduced before his
On the Winston side the commissioner properly ordered the removal of the water pipe at the entrance of the lane. It is true it was stated at one of the hearings before the commissioner on Winston’s behalf that he was going to remove that and it was stated at the argument in this court that he had done so, but an inspection by the court showed that it had not been removed to a sufficient height to avoid obstruction even to persons on foot.
Winston’s wall is practically on his boundary line at the entrance to the lane, but since it is built on a straight line along the straight part of the lane while the boundaries of his two lots along that side are not quite in 'a straight line, it projects beyond his boundary about 4-10 of a foot where the two lots join, but near the rear of the straight part of the lane it runs 2-10 of a foot inside of his boundary; then along the rear of the lane instead of following his boundary it cuts across the first turn, running at the widest point 1.15 feet outside of his boundary and at the second turn 2.7 feet inside of his boundary. These
The fence just before the fire of 1886 was along the boundary ailed for by the deeds as shown by the survey made at the time, but the evidence does not show that it was along the same lines when rebuilt soon after that fire. On the contrary it tends to show that two straight lines were run, one in place of the two lines which were not quite in the same straight line along the straight part of the lane, and one in place of the two lines in the rear portion of the lane. These new lines were on the whole advantageous not only for the erection of the building but for the use of the lane. When Winston purchased about five years after the fire of 1886 he replaced the fence with a new picket fence, at least along a portion of that side of the lane. He states that he followed the line of the fence standing there immediately before which was erected after the fire of 1886; also that when he erected his present building in 1901, that is, after the fire of 1900, he built the wall along the line of the charred remains of the posts of the fence burned in that fire. In this he is supported by the witness Armstrong.
The commissioner charged for twenty-one hearings at the rate of $6 a day. The record shows only seventeen sittings, at two of which nothing was done but to adjourn. In Chun Lai v. Mang Young, 10 Haw. 133, it was held that “the mere sitting and adjournment to another day is not a ‘day’s hearing’ within the meaning of the statute.” Only fifteen hearings should have been charged for.
It was agreed that each of the three parties should pay one-diird of the stenographer’s fees. The commissioner ordered other costs to he paid, $20 by the plaintiff, one-third of the balance by Winston and the other two-thirds by Lee Let.
The plaintiff is entitled to a right of way bounded by the Winston and Lee Let buildings as they stand and to the removal of the pipe on the Winston side in so far as it interferes with the use of the right of way, each party to pay one-third of the stenographer’s fees, the remaining costs, including charges for only fifteen hearings, to be paid one-half by the plaintiff and one-half by Winston. The decision of-the commissioner is reversed to the extent to which it is inconsistent herewith.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- ANNIE K. WOOLSEY v. LEE LET AND E. C. WINSTON
- Status
- Published