Trask v. Ford
Trask v. Ford
Opinion of the Court
— The plaintiff alleges in his writ, a breach of his close, therein described, by the defendants; the removal of his mill-dam, and the diversion of the water of the river from his mills, caused by the removal, and the taking away of boards, plank, and a chain from the dam. The writ also contains a count for taking away the boards, plank and chain, without the allegation of a breach of the close. The defendants, in a brief statement, justify the acts complained of under the authority of Thomas J. Trask, who it is alleged was the owner of the locus in quo.
The plaintiff claims a prescriptive right to maintain the dam across Dyer’s river, upon the north shore of which he has mills, and to abut the same upon the south shore, opposite to his mills, and to use all the water raised by the dam. The defendants introduced evidence of title in said Trask, to the close described, and a lease thereof, and other land adjoining from him to them, dated Oct. 16,1852, for the term of six years, with the right to erect mills upon the same, and to make use of the dam which the plaintiff claims the right
On March 28,1814, Jonathan Trask conveyed to the plaintiff twenty-five acres of land, including the gore where the plaintiff’s mill stands; and on the 15th day of February, 1823, conveyed to the same one hundred and twenty acres, in one lot, and one hundred acres in another lot, including the gore before conveyed. On August 22, 1826, the plaintiff conveyed to Thomas Trask, jr., all right and title which he had in the one hundred and twenty acre, and the one hundred acre lots, including the gore with covenants of seizin and warranty. On Dec. 29,1829, Thomas Trask, jr. conveyed to Thomas J. Trask the whole, of the one hundred and twenty acre, and the one hundred acre lots, except the gore, but including the locus in quo ; to wit, the lot on the south side of Dyer’s river, upon which the south end of the dam claimed by plaintiff abuts. On April 20, 1841, Thomas Trask, jr., conveyed to the plaintiff the gore, including fulling and grist-mills.
The plaintiff claims no right in the land on the south shore of the river, excepting that acquired by the attachment of his dam thereto. Such right may be enjoyed and not constitute a possession of the land adverse to that of
But the decision of the case is not put upon the ground that the plaintiff has an easement in the south shore, although that cannot give him a right to maintain an action of this kind for being disturbed in the enjoyment of it. We think it very clear that the plaintiff has no prescriptive right of any kind to the locus in quo. The title of the two lots of land called the one hundred and twenty, and the one hundred aero lots, which are on different sides of Dyer’s river, and include the gore, which is on the north side of the river, and the place in question, which is on the south side, being in Thomas Trask, jr., under the plaintiff’s deed to him, on Aug. 22, 1826, and so continuing till Dec. 29, 1829, the plaintiff could have no right whatever in any of this land by virtue of his former possession; and when Thomas J. Trask took his deed of the locus in quo, with other lands on Dec. 29, 1829, he acquired a perfect title thereto; and consequently when Thomas Trask, jr., conveyed to the plaintiff the gore and the mills thereon, it could not include the land on the south side of the river. The plaintiff therefore, on April 20, 1841, when he took Ms deed of the gore from Thomas Trask, jr., could have had no prescriptive right to the land to which the dam was joined on the south shore, whatever may have been the character of his possession.
The case furnishes no evidence, that Thomas Trask, jr., occupied, in any manner, the south shore after his conveyance to Thomas J. Trask, on Dec. 29, 1829, and the plaintiff could have acquired no possession from him, beyond that of the premises described in the deed which he received in 1841. He must therefore rely for his prescriptive right,
In looking at the origin of the plaintiff’s mills, and the dam, and the various conveyances of the same and other lands, disclosed by the case, it cannot be doubted, that up to a recent period at least, and perhaps to the time of the institution of this suit, the dam has been united to the southern shore by the consent of the owner thereof, either express or implied. But there is no evidence introduced and probably none' exists, that such consent was given in writing. Consequently, it can be withdrawn at any time, and the owner of the dam might be entitled to take away the materials of which it is composed, without being subject to any thing beyond nominal damages. Wells & al. v. Bannister & al. 4 Mass. 514. The boards, plank and chain were
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- Trask versus Ford & al.
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