Dickensheets v. Taylor
Dickensheets v. Taylor
Opinion of the Court
In tbe main defendants’ challenge to tbe judgment below presents two questions:
First. Is there error in overruling tbe demurrer ore tenus to tbe •complaint ?
“Tbe office of demurrer is to test tbe sufficiency of a pleading, admitting for tbe purpose, tbe truth of tbe allegations of tbe facts contained therein, and ordinarily relevant inferences of fact, necessarily deducible therefrom, are also admitted,” Stacy, C. J., in Ballinger v. Thomas, 195 N. C., 517, 142 S. E., 761.
Both tbe statute, C. S., 535, and tbe decisions of this Court require that tbe pleading be liberally construed, and that every reasonable in-tendment and presumption must be in favor of tbe pleader. A pleading must be fatally defective before it will be rejected as insufficient. Ins. Co. v. McCraw, 215 N. C., 105, 1 S. E. (2d), 369; Cotton Mills v. Mfg. Co., 218 N. C., 560, 11 S. E. (2d) 550.
Applying this principle to complaint and amended complaint, we are unable to say that in no view is a cause of action stated.
Second. Did tbe court correctly rule that plaintiffs are entitled to tbe enjoyment of an easement in tbe abandoned portion of tbe Mocks-ville Road “as tbe only means of ingress, egress and regress to and from tbeir premises abutting upon tbe said abandoned road”? Upon tbe record on this appeal it does not appear upon what theory tbe careful and learned judge based this ruling that this way is tbe only means of
In the light of these apparently conflicting facts, was the court of opinion, in ruling that plaintiffs are entitled to an easement in the abandoned portion of the road “as the only means of ingress, egress and regress to and from their premises” abutting thereon, that, as a matter of law, the ownership by the State of fee simple title to the adjoining right of way along the west line of plaintiffs’ lot prevents access from plaintiffs’ lot over the intervening space to the paved portion of the new highway well within the right of way? Or, was the ruling based upon a finding of fact that by reason of the physical relationship of plaintiffs’ lot to the paved portion of the new highway a means of ingress and egress over the intervening space is not feasible?
In the absence of information elicited by these questions, and as the agreed facts leave in doubt answers thereto, we are unable to come to a proper decision as to the correctness of the ruling of the trial court. Hence, the judgment below will be vacated, and the cause remanded for further proceedings as to justice appertains and the rights of the parties may require.
Error and remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- HAROLD W. DICKENSHEETS and Wife, NELLIE B. DICKENSHEETS, and JAMES A. HUDSON, Trustee v. W. C. TAYLOR and Wife, ELIZABETH TAYLOR
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published