Warren Cty. Combined Hlth. Dist. v. Redmon, Unpublished Decision (5-26-1998)
Warren Cty. Combined Hlth. Dist. v. Redmon, Unpublished Decision (5-26-1998)
Opinion of the Court
Defendant-appellant, William Redmon, appeals a decision, judgment entry and permanent injunction issued by the Warren County Court of Common Pleas, regarding a zoning dispute with plaintiff-appellee, the Clearcreek Township Zoning Commission. We affirm.
Appellant is the owner of property located at 7977 Bunnell Hill in Clearcreek Township. It is undisputed that, under the Clearcreek Township Zoning Resolution ("Zoning Resolution"), appellant's property is zoned "R-1 Rural Residence." By 1991, a fence, approximately eight to ten feet high, had been built around the entire perimeter of appellant's property. Inside the fence, appellant had a typical house and a garage. The parties agree that the original fence did not require a zoning permit. However, beginning in 1991 and continuing until 1997, appellant began to expand the fence (the "expansion"), but never received a zoning permit for the expansion.
The expansion includes two "watchtowers," which can be seen rising over the original fence. Appellant's neighbors complained to appellee about these watchtowers. After zoning officials personally observed the watchtowers from adjoining property, appellee and the Warren County Combined Health District filed a complaint and application for a permanent injunction on June 3, 1996. The complaint alleged the construction constituted a public health nuisance and also averred that appellant violated sections
In February 1997, appellee's zoning inspector and others conducted a thorough inspection of the entire property. The inspection revealed a roof structure that is supported by the fence and, except for an area on the north side of the property, covers the entire curtilage of the house. Also, just inside the fence, a series of posts provides further support for the roof structure. Underneath the expansion, a large amount of appellant's personal property is stored. Appellant variously described this structure as a Jamestown fence, a security fence, a veranda or a deck. He testified that the roof allowed him to have security to keep outsiders from robbing his property or picking the locks of his house.
After a trial on April 30, 1997, the court concluded that appellant, by not acquiring the necessary permits, had violated sections 17.01 and 17.02 of the Zoning Resolution. The court ordered that appellant "must demolish or otherwise remove the roofing structure within the fence surrounding the property," and also assessed a fine of $100 a day for failure to comply within sixty days of the court's decision, with the fine continuing for a maximum of thirty days. Finally, the court permanently enjoined appellant from "further violations by keeping upon the premises the offending structures,."
Appellant filed a timely notice of appeal. Upon appellant's motion, the trial court ordered a stay of enforcement of the judgment, pending the outcome of this appeal. In his appeal, appellant asserts the following assignments of error.
Assignment of Error No. 1:
THE TRIAL COURT FOUND AGAINST THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE, AND ERRED AS A MATTER OF LAW IN CONCLUDING, THAT THE AUGMENTED FENCE ON MR. REDMON'S PROPERTY WAS A "BUILDING" WITHIN THE DEFINITION PROVIDED IN THE CLEARCREEK TOWNSHIP ZONING RESOLUTION.
Assignment of Error No. 2:
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED AS A MATTER OF LAW IN CONCLUDING, AND FOUND AGAINST THE MANIFEST WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE, THAT MR. REDMON VIOLATED ANY PROVISION OF THE CLEARCREEK TOWNSHIP ZONING RESOLUTION.
Assignment of Error No. 3:
THE TRIAL COURT'S ORDER THAT THE ROOFING STRUCTURES ON MR. REDMON'S FENCE BE TAKEN DOWN IS OVERBROAD, INEQUITABLE, AND AN ABUSE OF DISCRETION.
In the first two assignments of error, appellant argues the Zoning Resolution was not violated because the expansion is not covered under its regulations. As the issues surrounding the first two assignments of error are closely related, we address them together.
We initially note that "judgments supported by some competent, credible evidence going to all the essential elements of the case will not be reversed by a reviewing court as being against the manifest weight of the evidence." C. E. Morris Co. v. Foley Construction Co. (1978),
The expansion is attached to the fence in many areas and the fence is clearly in a fixed position. Also, the expansion is supported by posts, which are also in fixed locations. Therefore, the expansion is a structure within the meaning of Section
Appellant suggests that the expansion is not a structure because the fence which supports the expansion has no foundation. We disagree. The Zoning Resolution defines a structure as anything attached to something with a fixed point in the ground, but does not require the fixed object to have a foundation. Given the clear wording of the resolution, there is no need to look beyond the plain meaning of the statutory language. See State ex rel. Savarese v. Buckeye Local School Dist. Bd. of Edn. (1996),
Appellant's third assignment of error alleges the trial court's decision, judgment entry and permanent injunction were an "abuse of discretion, overbroad and vague." In regard to vagueness, the trial court's decision distinguishes between the original house and garage and the subsequent expansion. Appellant was on notice that he violated the Zoning Resolution because of the expansion. The record makes clear that the original house and garage were never found to violate the Zoning Resolution. See United States v. Harriss (1954),
We also do not consider the actions of the trial court an abuse of discretion. See Garono v. State (1988),
In case any building is or is proposed to be located, erected, constructed, reconstructed, enlarged, changed, maintained, or used or any land is or is proposed to be used in violation of sections
519.01 to519.99 , inclusive, of the Revised Code, or of any regulation or provision adopted by any board of township trustees under such sections, such board, the prosecuting attorney of the county, the township zoning inspector, or any adjacent or neighboring property owner who would be especially damaged by such violation, in addition to other remedies provided by law, may institute injunction, mandamus, abatement, or any other appropriate action or proceeding to prevent, enjoin, abate, or remove such unlawful location, erection, construction, reconstruction, enlargement, change, maintenance, or use. (Emphasis added).
This section provides authority for the trial court's order to demolish the expansion. Id. Moreover, since the prosecuting attorney for Warren County filed the original action, as opposed to an adjacent property owner, special harm need not be shown to warrant injunctive relief under R.C.
Judgment affirmed.
YOUNG, P.J., and KOEHLER, J., concur.
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