Miner v. Nichols
Miner v. Nichols
Opinion of the Court
The complainant is the owner of a-farm, or tract of land with a dwelling-house, barn, and other buildings and improvements thereon, situated in the town of Lin- *200 coin, and bounding easterly upon the Louisquisset turnpike. The defendant is the owner of a farm situated next westerly from the complainant’s land. The defendant, in October, 1900, erected upon his own land, along and adjoining the westerly boundary line of the complainant’s farm, an embankment or dam of earth and stone, which effectually prevents the flow of water from11 the complainant’s land upon the defendant’s land, except such as may flow through an overflow pipe near the top of the dam. A large quantity of water has collected upon the complainant’s land, covering several acres of the surface of his farm, and impeding the use of his well and cesspool and the land so covered.
The complainant alleges that before the erection of this dam there existed a natural stream of water, running from her land upon and through the defendant’s farm, which furnished a channel for disposing of the water which now accumulates, and she prays that the defendant may be restrained from continuing the obstruction to this water-course, and also prays for damages for the injury already suffered. The defendant denies that any water-course, such as complainant describes, ever existed, but alleges that the water now collected upon complainant’s land is surface water from the neighboring hills and is naturally deposited where it lies. He also demurs to so much of the bill as prays for damages.
An injunction will be granted forbidding the defendant to maintain his embankment in such manner as to impede the natural flow of the water from the complainant’s ditch, and requiring him within a reasonable time to remove all obstructions which the embankment makes to the free flow of said water.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Emma D. Miner v. William E. Nichols.
- Status
- Published