JANET L CONE V PAUL ZELONY

 Annotate this Case
Download PDF
STATE OF MICHIGAN COURT OF APPEALS UNPUBLISHED September 20, 2002 JANET L. CONE and ALLAN E. CONE, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v PAUL ZELONY, HARRY ROSTKOWSKI, TISH KENNY, WILLIAM L. SUMPTER, MERRILL J. MUDD, JOHN M. GORE, THOMAS E. ROBINSON, HIGHLAND HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION ASSOCIATION, GEORGE M. TRITES, RICHARD LAW, GORDON A. ROTHFUSS, RICHARD D. MCFARLAND, GREGORY BOYNTON, DALE E. YOUNG, JR., STEVEN R. TOLONEN, MARK A BUSICK, FRANCIS P. PALAZZOLO, JOSEPH PASTUSZKA, PIERRE C. HUBBARD, DANNY MURPHY, CARL O’BERRY, J. COYLE, JODI L. STOVER, DUANE WAGNITZ, DONNA L. CASE, ROY M. TORNOW, GARY DAVIS, ANDREW KIRCHOFF, MARLIN TORNOW, HEIDI A. STANLEY, SCOTT J. HYVONEN, DOUGLAS DAVES, GTE TELEPHONE OPERATIONS, ANNE M. OSBORNE, WILLIAM COMPTON, SUZANNE COMPTON, EDWARD BRADLEY, ELLEN LAWRENCE, THOMAS M. JONES, JAMES F. KOCH, JOHN FERRIER, JAMES H. HOUSER, DYNASTY INVESTMENTS, ROBERT D. SCHANG, PAUL B. O’CONNOR, DONALD CHARTER, ROBERT W. McKIERNAN, ALAN STOFFER, ROLLAND M. BRENGLE, MICHAEL A. THOMPSON, MARK W. IRVIN, DOUGLAS J. BROOM, DAVID J. RAINEY, SR., CHARLOTTE THROOP, DOUGLAS L. BALL, DOUGLAS E. HAINES, PAUL L. TRITES, SHERRY DUNLEAVY, MICHAEL J. HUNT, HARRY J. MOORE, JR., EDWARD A. GREBIK, PAUL L. SMAZA, MICHAEL BADACZEWSKI, JAKIW WADYSZ, JIMMY L. TURNER, ALEX -1- No. 233034 Oakland Circuit Court LC No. 1999-019571-CH LANDRY, DAVID JOHNSON, ARLENE BJORNHOLM, PAUL L. VALLETTE, JENNIFER TESCHKER, EVA S. ARKINSON, DANA J. BESSEN, DEAN KLEBAN, WILLIAM LINDSAY, BRIAN L. CROWE, FAITH D. POPE, PATRICK RYAN, CHARLES DELAMIELLEURE, PETER FOLEY, JAMES W. SMITH, LARRY W. BONDES, MERIBETH L. PAGE, MICHELLE R. WILLIS, JERRY N. BODE, ANTHONY J. ZAWACKI, JEFFERY L. JACOBSEN, PAUL ARMSTRONG, LISA D. HALL, ARTHUR L. HIGGINS, ALFRED H. GRAMMER, JR., MICHAEL J. ROSS, DANIEL A. HINEY, MICHAEL L. DERRY, LINDA S. PALLISTER, MICHAEL J. WHELAN, BILLY J. DUBS, DONOVAN J. McCABE, ROBERT J. IRVIN, THOMAS G. LEWIS, DOUGLAS A. BECK, TIMOTHY D. RUGGLES, CLARA M. PEARSALL, PATRICIA S. PAZZANI, JAMES A. MORAN, MARK McCLEOD, HELEN M. ANDRES, WALTER J. COMIS, SHANNON L. COMIS, KEVIN A. THOMPSON, ROBERT E. LESSNER, JR., DANIEL L. PARKS, KENNETH D. DYE, AGNES M. PARKS, DENNIS R. GOTTERSON, SHEILA TABACZK, JASON TABACZK, GERALD ASHENBRENNER, MARY PHIPPS, RICHARD CHAMNESS, HARRY A. CARMACK, WILLIAM B. CHITTENENDEN, DAVID A. LAYTON, RALPH W. GORA, BETTY RUDOLPH, CHESTER SENIOR, FRANCES M. BRUNSON, KRITINA L. KUPCZAK, GLORIA A. SCHMIDT, CHARLES D. AHLFIELD, DAWN M. MAZUREK, SCOTT E. VORE, ANNA CLEVELAND, KELLIE A. COOPER, PATRICK N. BABIN, THOMAS A. REGAN, JOSEPH COYLE, DONALD SANDERSON, JUDITH ELKINS, PATRICIA E. COX, WAYNE S. HOPKINSON, MICHAEL L. WOLVERTON, CHARLES SHINN, CLAUDE R. TUNISON, SR., CHRISTINE A. BARON, PAUL J. EICHLER, DANIEL C. BOYD, SUSAN BOYD, CHRISTOPHER W. CULHAM, CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF HIGHLAND, STATE OF MICHIGAN TREASURER, OAKLAND COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER, OAKLAND COUNTY ROAD COMMISSION, -2- CONSUMERS ENERGY COMPANY, DETROIT EDISON COMPANY, and RANDY SAYLOR, Defendants-Appellees. Before: Whitbeck, C.J., and Sawyer and Saad, JJ. MEMORANDUM. Plaintiffs brought this action to quiet title to certain property, and after a bench trial, the court dismissed plaintiffs’ suit. In their complaint, plaintiffs assert a property interest in the disputed land using the doctrine of adverse possession. The parties raise a number of issues on appeal, but before these issues can be addressed, there is an essential legal question that must be answered and in order to answer this legal issue, a remand is necessary. Because Michigan law prohibits anyone from using the doctrine of adverse possession to obtain an interest in property owned by the government, see MCL 600.5821, the trial court, on remand, must determine if this legal prohibition applies here in light of Highland Township’s property interest in the disputed property. Resolution of this issue in defendants’ favor would render the issues raised by plaintiffs’ appeal moot. On remand, the trial court shall afford the parties the opportunity to brief and argue this issue and the opportunity to develop additional facts if necessary to the resolution of this legal question. The trial court shall enter an opinion and order which resolves this matter no later than January 6, 2003. Accordingly, we remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. We retain jurisdiction. /s/ William C. Whitbeck /s/ David H. Sawyer /s/ Henry William Saad -3-

Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.