Gallo v. Traina
Annotate this CaseRespondents Susan and Joseph Traina appealed a Superior Court order which ruled in favor of the petitioners, Ralph and Ruth Gallo, on their petition to quiet title to land that the Gallos used to access their home on Captain's Pond in Salem. In 1986, the Gallos purchased land on Emilio Lane Extension. They tore down the existing structures and, in 1987, built their current home. The next year they built a garage. Since purchasing the property, the Gallos have accessed the garage by using a looped driveway that ended on Emilio Lane Extension. They paved the driveway in May 1989. Before doing so, the Gallos installed a cement retaining wall and a decorative stone wall, planted a "burning bush" inside the stone wall, and planted various flowers and other vegetation along one side of the paved driveway. In 1997, Susan Traina purchased property on Captain's Pond. In 2004, as part of a settlement agreement with her cousin, Ronald Peredna, she became the owner of a strip of land immediately to the east of the Gallos' property, which included a paved area directly in front of the Gallos' walkway to their home and garage, a portion of their retaining wall and decorative stone wall, and a "burning bush." At some point, Peredna had acquired an easement to use a strip of land between the Gallos' property and his own property. The strip of land was then-owned by Dennis Iannalfo and his wife. Peredna later conveyed an easement deed to Susan, purporting to convey the easement to her. The Gallos' paved driveway and plantings were included on the Iannalfo strip of land. This lawsuit stemmed from the long-running dispute between the neighbors that culminated in Susan's threat to build a fence around her property to cut off the Gallos' access to their garage. She also demanded that the Gallos remove the stone wall and plantings. The Gallos sought a declaration that they had a prescriptive easement to use their paved driveway located on the strip of land owned by the Iannalfos and that they had the right, by adverse possession, to maintain their retaining and decorative stone walls and plantings on Susan's land. Susan filed a cross-petition asserting a superior right to use the Iannalfo strip of land. Finding no reversible error, however, the Supreme Court affirmed the Superior Court's judgment in favor of the Gallos.
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