Oak Lane Homeowners Association v. Griffin
Annotate this CaseThe Oak Lane Homeowners Association (the Association) sought review of the appellate court’s judgment in favor of Defendants Dennis and Renae Griffin. The previous owners of the Griffins’ property “had an understanding” that the lane in question could only be used with permission. The Griffins had used the lane for ingress and egress for fifteen years. Their neighbors sought to form the Association in order to maintain the lane. When the Association asked the Griffins to join, the Griffins refused, and asserted their intent to continue to use the lane. The Association sought quitclaim deeds from all original owners of the platted lots. After receiving them, the Association placed huge boulders in the edges to prevent the Griffins from accessing their property from the lane. The Association argued that the Defendants did not have a private easement over a private lane. The appellate court found that a private easement was created in favor of the Griffiths because their deed in the subdivision’s recorded plat showed their property abuts the private lane. On appeal, the Association argued that recognizing the Griffins’ “easement by plat” is inconsistent with the state law. The Supreme Court disagreed: “[w]e have repeatedly held that when a property abuts a public roadway, a private easement over that roadway arises in favor of the abutting landowner.” Seeing no reason to distinguish a private lane from a public road, the Court upheld the appellate court’s grant of summary judgment to the Griffins.
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