Biery v. United States
753 F.3d 1279
Fed. Cir.2014Background
- Plaintiffs own land abutting 2.88 miles of rail corridor in Kansas; 19th/20th century deeds to Hutchinson & Southern Railroad (later BNSF) conveyed interests; 2004 Trails Act conversion to a public trail prompted takings claims; Court of Federal Claims held no compensable interest; appellate court applies Kansas law to determine whether deeds conveyed fee simple or easement; remand for unresolved chain-of-title issues.
- Chalfant claim: Julia Fair deed conveyed fee simple to railroad; Biery claim: Phillips deed ambiguous but potentially fee simple for second tract; American Packaging claim: Rowland deed and Irrigation Loan deeds ambiguity about whether fee simple or easement; Trails Act framework governs whether conversion constitutes taking depending on underlying property interest; Kansas law governs interpretation of deeds and whether they describe use or purpose.
- Court must determine nature of BNSF’s predecessor’s property interest under each deed; if fee simple, no taking; if easement, owners may hold compensable interest; subsequent deeds and chain-of-title may affect final holdings.
- Court’s posture: evaluate each deed under Kansas law; use extrinsic evidence for ambiguous deeds; consider subsequent deeds clarifying intent.
- Final posture: judgment affirmed for Chalfant; reversed for Biery and American Packaging; remand for further proceedings on Biery and American Packaging.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether Julia Fair deed conveyed fee simple to railroad | Chalfant: deed clarifies easement | Biology/State: deed conveys fee simple | Chalfant has no compensable interest (fee simple to railroad) |
| Whether Phillips deed conveyed fee simple or easement | Biery: deed unclear; may be easement | State: deed conveys fee simple for second tract | Phillips deed conveys easement for first tract and fee simple for second tract (Biery claim preserved) |
| Whether Rowland and Irrigation Loan deeds conveyed fee simple to railroad | American Packaging: Rowland deed shows easement; Irrigation deeds unclear | State: Rowland conveys fee simple; Irrigation deeds convey fee simple | Rowland conveys easement; Irrigation deeds convey fee simple; remand to resolve chain of title for American Packaging |
| Whether the record supports a compensable taking under Trails Act based on underlying interests | Owners retain fee simple if deeds show easement only | Railroad held fee simple; no taking | Given mixed holdings, partial affirmance/reversal with remand |
Key Cases Cited
- Harvest Queen Mill & Elevator Co. v. Sanders, 370 P.2d 419 (Kan. 1962) (railroads do not own fee titles to narrow strips taken as rights-of-way)
- Abercrombie v. Simmons, 81 P. 210 (Kan. 1905) (title not necessarily controlling when implied restrictions exist)
- Stone v. U.S.D. No. 222, 91 P.3d 1194 (Kan. 2004) (interpretation of deeds to railroads; specify when fee simple transfers occur)
- Preseault II v. United States, 100 F.3d 1525 (Fed. Cir. 1996) (railroad right-of-way takings; intervening trails use; state law governs interest)
- Preseault v. Interstate Commerce Comm’n (Preseault I), 494 U.S. 1 (1990) (public use and taking framework for rail-trails conversions)