190 Ky. 792 | Ky. Ct. App. | 1921
Opinion op the Court by
Reversing.
In the year 1917, Charles Lashley and his two sons began the erection of a telephone system in Edmonson oounty, for the purpose of affording communication between persons living in that neighborhood. T. L. Bush, who owned a farm, not only encouraged and contributed to the enterprise, but gave the Lashleys permission to construct the system over his farm. Thereupon the Lash
This suit was brought by the telephone company to enjoin Durbin from removing or interfering with the telephone system. Durbin filed an answer and counterclaim, in which he asked an injunction requiring the telephone company to remove the poles and wires. On final hearing the petition was dismissed, and plaintiff was directed to remove the poies and wires. From that judgment plaintiff appeals.
Though many courts hold that a licensee is conclusively presumed as a matter of law to know that a license is revocable at the pleasure of the licensor, and if he expend money in connection with his .entry upon the land of the latter, he does so at his peril, Minneapolis Mill Co. v. Minneapolis & St. L. R. Co., 51 Minn. 304, 53 N. W. 639; Hathway v. Yakima Water, Light & P. Co., 14 Wash. 469, 44 Pac. 896; Lambe v. Manning, 171 Ill. 612, 49 N. E. 509; Harris v. Gillingham, 6 N. H. 9, 23 Am. Dec. 701; Crosdale v. Laningan, 129 N. Y. 604, 29 N. E. 824, yet it is the established rule in this state that where a license is not a bare, naked right of entry, but includes the right to erect structures and acquire an interest in the land in the nature of an easement by the construction of improvements thereon, the licensor may not revoke the license and restore his premises to their former condition after the licensee has exercised the privilege given by the license and erected the improvements at considerable expense; and this rule is particularly applicable to a telephone line constructed by a licensee engaged in the business of serving the public and possessing the right to acquire property for that purpose by condemnation, and where such a line has been constructed under an oral license, the licensor
It remains to determine whether the telephone company had the right to string additional wires. In its behalf it is argued that it was understood by the Lashleys and Bush that the Lashleys should furnish the telephone service to the local community, and the right of way was granted for that purpose. Hence it was not only contemplated that the company should have the right to build the wires that were then necessary, but to build such additional wires as might be needed to meet the requirements of the community in the future. Under these circumstances Durbin acquired the property burdened not only with the wires' then in use, but with such additional wires as might be reasonably necessary to accommodate the company’s patrons, and the stringing of the two additional wires did not impose any additional burden. It seems to us that the case is not controlled by what was in the contemplation of the parties when the license was originally granted. If such were the rule, then other poles, as well as other wires, might be added. The rule proceeds on the theory that the grantee purchased with loiowledge of an existing structure, and can not therefore insist on the right of removal. The rule should not be extended to include a burden not existing at the time of the purchase. It can not be doubted that additional wires would impose an additional burden. Employees whose presence on the land would not otherwise be necessary would have to go on the land for the purpose of
Wherefore the judgment is reversed and cause remanded for proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.