188 A.D.2d 847 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1992
Appeal from an order and judgment of the Supreme Court (Conway, J.), entered October 24, 1991 in Albany County, which granted plaintiffs’ trial motion for judgment as a matter of law.
The parties own adjacent lots on Johnston Road in the Town of Guilderland, Albany County. Plaintiffs own the rear dominant parcel which they allege is accessible only by using a gravel road located along the northern portion of defendants’ front servient parcel. In 1987, plaintiffs commenced this RPAPL article 15 action alleging that defendants obstructed access to their dominant lot, claimed entitlement to a 20-foot right-of-way along the north side of defendants’ lot and requested injunctive relief enjoining defendants’ interference with their use of such right-of-way.
At trial, four deeds were admitted into evidence. Defendants referred to and summarized these four deeds and the chain of title in their opening statement. After the parties’ opening statements but prior to any testimony, plaintiffs moved for judgment as a matter of law based on the four deeds. Against defendants’ pro se opposition urging that the motion was premature and that issues of fact remained, Supreme Court granted the motion, finding in its oral decision that no questions of fact existed and, based on defendants’ opening statement, that "as a matter of law [plaintiffs established] a 20 foot
An understanding of the chain of title to these two parcels as well as the four deeds admitted into evidence at trial, and the key deed in the chain of title not admitted into evidence, is necessary to the disposition of this appeal. The parties’ two lots were originally one parcel. In 1947 Nelson Quant and Bertha Quant conveyed the parcel to Edward Welsch. In 1948 Welsch divided the parcel into two lots, retaining the front servient lot and conveying the rear dominant lot to Leland Johnston and Mildred Johnston, granting "a right of way for ingress and egress to and from the [rear/dominant lot] along the northerly 20 feet of that portion of the [front/servient lot] retained by [Welsch], as said right of way [existed] and [was then] used”. The deeds for these two conveyances were duly recorded and introduced by plaintiffs into evidence.
We reverse and remit for further proceedings. The parties agree that the subject easement was extinguished by merger in 1958 at which time the Johnstons simultaneously owned the dominant and servient lots. Once an easement is extin
We agree, as the parties urge, that plaintiffs’ motion and Supreme Court’s ruling are most appropriately viewed as a motion and grant of judgment as a matter of law under CPLR 4401. A CPLR 4401 motion should await the presentation of evidence by the opposing party, except that motions based on admissions are authorized "at any time” but may only be granted where counsel for the opposing party "deliberately and intentionally states or admits some fact that, in any view of the case, is fatal to the action” (Hoffman House v Foote, 172 NY 348, 351). Supreme Court should grant the motion only when convinced that the fact finder could not find for the opposing side by any rational process (see, Siegel, NY Prac § 402, at 608 [2d ed]). Neither defendants’ opening statement
Mikoll, J. P., Yesawich Jr., Mercure and Harvey, JJ., concur. Ordered that the order and judgment is reversed, on the law, without costs, motion denied and matter remitted to the Supreme Court for further proceedings not inconsistent with this court’s decision.
. The parties refer to a 1949 agreement entered into between the Welschs, Johnstons and two landowners adjacent to the servient lot regarding the subject right-of-way. This agreement, while recorded, was not introduced at trial and is not included in the record. Also, the agreement is not recited or referred to in any of the subsequent deed conveyances.
. An exception exists with respect to an easement by necessity (see, 2 Warren’s Weed, New York Real Property, Easements, § 43.01 [4th ed]). Plaintiffs alleged in their complaint that the easement was their sole means of access to their rear lot. Defendants in their answer alleged that they lacked knowledge and information sufficient to form a belief as to the necessity of the subject easement. On this record, there are insufficient facts upon which to resolve this issue.