No. 8C-128
IN THE SUPREPiE COUR'I' OF THE STA7'E O ' M0PITAF:A
F
1980
TOM RILEY AND PATRICIA RILEY,
Plaintiffs and Respondents,
-vs-
FRED G. CARL, JAMES L. LEE, COUNTY OF
MISSOULA, WILLIAM WILLS, a/k/a BILL
and WILLS, INC. ,
Defendants and Appellants.
Appeal from: District Court of the Fourth Judicial District,
In and for the County of Missoula, The Honorable
John S. Henson, Judge presiding.
Counsel of Record:
For Appellant:
Boone, Karlberg & Haddon, Missoula, Montana
Robert L. Deschamps, 111, County Attorney,
Missoula, Montana
l & k & t ? + ~ i e k l - -Bale-.& Eye, Missoula, Montana
For Respondent:
Balyeat, Kzmmerer & Rodli, Missoula, Montaya
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Submitted on Briefs: September 11, 1980
Decided : JBF 1" 1981
Filed: m!1 ' 1587
M r . C h i e f J u s t i c e F r a n k I . H a s w e l l d e l i v e r e d t h e O p i n i o n of t h e
Court.
D e f e n d a n t s W i l l s and M i s s o u l a County a p p e a l f r o m a n o r d e r
o f t h e F o u r t h J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t C o u r t , Missoula County, d e c l a r i n g
B l i x i t C r e e k Road a c o u n t y r o a d s u b j e c t t o t h e d u t y of main-
t e n a n c e by M i s s o u l a C o u n t y .
B l i x i t C r e e k Road i s l o c a t e d n e a r P o t o m a c , Montana, in
Missoula County. The r o a d was f i r s t a s s i g n e d a c o u n t y r o a d
number i n 1 9 6 5 , and w a s c o n t i n u o u s l y m a i n t a i n e d by t h e c o u n t y
from t h a t t i m e u n t i l January, 1977. M i s s o u l a County f o r m a l l y
a c c e p t e d t h e r o a d f o r m a i n t e n a n c e i n 1974 b e c a u s e it had b e e n
p l a t t e d and i n e x i s t e n c e p r i o r t o 1 9 6 0 .
U n t i l 1978, W i l l i a m W i l l s , as a n i n d i v i d u a l , and W i l l s
I n c . o f w h i c h W i l l i a m W i l l s was a c o r p o r a t e o f f i c e r , owned t h e
l a n d t r a v e r s e d by B l i x i t C r e e k Road. W i l l s w a s aware of and
m a t e r i a l l y b e n e f i t t e d from M i s s o u l a County I s maintenance of t h e
r o a d and a p p a r e n t l y a c q u i e s c e d i n t h e g e n e r a l p u b l i c ' s u s e of t h e
road u n t i l 1976.
I n 1976 W i l l i a m W i l l s e r e c t e d p r i v a t e road s i g n s on B l i x i t
C r e e k Road. Missoula County ceased i t s maintenance o p e r a t i o n s on
t h e r o a d i n p a r t b e c a u s e o f t h e p r e s e n c e of t h e s i g n s . This s u i t
r e s u l t e d f r o m t h e s u b s e q u e n t d e t e r i o r a t i o n of t h e r o a d ' s con-
d i t i o n i n t h e s p r i n g of 1978.
I n A u g u s t , 1 9 7 7 , Tom and P a t r i c i a R i l e y p u r c h a s e d l a n d
a c c e s s i b l e o n l y v i a B l i x i t C r e e k Road. The R i l e y ' s p l a n s t o
b u i l d a home o n t h e l a n d t h e f o l l o w i n g s p r i n g w e r e f r u s t r a t e d by
t h e i m p a s s i b i l i t y of t h e r o a d . The R i l e y s t h e r e f o r e i n i t i a t e d
t h i s a c t i o n on March 29, 1 9 7 8 .
Plaintiff I s c o m p l a i n t w a s twice amended. Wills, Inc. was
f i r s t named as a p a r t y d e f e n d a n t u n d e r t h e s e c o n d amended
c o m p l a i n t f i l e d August 1 8 , 1978. Wills, I n c . had p r e v i o u s l y
t r a n s f e r r e d i t s i n t e r e s t s i n t h e a f f e c t e d p r o p e r t y by d e e d s
r e c o r d e d March 2 , 1 9 7 8 . The r e s u l t i n g o w n e r s of a n u n d i v i d e d
e i g h t y p e r c e n t i n t e r e s t i n t h e p r o p e r t y h a v e n o t b e e n j o i n e d and
a r e not p a r t i e s t o t h i s action.
The c o m p l a i n t i n i t s f i n a l f o r m a l l e g e d b r e a c h of
c o n t r a c t and m i s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a g a i n s t s e l l e r s C a r l and L e e ; a
s t a t u t o r y d u t y to m a i n t a i n and e s t o p p e l f r o m c e s s a t i o n of roadway
m a i n t e n a n c e a g a i n s t t h e C o u n t y of M i s s o u l a ; and a p r e s c r i p t i v e
easement a g a i n s t W i l l i a m W i l l s a/k/a B i l l W i l l s and W i l l s I n c .
The s e l l e r s i n t u r n f i l e d a c r o s s - c o m p l a i n t against W i l l s ,
a l l e g i n g t h e c o u n t y ' s p r e s c r i p t i v e t i t l e t o t h e r o a d and e s t o p p e l
against W i l l s , and s e e k i n g i n d e m n i t y .
The m a t t e r came t o h e a r i n g o n m o t i o n s f o r summary
judgment. The D i s t r i c t C o u r t f o u n d f r o m t h e u n d i s p u t e d f a c t s a l l
elements necessary t o e s t a b l i s h p r e s c r i p t i v e county t i t l e t o
B l i x i t C r e e k Road, and t o e s t o p t h e C o u n t y o f M i s s o u l a and W i l l s
from denying s a i d county ownership. Based on i t s f i n d i n g s , t h e
D i s t r i c t C o u r t d e n i e d M i s s o u l a C o u n t y ' s m o t i o n f o r summary
j u d g m e n t ; g r a n t e d s e l l e r ' s m o t i o n f o r summary j u d g m e n t d e c l a r i n g
B l i x i t C r e e k Road a c o u n t y r o a d ; and g r a n t e d W i l l s ' m o t i o n f o r
summary j u d g m e n t as t o t h e c o m p l a i n t and t h e i n d e m n i t y a s s e r t i o n
of s e l l e r ' s cross-complaint.
A p p e l l a n t s a t t a c k on a p p e a l t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t ' s d e n i a l
o f t h e c o u n t y ' s m o t i o n f o r summary j u d g m e n t and g r a n t i n g
o f s e l l e r s ' m o t i o n f o r summary j u d g m e n t .
W e n o t e a t t h e o u t s e t t h a t t h e d e n i a l of t h e c o u n t y ' s
m o t i o n f o r summary j u d g m e n t is p r o p e r l y r e v i e w a b l e a t t h i s t i m e .
A l t h o u g h t h e o r d e r d e n y i n g t h e m o t i o n was i n t e r l o c u t o r y , a f i n a l
j u d g m e n t h a s b e e n r e n d e r e d and n o n a p p e a l a b l e i n t e r m e d i a t e o r d e r s
a r e r e v i e w a b l e on a p p e a l f r o m t h a t f i n a l j u d g m e n t . Brown v.
M i d l a n d N a t i o n a l Bank ( 1 9 6 8 ) , 1 5 0 Mont. 4 2 2 , 4 2 9 , 4 3 5 P.2d 8 7 8 ,
882.
The p r i n c i p l e s g o v e r n i n g summary j u d g m e n t u n d e r R u l e
5 6 ( c ) , M.R.Civ.P., a r e s e t f o r t h i n H a r l a n d v. A n d e r s o n ( 1 9 7 6 ) ,
1 6 9 Mont. 4 4 7 , 4 5 0 , 451, 548 P.2d 6 1 3 , 6 1 5 . The m v a n t h a s t h e
i n i t i a l b u r d e n of e s t a b l i s h i n g t h e a b s e n c e of a n y g e n u i n e i s s u e of
m a t e r i a l f a c t , and when movant d o e s s o , t h e p a r t y o p p o s i n g t h e
m o t i o n m u s t come f o r w a r d w i t h s u b s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e r a i s i n g a
- 3 -
g e n u i n e i s s u e of m a t e r i a l f a c t .
The c o u n t y ' s m o t i o n was f o u n d e d s o l e l y on p l a i n t i f f s ' ina-
b i l i t y t o d e m o n s t r a t e t h e i r p e r s o n a l r e l i a n c e on c o u n t y main-
t e n a n c e o r on W i l l s ' a c q u i e s c e n c e i n c o u n t y m a i n t e n a n c e , w h e r e
t h e c o u n t y had c e a s e d i t s m a i n t e n a n c e o p e r a t i o n s sometime b e f o r e
p l a i n t i f f s purchased t h e i r land. Absent r e l i a n c e , t h e county
a r g u e s t h a t p l a i n t i f f ' s e s t o p p e l t h e o r y f a i l s and summary
judgment i n i t s f a v o r is a p p r o p r i a t e .
N e i t h e r t h e county n o r W i l l s p r e s e n t e d e v i d e n c e to r e f u t e
p r e s c r i p t i v e p u b l i c e a s e m e n t or r e l i a n c e by t h e s e l l e r s , C a r l and
L e e , upon t h e a c t i o n s o f t h e c o u n t y and W i l l s a l t h o u g h b o t h
i s s u e s were r a i s e d by t h e p l e a d i n g s . I n l i g h t of a p p e l l a n t s '
f a i l u r e t o e v e n a d d r e s s , much l e s s r e f u t e t h o s e g e n u i n e i s s u e s ,
t h e m o v a n t ' s i n i t i a l b u r d e n was n o t c a r r i e d .
C o n v e r s e l y , t h e s e l l e r s p r e s e n t e d e v i d e n c e i n s u p p o r t of
t h e i r m o t i o n a l l e g i n g t h e p r e s e n c e of a l l n e c e s s a r y e l e m e n t s f o r
b o t h p r e s c r i p t i v e p u b l i c e a s e m e n t and f o r e s t o p p e l a g a i n s t t h e
c o u n t y and W i l l s . The m o v a n t s t h u s m e t t h e i r b u r d e n of e x c l u d i n g
a n y r e a l d o u b t as t o t h e e x i s t e n c e o f a n y g e n u i n e i s s u e of
material fact. Kober v. S t e w a r t ( 1 9 6 6 ) , 1 4 8 Mont. 1 1 7 , 1 2 2 , 417
P.2d 476, 478.
The o p p o n e n t s , a g a i n , c h a l l e n g e d n e i t h e r p r e s c r i p t i o n n o r
e s t o p p e l b a s e d on t h e s e l l e r s ' r e l i a n c e , b u t r a t h e r a r g u e d
c o n c l u s i v e l y t h a t B l i x i t C r e e k Road is n o t a c o u n t y r o a d .
Nevertheless, t h e p a r t y opposing a motion h a s a s t a n d a r d of proof
a b o u t e q u a l t o t h a t imposed o n t h e m o v a n t ; and m u s t p r e s e n t f a c t s
i n p r o p e r f o r m , n o t m e r e l y c o n c l u s i o n s of l a w . Harland, 169
Mont. a t 451, 548 P.2d a t 615.
P l a i n t i f f s and t h e s e l l e r s , C a r l and L e e , d e m o n s t r a t e d
t h a t t h e r e e x i s t e d no g e n u i n e i s s u e s a s t o a n y m a t e r i a l f a c t
r e l a t i n g t o s e l l e r s ' m o t i o n f o r summary j u d g m e n t . Wills
and t h e C o u n t y of M i s s o u l a f a i l e d t o meet t h a t same b u r d e n
r e g a r d i n g t h e i r motion. The m o t i o n s were t h u s r e s p e c t i v e l y p r o p e r l y
g r a n t e d and d e n i e d by t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t . Rule
- 4 -
56(c), M.R.Civ.P.
Judgment affirmed.
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Chief Justice
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