PREFERRED REAL ESTATE v. Housing Systems, A00A2301.
Decision Date | 23 March 2001 |
Docket Number | No. A00A2301.,A00A2301. |
Citation | 548 S.E.2d 646,248 Ga. App. 745 |
Court | Georgia Court of Appeals |
Parties | PREFERRED REAL ESTATE EQUITIES, INC. v. HOUSING SYSTEMS, INC. |
OPINION TEXT STARTS HERE
Friedman, Dever & Merlin, Hayes M. Dever, Michael F.O'Neill, Atlanta, for appellant.
Schreeder, Wheeler & Flint, David H. Flint, Timothy C. Batten, Kevin T. Caiaccio, Atlanta, for appellee.
Preferred Real Estate Equities, Inc. ("Preferred") filed this action for declaratory judgment and trespass, requesting the court to declare that an easement on Preferred's property has been terminated and that Housing Systems, Inc. ("HSI") is trespassing on the easement property. HSI counterclaimed, requesting the court to declare that the easement has not been terminated. On cross-motions for summary judgment, the trial court granted summary judgment to HSI and denied summary judgment to Preferred. Preferred appeals, and for reasons that follow, we affirm.1
On appeal, we review the trial court's grant of summary judgment de novo to determine whether the evidence of record, viewed in a light most favorable to the nonmoving party, demonstrates any genuine issue of material fact.2 Summary judgment is proper only when there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.3
In 1989, Steak & Ale conveyed the restaurant property to S&A Properties Corporation, and in 1992, HSI acquired the office property. From 1981 to 1996, HSI and its predecessors in title did not receive any notices or demands for tax payments for the easement property and did not pay the taxes as required by the deed. Instead, Steak & Ale paid the taxes during this time.
In October 1996, HSI received a written demand from "S&A Restaurant Corp." to reimburse Steak & Ale for tax payments it made on the easement property over the previous 16 years. The letter, dated October 7, 1996, stated in pertinent part:
Pursuant to the above-referenced Deed, enclosed is ... Bennigan's general ledger regarding yearly Fulton County paid taxes. Highlighted for your convenience is the easement tract taxes paid totaling $14,747.52. Kindly reimburse Steak and Ale of Georgia, Inc. $14,747.52 within sixty days (60) days from today's date.
HSI did not comply with the request, and on July 25, 1997, the assistant secretary of Steak & Ale filed an "Affidavit of Cancellation and Termination of Easement" in the county land records. The affidavit states that it was recorded for "the purpose of giving public notice that [Steak & Ale], pursuant to its rights under the Deed, has canceled and terminated the Easement due to [Patlyn's] failure to pay ... $14,747.52 in taxes on the easement property."
On September 30, 1997, S&A Properties conveyed the restaurant property to Preferred. Preferred subsequently filed this action for a declaration that the easement has been terminated. In its motion for summary judgment, HSI asserted, among other arguments, that Preferred's predecessors had no right to terminate the easement because they failed to properly notify HSI of the default. We agree.
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