Easements and the Atlanta Beltline

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A recent legal case regarding the Atlanta Beltline provides insightful reading for those interested in easements. In 2017, the Ansley Walk Condominium Association sued the Atlanta Development Authority, also known as Invest Atlanta, claiming ownership of three properties adjacent to the Beltline.

The case is complex, as the Norfolk Southern Railway Company initially operated the properties as a railway. However, in 2004, Norfolk relinquished its interests in the properties, which then became part of the Beltline. At the time of the transfer, Norfolk reserved an easement to cross over the properties.

In 2017, Norfolk signed an agreement to terminate its easement rights over the properties. However, the agreement was vague, so Norfolk signed a corrective agreement in 2020 to address the issue. Ansley Walk sued, alleging that when Norfolk relinquished its easement rights, Ansley Walk gained unrestricted ownership of the properties.

Ansley Walk claimed damages for inverse condemnation, trespass, attorneys’ fees, and litigation expenses. Both parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment, meaning they each sought a ruling in their favor without a trial. A summary judgment aims to expedite litigation and avoid the expense of a jury trial. However, a summary judgment can only be granted when there are “no genuine issues as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law” OCGA § 9-11-56(c); Pfeiffer v. Ga. Dept. of Transp., 275 Ga. 827, 828 (2002).

After considering the arguments and the law, the trial court granted summary judgment to the Beltline and denied summary judgment to Ansley Walk. This means that, for now, the Beltline has won the case. However, Ansley Walk plans to appeal the decision and ask the Georgia Court of Appeals to review the trial court’s ruling.

In granting summary judgment, the trial court found that Ansley Walk failed to prove ownership of the three properties and that the 2020 corrective agreement properly canceled Norfolk’s easement rights. As a result, the Norfolk agreements about the easements did not transfer any property rights to Ansley Walk.

Although this case’s factual scenario is unlikely in most easement disputes, it is still an interesting example of how such disputes never go out of fashion. If you have a dispute regarding an easement, please contact us at 404-382-9994 to discuss your legal rights.

Quiet Title: Cancelling an Expired Security Deed

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Expiration of Security Deeds in Georgia

We have previously discussed that security deeds (i.e., a mortgage) can automatically expire in Georgia. If a security deed expires, the lender cannot foreclose, and the security deed no longer acts as a lien against the property, and the security deed can be canceled. Generally, under OCGA § 44-14-80, a security deed expires (1) seven years after the maturity date of the security deed, or (2) if there is a statement in the security deed that says the maturity date is perpetual or infinite, 20 years from the date of the conveyance.

Recent Quiet Title Action

The above statute was tested in a recent quiet title action. See Freeport Title & Guaranty, Inc. v. Braswell, A23A0442 (2023). In Freeport, a property owner, A, conveyed real estate to B in 2004. The owner financed the sale, meaning that B borrowed money from A to purchase the property and gave a security deed to A.

B defaulted on the loan, but A did not foreclose on the security deed until 2020. A claimed that the security deed was valid because the security deed has “perpetual/infinite” language and, therefore, the above 20-year rule applied. Conversely, B argued that the security deed (and the 2020 foreclosure) were invalid because the seven-year rule applied.

The Court of Appeals ruled for A, finding that the security deed contained sufficient language to activate the 20-year rule. The Court rejected B’s argument that the language in the security deed was insufficient to show intent for a perpetual duration.

Read the Security Deed

The lesson here is that you must closely read the security deed to determine the expiration date of a security deed. Please call us at 404-382-9994 if you have questions regarding whether a security deed on your property is enforceable and whether you are entitled to file a quiet title to remove the security deed.

Do you have an Easement?

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Unwritten Easements

In Georgia, an easement does not need to be in writing. Easements can be created by adverse use and by implication.

Express Grant

This blog focuses on easements created by implication. When a landowner subdivides property, and the deeds to the subdivided lots describe streets, parks, and lakes, the buyers obtain an easement to use the streets, parks, and lakes.

These are called “easements by express grant” and are commonly created when a subdivision is developed. The developer will submit a subdivision plat that includes streets and parks. When the developer sells the lots in the subdivision, the deeds reference the subdivision plat. Reference to the subdivision plat that shows streets and parks create enforceable easements that allow the purchaser to use the streets and parks.

What about a golf course?

This issue was presented to the Georgia Supreme Court in WS CE Resort Owner, LLC v. Holland et al., S22G0030 (February 21, 2023). In that case, the subdivision plat referenced a golf course. The purchasers claimed that because the subdivision referenced the golf course, they automatically obtained an easement to use the golf course. The dispute arose when the owner tried converting the golf course into condominiums.

The adjoining owners objected based on their claim that they had an easement to use the golf course and, therefore, the owner could not develop it. The adjoining homeowners argued that they had relied on a marketing brochure for the neighborhood that pictured a golf course and described the intended development of smaller homes “overlooking the Par 3 golf course.”

The trial court agreed with the adjoining homeowners and stopped the development of the golf course. The golf course owner appealed. The Georgia Court of Appeals agreed with the trial court. However, the golf course owner then appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court. The Georgia Supreme Court disagreed with the trial court and the Georgia Court of Appeals. It ruled that reference to a golf course in a subdivision plat does not give subsequent purchasers an easement to use the golf course. Thus, the golf course owner was allowed to convert the golf course into condominiums.

Streets, Parks, and Lakes Referenced in a Subdivision Plat Do Create an Easement

The Supreme Court determined that merely identifying a golf course on a subdivision is insufficient to create an easement. Showing a golf course on a subdivision plat did not show a “clear intent” to set apart the designated area for the lot owners’ use or enjoyment. On the other hand, the Court clarified that streets, parks, and lakes identified on a subdivision plat create an easement for homeowners in a subdivision.

What is Negligence Per Se in Georgia?

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Defintion of Negligence

Entire law school classes focus on negligence and its application, so this blog is a very general introduction to one of the negligence-related concepts called negligence per se.

Negligence is the failure to take proper care in doing something. The most common example is an automobile collision. No one intends to cause an automatable collision. But, if a driver isn’t paying attention and rear-ends another vehicle, such lack of care constitutes negligence.

Elements of Negligence

Four elements are required to establish negligence: (1) a legal duty that the defendant owed to the plaintiff, (2) a breach of that duty, (3) an injury, and (4) proof that the negligence caused the injury.

Negligence Per Se and Breach of Duty

So what is negligence per se? Under Georgia law, violating a statute, ordinance, or mandatory regulation may constitute negligence per se. To prove negligence per se, you must show a violation of a statute, that the harm complained of was the harm the statute was meant to protect against, that the person harmed fell into the class of persons the statute was intended to protect, and that the violation caused the injury. Gleaton & Associates, Inc., v. Cornelius, A22A1403 (February 8, 2023).

While not intuitive, negligence per se addresses the first element listed above: the legal duty owed. Lots of times, it isn’t clear whether someone has a duty to another person or what that duty consists of. With negligence per se, if a statute, ordinance, or regulation applies, violation of such a rule will satisfy the obligation to show a breach of a legal duty.

An Example of Negligence Per Se

In Gleaton, the case mentioned above, a tenant alleged the negligent filing of a dispossessory lawsuit against her. OCGA § 44-7-58 states that “[a]nyone who, under oath or affirmation, knowingly and willingly makes a false statement in an affidavit signed pursuant to Code Section 44-7-50 . . . shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.” The tenant alleged the landlord had violated that statute and was liable for negligence. Ultimately the court ruled for the landlord because it ruled the allegations in the dispossessory were not false.

Call Us!

Negligence per se is one of the many nuances in the law that we use to win cases for our clients. If you are injured or wronged by someone else, please call us at 404-382-9994 to discuss your legal options.  

Open Records Act in Georgia

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Help

If you’ve run into a roadblock getting public records in Georgia and need assitance making an open records request, we can help.

What does Georgia Law Say About Open Records?

Under Georgia law, the general rule is that all public records must be open for personal inspection and copying. The only exception are records that are specifically exempted from disclosure. OCGA § 50-18-70 et seq. A good resource is Georgia’s Office of the Attorney General.

Our office regularly requests open records in Georgia. Some government agencies have dedicated portals, some provide email addresses, and others offer no guidance or contact information. After we make a request, responses are all over the board. Sometimes we get complete records within a few days at no charge. Other times we get notice that the records won’t be ready for eight weeks. Sometimes we get a bill for the records. And often times we get incomplete and overly-redacted records.

Our experience is that most of the time, after the initial request, we have to follow up and fight to get the relevant public records. The government agency’s initial response is usually a result of a minimal effort and often in violation of the spirit of the law.

Purpose of Open Records

The [Open Records Act] was enacted in the public interest to protect the public — both individuals and the public generally — from “closed door” politics and the potential abuse of individuals and the misuse of power such policies entail. Therefore, the Act must be broadly construed to effect its remedial and protective purposes. The intent of the General Assembly was to encourage public access to information and to promote confidence in government through openness to the public and allow the public to evaluate efficient and proper functioning of its institutions.

Wallace v. Greene County, 274 Ga. App. 776, 782 (2) (618 SE2d 642) (2005).

Fortunately, Georgia has detailed open records statutes that government agencies must follow. For example, if public records exist, the government agency must produce the records within three business days of receipt of a request. Similarly, if the records exist and can’t be produced within three days, the agency is supposed to provide the requester with a description of available records and a timeline for when the records will be available for inspection or copying and provide the records or access as soon as practicable. This rule is on the books but rarely followed. Many other rules are too numerous to include here.

What Happens If a Government Agency Fails to Produce Open Records?

The first option is to follow up and try to get voluntary compliance. The second option is to contact The Office of the Attorney General to initiate a mediation. The third and most drastic option is to sue the government agency in superior court. Under Georgia law, a trial court may impose a civil penalty against anyone who negligently fails to provide public records. OCGA § 50-18-74 (a). The courts have interpreted this staute to mean that private citizens (everyday folks) can get damages for violations of the Open Records Act. Cardinale v. Keane, 362 Ga. App. 644 (869 S.E.2d 613) (2022).

Call us!

If you are seeking open records, please call us at (404) 382-9994 to discuss your options.