The Second Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined defendant Garden Homes did not demonstrate it had acquired a prescriptive easement over plaintiffs’ (the Patels’) land such that effluent and storm water could be discharged onto plaintiffs’ property. The court further found plaintiffs’ trespass action was proven and sent the matter back for trial on damages:
” The essence of trespass is the invasion of a person’s interest in the exclusive possession of land'” … . “Accordingly, an action for trespass over the lands of one property owner may not be maintained where the purported trespasser has acquired an easement of way over the land in question'” … .
An easement by prescription may be demonstrated by clear and convincing proof of the adverse, open and notorious, continuous, and uninterrupted use of the subject property for the prescriptive period … , which is 10 years … . ” [T]he right acquired by prescription is commensurate with the right enjoyed'” … .
Here, Garden Homes could acquire a prescriptive easement for the encroachment of components of its sewage treatment system and the drainage of effluent and storm water only equal in area to that portion of the property actually used during the prescriptive period … . However, the Supreme Court’s determination, made after the nonjury trial, that Garden Homes established by clear and convincing evidence the continuous use of a particular portion of the Patels’ property during the prescriptive period was not warranted by the facts. Accordingly, the court should not have found that Garden Homes had a prescriptive easement over a portion of the Patels’ property … .. Moreover, as the Patels established a continuing trespass … , the complaint in Action No. 1 must be reinstated, the Patels must be awarded judgment against the defendants in Action No. 1 on the issue of liability, and the matter must be remitted … for a continued trial in that action on the issues of damages and injunctive relief, and the entry thereafter of an appropriate amended judgment. Patel v Garden Homes Mgt. Corp., 2017 NY Slip Op 08839, Second Dept 12-20-17
REAL PROPERTY (PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENTS, TRESPASS, DEFENDANT DID NOT PROVE IT HAD A PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENT ALLOWING EFFLUENT AND STORM WATER TO BE DISCHARGED ONTO PLAINTIFFS’ PROPERTY, PLAINTIFFS AWARDED JUDGMENT ON THEIR TRESPASS ACTION (SECOND DEPT))/EASEMENTS (PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENTS, TRESPASS, DEFENDANT DID NOT PROVE IT HAD A PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENT ALLOWING EFFLUENT AND STORM WATER TO BE DISCHARGED ONTO PLAINTIFFS’ PROPERTY, PLAINTIFFS AWARDED JUDGMENT ON THEIR TRESPASS ACTION (SECOND DEPT))/PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENT (DEFENDANT DID NOT PROVE IT HAD A PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENT ALLOWING EFFLUENT AND STORM WATER TO BE DISCHARGED ONTO PLAINTIFFS’ PROPERTY, PLAINTIFFS AWARDED JUDGMENT ON THEIR TRESPASS ACTION (SECOND DEPT))/TRESPASS (DEFENDANT DID NOT PROVE IT HAD A PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENT ALLOWING EFFLUENT AND STORM WATER TO BE DISCHARGED ONTO PLAINTIFFS’ PROPERTY, PLAINTIFFS AWARDED JUDGMENT ON THEIR TRESPASS ACTION (SECOND DEPT))/STORM WATER (PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENTS, TRESPASS, DEFENDANT DID NOT PROVE IT HAD A PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENT ALLOWING EFFLUENT AND STORM WATER TO BE DISCHARGED ONTO PLAINTIFFS’ PROPERTY, PLAINTIFFS AWARDED JUDGMENT ON THEIR TRESPASS ACTION (SECOND DEPT))/EFFLUENT (PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENTS, TRESPASS, DEFENDANT DID NOT PROVE IT HAD A PRESCRIPTIVE EASEMENT ALLOWING EFFLUENT AND STORM WATER TO BE DISCHARGED ONTO PLAINTIFFS’ PROPERTY, PLAINTIFFS AWARDED JUDGMENT ON THEIR TRESPASS ACTION (SECOND DEPT))