Crest Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Cadillac V.

By Supreme Court of Wisconsin

Release : 1986-04-10

Genre : Law, Books, Professional & Technical

Kind : ebook

(0 ratings)
This is a review of an unpublished decision of the court of appeals, dated May 15, 1985, which summarily reversed the judgment of the circuit court for Walworth county, John J. Byrnes, reserve Judge. In dismissing the complaint, the circuit court held that the defendants did not act unreasonably in diverting surface water from their property onto plaintiffs' property. The court of appeals ruled that the diversion was unreasonable. We affirm the decision of the court of appeals. The primary issue is whether the petitioners, Roger and Betty Willemsen, owners of A. O. Bauer Glass, Inc. (collectively, Bauer Glass) are liable for damages caused to the property of Crest Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Cadillac, Inc. and Robert and Marilyn Doyle (collectively, Crest) under the reasonable use doctrine adopted by this court in State v. Deetz, 66 Wis. 2d 1, 224 N.W.2d 407 (1974). We hold that Bauer Glass acted unreasonably in diverting the flow of surface water from its property onto Crest's parcel. Bauer Glass is, therefore, liable to Crest for damages as a result of the surface water diversion. We also determine that although there is a general duty to mitigate avoidable consequences of harm caused by the creation of an intentional nuisance, Crest did not react unreasonably to the accumulation of surface water on its parcel.

Crest Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Cadillac V.

By Supreme Court of Wisconsin

Release : 1986-04-10

Genre : Law, Books, Professional & Technical

Kind : ebook

(0 ratings)
This is a review of an unpublished decision of the court of appeals, dated May 15, 1985, which summarily reversed the judgment of the circuit court for Walworth county, John J. Byrnes, reserve Judge. In dismissing the complaint, the circuit court held that the defendants did not act unreasonably in diverting surface water from their property onto plaintiffs' property. The court of appeals ruled that the diversion was unreasonable. We affirm the decision of the court of appeals. The primary issue is whether the petitioners, Roger and Betty Willemsen, owners of A. O. Bauer Glass, Inc. (collectively, Bauer Glass) are liable for damages caused to the property of Crest Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Cadillac, Inc. and Robert and Marilyn Doyle (collectively, Crest) under the reasonable use doctrine adopted by this court in State v. Deetz, 66 Wis. 2d 1, 224 N.W.2d 407 (1974). We hold that Bauer Glass acted unreasonably in diverting the flow of surface water from its property onto Crest's parcel. Bauer Glass is, therefore, liable to Crest for damages as a result of the surface water diversion. We also determine that although there is a general duty to mitigate avoidable consequences of harm caused by the creation of an intentional nuisance, Crest did not react unreasonably to the accumulation of surface water on its parcel.

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