Page 4 Flashcards
If you lawfully enter land, and then stay even though you have a duty to leave, what have you committed?
Trespass to land
If you believe the land is your own, can you be guilty of trespass to land?
Yes
What is a person liable for if they commit a trespass to land?
Any damage that happened while they are trespassing to either person or property, even if it wasn’t foreseeable
If you trespass on land and someone has a heart attack because of the confrontation, are you liable for that heart attack?
Yes, because you’re liable for harm to persons or property even if it wasn’t foreseeable
What must the physical invasion be for trespass to land?
Something of substance (more than noises or smells)
Can an airborne pesticide count as an invasion for trespass to land?
Yes, as long as actual harm results
When is a trespass complete?
When you intentionally intrude
What is the property doctrine of easement?
Possessor has ownership but allows a prerogative for someone else to enter below the surface
What is an example of the property doctrine of easement?
Government lays tracks under your land
How are airlines related to trespass to land?
You can’t sue them unless they cause injury because navigable airspace is for public use
How much right does the landowner have to the air above his land?
The immediate reaches above the land (usually the airspace below the minimum flight altitude, or lower than 50 feet)
What are all of the types of damages that can be collected for trespass to land?
- nominal
- physical
- compensatory
- injunctive
- punitive
- extended liability
What are nominal damages for trespass to land?
Defendant is liable for at least nominal damages even if no physical harm is done, because he intruded on the plaintiff’s right to exclusive possession
How do you measure physical damages for trespass to land?
If land is harmed, damages can be measured by either:
- the cost of repair, or
- diminution in the value of the premises
What are compensatory damages?
Given for the loss of use of land and for emotional distress or annoyance caused by trespassers
What is injunctive relief for trespass to land?
Injunction to:
- stop the trespassing
- force defendant to leave the land
- remove something placed on the land