Trespass and Nuisance Flashcards

1
Q

Trespass

A
  • entry onto someone else’s property w/o consent or privilege
  • interference w/ exclusive possession
  • intent to harm is not a requirement for trespassing
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2
Q

Trespass - Requirements/Components

A
  • Act -> Entry -> Wrongful Quality -> Specific Injuries
  • you need entry + wrongful quality in fact, but only need intent w/ respect to the physical act of entry (don’t need to intend that it’s wrongful)
  • don’t need to intend the specific injuries, + injuries can be nominal
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3
Q

Cleveland Park Club v. Perry - Facts

A
  • Cleveland Park Club = private social club
  • sues 9 yr old for trespass b/c he put a tennis ball in a pool drain -> caused damage
  • note that they sue for trespass rather than negligence b/c negligence would’ve taken into account age (reasonable care) vs. trespass only requires intent for the entry
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4
Q

Cleveland Park Club v. Perry - Rule

A
  • only need intent w/ respect to entry

- wrongfulness of entry must be present in fact, but you don’t need to intend it

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5
Q

Longenecker v. Zimmerman

A
  • case w/ the cedar trees - def thought own, + had them topped, trimmed, + cleaned of bagworms
  • intent only as to act - no intent as to wrongfulness + arguably no harm, but pl still entitled to nominal damages
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6
Q

Southern Counties IC Co v. RKO Radio Pictures

A
  • one who exercises complete dominion over property -> if anything happens during that period, it’s at your peril even if not your fault
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7
Q

Scribner v. Summers

A
  • def liable for barium contamination of neighboring property under theory of trespass
  • had to intend the act that amounted to/produced the unlawful invasion + had good reason to know or expect conditions were such that there’d be passage of contaminated water
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8
Q

Nuisance

A
  • substantial, intentional, + unreasonable interference w/ someone’s use + enjoyment of land
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9
Q

Elements of Nuisance

A
  • Intentional interference - purpose OR knowledge that invasion of another’s interest is resulting or substantially certain
  • substantial injury (physical invasion/harm most obvious, but there are other types of injury)
  • unreasonable
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10
Q

Nuisance - Determination of Unreasonability

A
  • if gravity of harm outweighs utility of actor’s conduct
  • if harm is serious + financial burden of compensating would not make the continuation of the conduct unfeasible
  • note that there can still be unreasonable harm even if utility outweighs the harm - just means you’re likely to get damages instead of an injunction
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11
Q

Rationale for Damages When Utility Outweighs Harm

A
  • concept that harm being done even if societal beneficial activity -> industry gave rise to the harm + therefore should be liable + internalize its costs
  • basic fairness: if conduct gave rise to the benefit, you ought to bear the burden
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12
Q

Gravity vs. Utility - Severe Harm

A
  • from Second Restatement
  • notion that regardless of utility of the activity, interference can be unreasonable if harm resulting from invasion severe + greater than other should be required to bear w/o compensation
  • some harms so severe that they require holding of unreasonable as a matter of law, no matter utility of activity
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13
Q

O’Cain v. O’Cain - Facts

A
  • hog-raising on strip of land owned by defs but right in front of pl’s house
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14
Q

O’Cain v. O’Cain - Decision + Reasoning

A
  • court grants injunction - largely balanced benefits of injunction to pls against inconvenience + damage to defs
  • odor + flies so bad homeowners didn’t want to use decks + didn’t want to be in home -> court said no rxn of an overly sensitive person
  • also testimony sale of home impacted
  • recognized general area of property rural + business of raising hogs legit + likely to occur in the area but said raising on the specific land unreasonable + unwarranted (pointed out def’s had other, more suitable places to raise the hogs)
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15
Q

Wheat v. Freeman Coal Mining Corp

A
  • pls owned 37.5 acre farm
  • defs coal mine interfered w/ use + enjoyment - large amounts of coal dust + smoke entered property + defs well burned + emitted noxious fumes
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16
Q

Wheat v. Freeman Coal Mining Corp

A
  • court evaluates whether conduct intentional (includes knowledge that invasion of another’s interest is resulting or substantially certain) + unreasonable
  • Requirements of nuisance: intentional interference (need to intend not only that particles will drift, but that they will interfere w/ pl’s use + enjoyment), substantial harm, + unreasonable actions