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<br />Hankins v. Borland, 431 P.2d 1007 (1967), Supreme Court of Colorado.
<br />
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<br />
<br />[In suit by lower proprietor to prevent upper proprietor from
<br />increasing drainage flow, it was held reasonable for upper party to
<br />assist lower in maintenance of latter's drains, with certain
<br />qualifications.]
<br />
<br />\\'lLLI^~I L. GOBI~ *J District Judge.
<br />
<br />\Vc rd~r to the plaintiff and def(tHhnt
<br />in {aor eith.:r by n<:l.me or ....5 ddcnd2.nt and
<br />, . _~.t: "5 tnc\.' ;;l.1lT"J"areJ in th...' trial court.
<br />p,:'.llJcI11 " .l}'4 ~< .
<br />)'1~,.!dc E. Borland sued twenty-four dc~
<br />fenC,'.!lt::'i in t.11C trial court to ci~join them I'.
<br />from il~Cr~~~itlg the yolumc of w:\tcr al-
<br />loweu to flo,'" fr0m their r(;~lH~cti\'c farm!
<br />I d. 0'-<"" he" lands Stlc cbimcd the I
<br />art':; .It'J' . .
<br />volo111e was in excess of t1l2.1 \\ hich pr(;vi-
<br />ou:,!y flowed thereon by virtue of an agrcc-
<br />rr.f'tlt Lct\vccn her a:-!d ccrtai[l predt:c<:"ssors
<br />in title of some of the defendants. :.1rs.
<br />I.' "]. II' a""',~d th"t the defendants be rc- I.
<br />,0. ,1 U ,K,-' . . ,
<br />str,Linc<.1 fr(lm discharging allY wat<:r unlus i
<br />aid until the antiqtl~.tted drain pipe on her '!
<br />bn,l w~s rcpain::d or re-l'!aced by the p~rties. :
<br />
<br />Thu.:: was a six d;1)' trial to the conrt \
<br />(!urillg- wnich t6tirno!1} was gi\"Ci1 con~crn~
<br />in:..: i;rlgation methods, quantity of water J
<br />
<br />us,~J, nlilOf1, anl..l t(Jpo~r~ph)' of the vari-
<br />ous bnJ:i. Thereafter the CIJ~rt clItercd
<br />its c:\.tcnsive Findillg.s of Fact, CQnelu~ior,s.
<br />of Law. Order, Juc!gm';;lll amI Decree, It
<br />inc1udcu an Injunct1ul1 against scven of tho:::
<br />defcnd.J.nts; however, defcnuanl IIank;r',s
<br />is the only one seeking reversal by this \\ 'fit
<br />
<br />of error.
<br />
<br />The situation gi\'ing rtsc to thc aClir~1l
<br />may 'be Slltllmarizcd a5 folto\\:s:
<br />
<br />.. I)i~:!id Jll.l;:." "jttin:; u:l,lcr ll.!'<;;n'f'lE'nt of
<br />C;'(l~ Cl,j('f Ja"li~^e llwld" 11{'<j':';si:QlIiJ cf
<br />
<br />Hankins' farm lies immediately above an,l
<br />southwest of Dorland's farm. Both farms
<br />arc part or a natural drainagt basin rUII'
<br />ning from the southwest to r.orthca..t.
<br />'This basin carrics s(:<:p;J.gt'. and SUr fa1': I:
<br />waters both from natural sources alP.! fr(Jm
<br />irrigatiolL The water flows frv:n tlt..
<br />higher Lnds of Ibnk:05 aml other ddcwl-
<br />ants in the trial court, the dominant owner:"
<br />across the 1all~i. of Barland, a serv'icnt own.
<br />cr.
<br />The porliL))1 of the drainilge syst~m \\ hi,_'h
<br />crusses Borland's L:Ln>J consi~ts of a 10 ir.(h
<br />drain tile instJ.lled in 1922 awl paid for 1);:
<br />her and persons wilQ were prctIcc.essOi"':
<br />in title of defeiiJants SauN and Sauky.
<br />The latter two are owners of sC'par;t~C
<br />L\nns higher in the drainage has!n. H.t111-
<br />ning Close and pari;tllel to this tile, ath1 Sl'f\."
<br />itlg to drain some of the higher JaThls, h
<br />all open drainage ditch r,et a r-,'1<:ttlcr of con-
<br />tention in this action,
<br />
<br />The portion of the dfaill"~c system \'I~
<br />Hankins' bwl was inst.~ll(:d prior to 1 'J I,'
<br />at the sole co~t of hi" I,!-,.:dcce;;sors jll tilk,
<br />It el..)nsists of a trough, a ShOft open dil.d',
<br />and a 15 inch tile which joins the 10 itl,"ll
<br />tile clr.1in cl'05:iing l:u;-iilJl'J'S !:inu .\fHl ('.If.
<br />ries \\-ater from lands of other JcfC'tl,la::I~.
<br />d co J "It ~r 'H'\'l'r.d
<br />including Sauer an 213.U CJ', .. t: -. .
<br />. f t" Ofll::'
<br />Years, it appeafs th~t a fJ(JrtHln (J lie, .
<br />- k] ] . -1 '.1 I t\;,.
<br />n~ll tile WJ.S bra 'en anI.. p I.1ggC{ ,..'
<br />, opt'n
<br />"'\'~ttcr floweJ for about 31)) fcd 111 an , I
<br />f . . r',)1\-'"
<br />ditch. Thi::: 300 /jot 5cctlcn wa'> ~j". .
<br />., 1". 1 ., b ,1(\'<'.(\ b~. JIalllll,~
<br />w:tn .) tEe 1 tllC a OU_ :'-"-'J .
<br />pt'C(1ec~'5sor in title.I
<br />.
<br />
<br />Artidf' yr, ~. (.tiern .r.(::l.l e,f tLr. ('toI'i~:itll.
<br />ULon (Jf CO]0;ildo.
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