To alleviate flooding, a municipality designed and planned certain modifications to its stormwater system. A quarry owner opposed the planned improvements and filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop the municipality from modifying its stormwater system as planned. The trial court denied the injunction and ruled that the municipality possessed an easement across the quarry that was granted by a predecessor owner of the quarry. The owner appealed.
On appeal, the Appellate Court upheld the ruling of the trial court. First, the Court determined that there was substantial evidence that the municipality held an easement across the quarry based on the installation of a stormwater pipe with the agreement of the predecessor quarry owner and language contained in an easement document. Next, the Court rejected the owner’s argument that the municipality had abandoned its easement. Finally, the Court held that the owner had not established the elements necessary to obtain an injunction. In sum, the Court upheld the ruling in favor of the municipality. Hanson Aggregates Midwest, Inc. v. Village of La Grange.
