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JANET D. MCDONALD,
JAMES B. STEGEMAN,
PLAINTIFFS CIVIL ACTION
FILE NO: 07CY1139&6
V
COMES NOW Plaintiffs in the above listed Civil Action and file their MOTION
TO STRIKE DEFANDANT'S ANSWERS_ Plaintiffs file their Brief In Support of
Motion To Strike Defendant's Answers contemporaneously
BY: 60~1
J T D. MCDUNA W, Pro Se
. 821 Sheppard Road
• Stone Mountain , GA 30(}83
~` 770) 879-8 737
l~ f
BY:
B . STEGF 1, Pro Se
. ..#f It
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I Certify that I have this 5d' day of March, 2008 sa ved a copy of the foregoing
PLAINTIFF'S MOTION and BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF'S MOTION TO
STRIKE DEFENDANT'S ANSWERS upon defendants through their attorney on file via
U.S.P.S., First Class mail, proper postage pre-paid as follows:
Troutman Sanders, LLP
Brian P. Watt
5200 Bank of America Pinza
600 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30308-2216
1ME$ Pro SC
821 Sheppard Rd
Stone Mov ntaiH, GA 30083
(770) 879-8737
Fileday of; p~
Candor Carter
Clark of Superior Court
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 3 of 29
.j
0
Y JANET D. MCDONALD,
JAMES B. STEGEMAN,
PLAINTIFFS CIVIL ACTION
FILE NO: U7G'v1139&6
V
P +
S BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIUFF"S
MOTION TO STRIKE DEFENDANT'S ANSWERS
I. Plaintiffs Property
Georgia Power has refused to address Pla intiffs claim that the Easement
agreement does not pertain to Plaintiffs property. Nowhere does the easement
agreement or the 1937 map show that Plaintiffs property is included in the agreement .'
To the contrary, Plaintiffs have attached a regular sized copy of the Easement
Agreement and an enlarged copy of the agreement so that it can be easily read. Plaintiffs
have also attached their Property Tax Results and a copy of the Property Map as shown
by DeKalb County. See Exhibit 1.
1 The facts clearly show that Georgia Power did not have an easement at 821 Sheppard
Road. Any reference Pla intiffs make about an easement an d their property is made only to
avoid confusion and to avoid Plaintiffs continually stating that Geor gia Power did not have an
easement agreement for their pro perty and for the sake of argument only.
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 4 of 29
The 1937 Easement shows the following description: "_ . . in Land Lot Number
Plaintiffs believed they were negotiating with Ms . Huddleston about the easement
issue, and it would be a matter for the Courts before the August 2007 cutting took place.
Georgia Power used State Patrol Troopers by making false statements about Mr . GofP s
life being threatened and "}roper legal documents" to do so even though DeKaIb County
Police, Sheriffs Deputy and Code Enforcement had determined that there was an
easement violation .
Georgia Power denies and would have this Court believe that Senior Troopers of
State of Georgia Department of Public Safety falsely swore their statements in an internal
investigation of the August incident at Plaintiff's home . Response to ¶¶s 54 , 55: " . . . that
Exhibit H . . . speaks for itself . . ." are inconsistent with their re sponse to ¶¶s 65, 66 which
concerns Matt Golf and what Matt Gaff represented to State Troopers : 65 :
". . .denies ., ."; 66: ". . . Georgia Power admits that Matt Go ff conveyed to Georgia State
Troopers that in 2004 . . . Plaintiff McDonald. . . would get her gun . . ." The facts clearly
show that at the 2004 cutting, there was an Officer on the scene, s hould such a threat had
been made, there would have been an arrest or a Police report in the least .
In recent Discovery requests from Defendant s to Plaintiffs, Plaintiffs provided the
other Senior Trooper's statement on the incident in which Senior Trooper Mathis clearly
states that Matt Goff told him ". . . that he had met with the homeowner approximately
one month ago and was . . ." ".. also advise us that Georgia power had obtained the legal
paperwork to perform the job ." Matt Goff had never been threatened by Plaintiffs and
Georgia Power had not acquired "legal paperwork" which could only mean a Court Order
which is what the Troopers told Plaintiffs Georgia Power said they had .
-2-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 5 of 29
Plaintiffs have endured a dispute with Georgia Power and have been without the
assets to hire legal counsel to protect their Rights . Plaintiffs are still without the funds for
an attorney and filed this civil action Pro Se against their will and better judgment, but
the violations of Plaintiff s Rights and property must end .
There is no reference to what information, where it came from, who the individuals were
and further states : "without knowledge or information sufficient . . ." as shown in the
following fifty paragraphs: 1, 2, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 , 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 31 ,
32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41 , 42, 43, 44, 45 , 46, 47, 54, 7 8, 84, 85, 89, 91, 92, 1 00, 101,
103 , i04, 105, 110, 1 i 1 , 112, 113, i24, i27, 12$.
-3-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 6 of 29
The only record attached to the Verified answer is one of the Easement
agreements March 17, 1941, the Easement agreement dated May 4, 1937 was not
included, both agreements had been provided to Plaintiffs by Georgia Power and Ms .
Huddleston. ;
Ms . Huddleston's letter to Plaintiff Stegeman stated that Georgia Power had an
Easement Agreement with the previous owner ; Plaintiffs challenged that statement, Ms .
Huddleston changed her statement from `previous owner" to "Dr . Wells", and provided
the May 4, ] 937 and March 1 7, 1941 agreements, neither of which show any definite
reference to Plaintiff's property .
In the Magistrate Hearing of September 2007 at which Ms . Huddleston was
present, Georgia Power's attorney told the Judge that the pole2 had been in place since
"1941-42" . Georgia Power's Counterclaim, pg. 31 19 states ". . . maintained and utilized
its easement in an uninterrupted, open notorious manner for over twenty years". The pole
has not been in the same place for twenty years, this is evidenced by the inspection
plaque and the size of Plaintiff's trees cut and addressed in the complaint . This is a
falsely sworn statement . Plaintiffs have had an on-going dispute with Georgia Power
which was not refuted at the Magistrate Hearing .
Plaintiffs have been unable to find one pole on Sheppard Road that has been in
place for 20 years . Further O.C .G.A. §44-9-40 shows that 20' is the maximum easement
in Georgia, every pole on Sheppard Road is in violation . Georgia Power claims the they
have a right to keep clear another 15' around the pole . Should the pole have been placed
in accordance with the 1937 map showing pole locations at 5'2" and add the 15' Georgia
Power claims to have a right to clear for their lines and poles, it comes up to 20' as stated
in the statute .
Q.C.G.A.§44-9-40
"(a) The superior court shall have jurisdiction . . ."
"(b) When any person or corporation of this state . . . ingress,
and egress not to exceed 20 feet in width over and across the
property of the private person or corporation . . ."
-4-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 7 of 29
Response to 144 Georgia Power states : " that the terms of the deed granting
Georgia Power easement rights over Plaintiffs property require that "[n]ay timber cut on
said land by or for said Company shall remain the property of the owner of said timber ."
One would believe that Georgia Power is stating that they have almost any kind of
-5-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 8 of 29
eas ement available except for a "timber easement" which is defined by Black's Law
Dictionary Seventh edition, pg. 529 : "timber easement . An easement that permit s the
holder to cut and remove timber from another's property." One would as sume that
Georgia Power is stating that they do not have a "timber easement", Georgia Power
admitted that timber was cut , but said timber was the property of the owner .
In Plaintiff's attempt to understand the statement, they came up the following
meanings of "timber":
See :
TIMBER -General term applied to forests and their products .
-Sawed lumber more than 4 by 4 inches in breadth and
thickness .3
Tim tiers :
n. 1 . a. Trees or wooded land considered as a source of wood .
b. Wood used as a building material; lumber .
2. a. A dressed piece of wood, especially a beam in a
structure .
b. Nautical A rib in a sip's frame .
3 . A person considered to have qualities suited for a particular
activity: That trainee is executive timber .
Ti mber:6
Definition : That sort o f wood which is proper for buildings
or for tools , utensils, firniture , carriages, fences, ships, and
the like ; usually said of felled trees, but sometimes of those
standing. Cf. Lumber,
Definition : The body, stem, or trunk of a tree .
Definition : A single piece or squared stick of wood
intended for building, or already fi arced ;
-6-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 9 of 29
Plaintiffs agree that Georgia Power has destroyed trees that are over 20 years in
age and/or that are large enough to be used for building material . Plaintiff's trees could
not be the size they are had Georgia Power's pole continuously been in the same location
for 20 or more years . Besides, mandatory inspections are done to all wooden poles, at the
time of inspections a metal plaque is attached to the pole to show the inspection date .
The pole at the 831 property lacks inspection plaques going back 20 years .
III. Easements/Condemnation
Georgia Power admits to having attorneys on staff for land and easements and
knows that such disputes are for determination made only by a Superior Court Judge .
Georgia Power further has fiill knowledge of condemnation and the procedures thereof,
ignoring Georgiaa statute, they illegally took Plaintiff's property, and violated easement
agreements with other property owners of Sheppard Road .
Jackson E lectric Membersh ip Corporation v . Echols, et., at., addresses an
easement executed in August 1941 very similar except in the instant case there was no
easement agreement and Plaintiffs also have possession of the Original 1937 map that
shows where the poles were to have been placed .
See the following:
Jackson Electric Membership Corporation v . Echols, et., al.,
1951 .GA.484 VERSUSLAW, 66 S.E.2d 770, 84 Ga. App.
610 Affirmed:
At [13]: "White the easement relied upon by the pla intiff did
not speci fically designate the location or the extent of the line
or systemm of lines to be erected on and over the defendants'
lands, the subsequent erection of a line and the termination of
-7-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 10 of 29
See also Bibb County v. Georgia Power Co ., 241 Ga. Agp. 131 , 525 S.E.2d 136
which was reversed in part and affirmed in part . In arguing summary judgment, the
parties focus first on the validity of a 1941 agreement between Bibb County and Georgia
Power
Bibb County v. Georgia Power Co ., 24 1 Ga. App. 131 , 525
S.E.2d 136 VERSUSLAW (Ga.App. 11 /1011999)
- 8-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 11 of 29
-Q-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 12 of 29
The Courts have cons istently held that once an easement agreement is made, it
cannot be altered, see also Herren v . Pettengill, 273 Ga. 122, 273 Ga. 122, 538 S.E.2d
735, 538 S.E.2d 735 (Ga. 11/13/2000) Affi rmed :
Herren v. Pettengill , 273 Ga . 122, 273 Ga . 122, 538 S.E.2d
735 , 538 S .E.2d 735 VERSUSLAW (Ga . 11/13/2000) At [9]:
"Because the owner of the servient estate cannot sub stantially
alter or relocate an ea sement without the consent of the owner
of the dominant estate, we affirm ."
At (131 : " . . . once the location becomes fixed , the same rule
controls relocation issues , so long as the grant conta ins no
conditions or reservations . *fn4 " at [241: "*fn4 See William
B. Johnson, Annotation, Locating Easement of Way Created
by Necessity , 34 A.L.R. 4th 769 (1985); Annotation, Locating
Easement of Way of Neces sity, 68 A.L .R. 528 (1930) ."
- 10 -
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 13 of 29
See McMahon v . Hines, 298 Ill. App. 3d 231 , 236 , 697 N .E.2d 1199
(1998) . :
"The power company's rights are not, however, unlimited . The power
company must not inflict unnecessary damage to the land nor may its
-11-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 14 of 29
exerc i se of its right unreasonably increase the burden placed on the servient
tenement." Kell, 170 W.Va. at 17 , 289 S.E.2d at 454.
"The vast major ity of trees and shrub s were not a threat to the
electrical line nor [did the defendant) claim that they were ."
Stirling, 344 So. 2d at 429 .
In Marshall v. Georgia Power Co., 134 Ga. App. 479 , 214 S .E.2d 728
(1975), the plaintiff sued the defendant for cutting down Christmas trees on
his property located withi n an easement granted to the defendant in 1925 by
the plaintiffs predecessor that gave the defendant authority to trim and
remove trees and underbrush . . . Marshall , 134 Ga . App. at 479, 214 S.E.2d
at 730:
- 12-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 15 of 29
Although the instant case is different than most of those detailed above because , in
those cases , the utility company was specifically granted the right to cut down or remove
trees in addition to the right to trim, the cases are nonetheless instructive on the issue of
when conduct falls within or exceeds the scope of an easement based on the specific
language of the relevant easement .8
g United States Court of Appeals, Second Division Appeal from the Circuit Court of Cook
County, IL Robert J . Duresa and Bonnie S . Duresa, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v . Commonwealth
Edison Company, a/k/a/ COM ED, Defendant-Appellee ; JUSTICE BURKE delivered the
opinion
-13
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 16 of 29
V. Contract Construction
Plaintiffs and Defendants have had an Easement dispute for several years,
acknowledged before the Magistrate Judge September 2007 . Although the Plaintiffs have
never had the money to hire an attorney to enforce their Rights concerning their property
and Georgia Power has continually taken advantage of that fact, Plaintiffs continually
protested to Georgia Power .
Georgia Power has past experience with easement disputes and knows that
easement i ssues are governed by the rules of contract construction . Irvin v . Laxmi, Inc.,
266 Ga. 204, 205 (467 SE2d 510) (1996) .
See
Municipal Electric Authority of Georg ia, et., al . v. Gold-
Arrow Farms, Inc., et., al . ; Georgia Power Company v. Gold-
Arrow Farms, Inc., et., al.; Interstate F ibernet, Inc. v. Gold-
Arrow Farms , Inc., et., al . A05A1400, A05A1401,
AOSAi402 . COURT OF APPEALS OF GEORGIA 276 Ga .
App . 862; 625 S .E.2d 57 ; 2005 Ga . App. LEXIS 1 319 ; 2005 .
Affirmed in part , reversed in part and remanded in part .
-1 4 -
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 17 of 29
VI. Default
Service was perfected November 2, 2007 . Having not received a responsive
pleading on December 5 , 2007, Plaintiff McDonald contacted the Clerk for the
Honorable Judge Becker and was told that there had been no responsive pleading
filed. Neither the Plaintiffs nor this Court rece ived Defendant 's responsive pleadings
within the 30 days mandated by statute . See O.C.G.A . §9-11-12 :
OCGA 49-11-12
(a) When answer presented.
"A defendant shall serve his answer within 30 days after the service
of the summons and complaint upon him . . ."
Further, Defendants failed to Motion to open default and or pay the costs to open
default, this case therefore stands in default under O .C.G.A. §9-11 -55 :
OCGA„§ 9-11-55
"When an answer ha s not been filed within the time required the
case automatically becomes in default."
Plaintiffs have neither waived their Right to have the Defendant's Answers
stricken nor their Right to Default Judgment . See the following:
Ewing et., al., v. Johnston9 175 Ga. 1221 (334 S .E.2d 703)
VERSUSLAW, 1985 :
9 Plaintiffs were unable to find exact cases to cite and realize the difference in circumstances
between Ewing v. Johnston and the instant case .
-15-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 18 of 29
See also :
-16-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 19 of 29
D .~
PRAYER
Plaintiffs have shown the following: Georgia Power had full knowledge that there
was no easement concerning Plaiatitrs property, full knowledge of the dispute and had
decided to ignore Georgia statutes and took matters into their own hands .
Plaintiffs have shown this Honorable Court that the Verified Answers are
insufficient, and unresponsive, and falsely sworn to . Plaintiffs have further shown that
the Counterclaim filed by Defendants requests relief which cannot be granted.
Georgia Power filed an untimely answer the results of which are they are in
Default, and they have failed to Open Default and/or pay the fees to Open Default .
Plaintiffs Pray that this Honorable Court will consider the foregoing paragraphs
and Grant their Motion To Strike Defendant's Verified Answers.
BY: ~.
JANET D. MCDONALD, Pro Se
821 Sheppard Road
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
/-7(770) 879-8737
Fted9bay o 12f
Linda Carter
Clerk of Superior Court
-17-
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 20 of 29
.1
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I Certify that I have this 5P day of March, 2008 served a copy of the foregoing
PLAINTIFF'S MOTION and BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIff'S MOTION TO
STRIKE DEFENDANT'S ANSWERS capon defendants through their attorney on file via
U.S.P.S., First Class mail, proper postage pm-paid as follows:
Troutm an Sanders, LLP
Brian P. Watt
5200 Bank of A merica Plaza
600 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30308-2216
D. MCDUN , Pro Se
821 Sheppard Rd
Mautsin, GA 30083
(770) 879-8737
1TrSLep~rd Rd
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
(770) 879-8737
- 18 -
Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 21 of 29
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Case 1:08-cv-01971-WSD Document 9-4 Filed 07/11/2008 Page 22 of 29
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Tax Sale information
For additional Information on the data above, contact the Property
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