LUNOD v MENESES (1908) Torres, J. Bulacan, BUlacan •
FACTS: •
Nicolas Lunod, et al, residents Bulacan, Bulacan, filed a written complaint aainst !iino "eneses t#e$ eac# owned and possessed farm lands situated "a$ Tunas and Balot, near a small la%e named &alalaran defendant' owner of a fis#pond and a strip of land situated in araanan, ad*oinin ad*oinin t#e &alalaran la%e on one side, and t#e +ier Taliptip on t#e ot#er (from time immemorial, i.e., for more t#an twent$ $ears -efore 1901), t#ere was a statutor$ easement in faor of r ice fields of petitioners, permittin t#e flow of water oer t#e said land in araanan, w#ic# easement t#e said plaintiffs en*o$ed until t#e $ear 1901 t#e water collected upon t#eir lands and in t#e &alalaran La%e could flow t#rou# araanan into t#e Taliptip +ier defendant, wit#out an$ ri#t or reason, conerted t#e land in araanan into a fis# pond dam and a -am-oo net, preented t#e/ free passae of t#e water t#rou# said place into t#e Taliptip +ier lands of t#e plaintiff -ecame flooded and damaed -$ t#e stanant waters, (land in araanan was onl$ outlet) plantations destro$ed plaintiffs lands and &alalaran la%e are located in places relatiel$ #i#er t#an sitio araanan araanan w#ere t#e land and fis# pond of t#e defendant are situated situated durin rain$ season, onl$ outlet of rain water from land of plaintiffs &alalaran la%e Taliptio rier is t#rou# t#e low land of araanan on -orderline -etween &alalaran and araanan dam, constructed -$ t#e communit$ for t#e purpose of preentin t#e salt waters from t#e Taliptip +ier, at #i# tide, from floodin t#e land in &alalaran (t#is dam was opened w#en t#ere was #ea$ rainfall) defendants dam (now t#e nd dam) alon t#e -oundar$ of #is fis# pond in araanan, t#ere-$ impedin t#e outlet laintiffs as%ed t#at defendant -e ordered to remoe and destro$ o-structions to free passafe of waters 2efendant' no statutor$ easement e3isted owned area and -oundaries
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HELD •
owner of t#e lower lands can not erect wor%s t#at will impede or preent suc# an easement or c#are, constituted and imposed -$ t#e law upon #is estate for t#e -enefit of t#e #i#er lands -elonin to different owners neit#er can t#e latter do an$t#in to increase or e3tend t#e easement o A 530. 530. easement is a c#are imposed upon one estate for t#e -enefit of anot#er estate -elonin to a different owner, and t#e realt$ in faor of w#ic# t#e easement is
esta-lis#ed is called t#e dominant estate, and t#e one c#ared wit# it t#e serient estate Lands of araanan are lower 4 su-*ect 4 su-*ect to easement of receiin and iin passae to waters from #i#er lands, and &alalran la%e 5asement not constituted -$ areement 4 6T7TUT+ N7TU+5, imposed for ct#e common pu-lic utilit$ o A 552. 552. Lower estates must receie t#e waters w#ic# naturall$ and wit#out t#e interention of man descend from t#e #i#er estates, as well as t#e stone or eart# w#ic# t#e$ cair$ wit# t#em. :Neit#er ma$ t#e owner of t#e lower estate construct wor%s preentin t#is easement, nor t#e one of t#e #i#er estate wor%s increasin t#e -urden. A563.. #e esta-lis#ment, e3tent, form, and A563 o conditions of t#e easements of waters to w#ic# t#is section refers s#all -e oerned -$ t#e special law relatin t#ereto in eer$t#in not proided for in t#is code o 6pecial Law' Law of Waters of Auust 3!"#66! art$%&e """. """. Lands situated at a lower leel are su-*ect to receie t#e waters t#at flow naturall$, wit#out t#e wor% of man, from t#e #i#er lands toet#er wit# t#e stone or eart# w#ic# t#e$ carr$ wit# t#em.: 7;<0, ;;, ;=<, and Law of >aters of 7uust <,18==, article 111 "eneses, #ad no ri#t to construct t#e wor%s, nor t#e dam w#ic# -loc%s t#e passae, t#rou# #is lands and t#e outlet to t#e Taliptip +ier, of t#e waters w#ic# flood t#e #i#er lands of t#e plaintiffs and #ain done so, to t#e detriment of t#e easement c#ared on #is estate, #e #as iolated t#e law >#ile A33# aut#ori?es A33# aut#ori?es eer$ owner to enclose #is estate -$ means of walls, ditc#es, fences or an$ ot#er deice, t#is ri#t is limited -$ t#e easement imposed upon #is estate. !is ri#t to construct necessar$ wor%s for fis#pond su-*ect to o-liation to respect statuor$ easement of waters upon #is propert$, i.e., to ie passae to and allow t#e flow of t#e waters descendin from t#e &alalaran La%e and from t#e land of t#e plaintiffs t#rou# #is lands in araanan for t#eir disc#are into t#e Taliptip +ier Co'%&us$o': +espondent ordered to emoe an$ o-stacle t#at ma$ o-struct t#e free passae of t#e waters a-stain from impedin, in an$ manner, t#e flow of t#e waters comin from t#e #i#er lands
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