THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SUPREME COURT No. 2009-0690 2010 TERM APRIL SESSION TARBELL ADMINISTRATOR, INC., TRUSTEE OF THE TARBELL FAMILY REVOCABLE TRUST OF 2003 v. CITY OF CONCORD RULE 7 APPEAL FROM FINAL DECISION OF MERRIMACK COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT PLAINTIFF’S BRIEF By: Friedrich K. Moeckel, Esq. NH Bar ID No. 16472 Tarbell & Brodich Professional Association 45 Centre Street Concord, New Hampshire 03301 603.226.3900 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ................................................................................................... iii QUESTIONS PRESENTED......................................................................................................1 STATEMENT OF THE CASE ..................................................................................................3 STATEMENT OF FACTS.........................................................................................................4 SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT .................................................................................................7 ARGUMENT.............................................................................................................................8 I. STANDARD OF REVIEW ...............................................................................8 II. THE TRIAL COURT IMPERMISSIBLY REJECTED ALL FACTS RELATED TO HOW THE CITY CHOSE TO REGULATE/NOT REGULATE ITS WATER AND THE RELEASE THEREOF ........................8 A. THE TRIAL COURT MISINTERPRETED AND MISAPPLIED THIS COURT’S HOLDING IN TARBELL ADM’R, INC. ..................................8 B. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN GRANTING THE CITY SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE TRUST’S TRESPASS CLAIM...........................10 C. THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN GRANTING THE CITY SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE TRUST’S NUISANCE CLAIM ..........................12 III. PROVING THE CITY NEGLIGENTLY MAINTAINED RATTLESNAKE BROOK AND ITS CULVERTS DOES NOT REQUIRE EXPERT TESTIMONY ..................................................................................................15 A. STANDARD OF REVIEW .......................................................................15 B. THE NEW HAMPSHIRE TEST FOR THE NECESSITY OF EXPERT TESTIMONY ............................................................................................17 C. EXTRA-JURISDICTIONAL TESTS FOR THE NECESSITY OF EXPERT TESTIMONY IN FLOOD CASES ..........................................20 D. THIS CASE DOES NOT REQUIRE EXPERT TESTIMONY ................23 i IV. THE TRIAL COURT’S ORDER GRANTING THE CITY’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE TRUST’S TRESPASS AND NUISANCES CLAIMS IS A COMPENSABLE UNCONSTITUTIONAL TAKING OF THE TRUST’S PROPERTY.....................................................24 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................26 REQUEST FOR ORAL ARGUMENT AND CERTIFICATION ..........................................27 APPENDIX..............................................................................................................................28 ii TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Federal Cases Barnes v. U. S., 538 F.2d 865 (Ct.Cl. 1976) ................................................................................................24, 25 New Hampshire Cases Blecatsis v. Manchester Gas Co., 103 N.H. 542 (1961) ..........................................................................................................17, 18 Boynton v. Figueroa, 154 N.H. 592 (2006) ................................................................................................................16 Brackett v. Bellows Falls Hydro-Electric Corp., 87 N.H. 173 (1934) ..................................................................................................................11 Burrows v. City of Keene, 121 N.H. 590 (1981) ................................................................................................................24 Carbone v. Tierney, 154 N.H. 521 (2004). ...............................................................................................................18 Dunlop v. Daigle, 122 N.H. 295 (1982)................................................................................................................12 Estate of Joshua T. v. State, 150 N.H. 405 (2003)................................................................................................................15 Estate of Sicotte v. Lubin & Meyer, P.C., 157 N.H. 670 (2008)................................................................................................................16 Hauser v. Calawa, 116 N.H. 676 (1976)................................................................................................................14 Heston v. Ousler, 119 N.H. 58 (1979)..................................................................................................................12 In re Gronvaldt, 150 N.H. 551 (2004)..........................................................................................................16, 19 Jones v. Tucker, 41 N.H. 546 (1860) ..................................................................................................................21 iii Lemay v. Burnett, 139 N.H. 633 (1974) ................................................................................................................17 Moulton v. Groveton Papers Co., 112 N.H. 50 (1972)..................................................................................................................10 Porter v. City of Manchester, 151 N.H. 30 (2004)..................................................................................................................20 Powell v. Catholic Medical Center, 145 N.H. 7 (2000)....................................................................................................................20 Purdie v. Attorney General, 143 N.H. 661, 667 (1999) ........................................................................................................24 Robie v. Lillis, 112 N.H. 492 (1972)................................................................................................................12 Schneider v. Plymouth State College, 144 N.H. 458 (1999) ................................................................................................................16 Silva v. Warden, 150 N.H. 372 (2003)................................................................................................................16 Smith v. HCA Health Serv. of N. H., Inc., 159 N.H. 158 (2009)................................................................................................................15 Tarbell Adm’r, Inc. v. City of Concord, 157 N.H. 678 (2008)........................................................................................................ passim Thibault v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 118 N.H. 802 (1978)................................................................................................................14 Transmedia Restaurant Co., Inc. v. Devereaux, 149 N.H. 454 (2003)................................................................................................................20 Whitaker v. L.A. Drew, Inc., 149 N.H. 55 (2003) ............................................................................................................16, 18 White v. Suncook Mills, 91 N.H. 92 (1940)....................................................................................................................10 Wood v. Public Serv. Co. of N.H., 114 N.H. 182 (1974)..........................................................................................................17, 19 Wong v. Ekberg, 148 N.H. 369 (2002) ................................................................................................................18 iv Extra-Jurisdictional Cases City of New Albany v. Charles Barkley, 510 So.2d 805 (Miss. 1987).....................................................................................................22 County of Nueces v. Floyd, 609 S.W.2d 271 (Tex.Civ.App. -Corpus Christi 1980)...........................................................21 Davis v. City of Mebane, 512 S.E.2d 450 (N.C.App. 1999).............................................................................................22 Moore v. Assoc. Material and Supply Co., 948 P.2d 652 (1999) ....................................................................................................20, 21, 23 Nemet v. Boston Water and Sewer Com’n, 775 N.E.2d 750 (Mass.App.Ct. 2002) .....................................................................................21 San Diego Gas & Electric Co. v. Super. Ct., 920 P.2d 669 (Cal. 1996).........................................................................................................14 Tarrant Regional Water Dist. v. Gragg, 43 S.W.3d 609 (Tex.App.-Waco 2001) ...................................................................................21 Treatises Restatement (Second) of Torts § 826 (1979)........................................................................... 13-14 v QUESTIONS PRESENTED I. Whether the trial court erred in interpreting Tarbell Adm’r, Inc. v. City of Concord, 157 N.H. 678 (2008) as limiting the City’s liability to its failure to remove debris? Preserved: Appx. to Brief, (Record “R”) p. 115, 116, 118-19. II. Whether the trial court erred in interpreting Tarbell Adm’r, Inc., as limiting the Trust’s trespass and nuisance claims to facts relating to debris as opposed to water? Preserved: R., pp. 115,