Litigation Victories: In Hankin v. Sewall, the Court found prescriptive easements for a group of Phippsburg residents whose neighbors sought to block or limit access to their property.

Drummond Woodsum is thrilled to share a recent courtroom win for our clients in Hankin. v. Sewall. The case concerned access to properties located on Small Point in Phippsburg, via the Navy Road.  Drummond Woodsum represented the plaintiffs and a number of aligned parties who own property at the end of Small Point.  The clients and their predecessors in title have been using the Navy Road to access their property for decades.  The Defendants erected a gate to block or limit their access.  The plaintiffs filed a motion for TRO and named all parties on the road, many of whom shared the same interests as the plaintiffs.  The Court initially granted the TRO, allowing our clients to use the Navy Road during the pendency of the lawsuit. After extensive discovery, the case was recently tried.  Following a one-week trial, the Court found that the plaintiffs and the other landowners south of the Defendants’ property have prescriptive easements for year-round residential usage of the Navy Road, and related rights.  This ruling prohibits the Defendants from blocking, gating, or interfering with our clients’ usage of the road, ensuring the long-term safeguarding of access to their land.  Attorneys Liz Germani and Jeff Piampiano were honored to have represented the plaintiffs and numerous other interested parties in this important matter, securing a significant legal victory.