Backhaus v. Renschler’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

17 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 17 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““Mere user of land by the public as a highway is insufficient of itself to establish a highway by prescription or long use. The user must be adverse and hostile to the rights of the owners; and mere travel by the public does not of itself constitute adverse use of the property by the public. Regardless of how long it is continued, a user by license or permission of the owner of the land sought to be impressed with the public easement of travel is not adverse and affords no basis for prescription. . . . “Permissive use has reference to the conduct of the landowner in acquiescing and consenting that the road be traveled by the public while adverse user imports an assertion of right on the part of those traveling the road, hostile to that of the owner. [Citation omitted.] The hostile use of a road over privately owned land necessary to establish a prescriptive right means a use inconsistent with the owner’s right to exclusive use. It does not imply enmity or ill will and is consistent with friendly relations between user of the road and landowner. [Citation .omitted.] [Emphasis added.]”

   4 later decisions quote this exact passage
   e.g. Mohr v. Tescher · Home of Economy v. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad

2. ““24-07-01. Public roads by prescription. — All public roads and highways within this state which have been or which shall be open and in use as such, during twenty successive years, hereby are declared to be public roads or highways and confirmed and established as such whether the same have been laid out, established, and opened lawfully or not.””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Mohr v. Tescher

3. ““ ‘It must be conceded that placing obstructions across a road, such as a gate, is a strong indication that the use by others is permissive only, and that erection of a gate or gates across the road tends to evidence an intention on the part of the owner to assume and assert ownership and possession of the land over which the road runs.’ ””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Mohr v. Tescher