GRAND TRUNK WEST. R. CO. v. ACME BELT RECOATING

Nos. 4:87-CV-364, 1:90-CV-397.

859 F.Supp. 1125 (1994)

GRAND TRUNK WESTERN RAILROAD COMPANY, Plaintiff, v. ACME BELT RECOATING, INC., et al., Defendants. UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff, v. GENERAL FOODS CORPORATION, et al., Defendants.

United States District Court, W.D. Michigan, Southern Division.

August 12, 1994.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Michael L. Shiparski, W. Francesca Ferguson, Asst. U.S. Attys., Michael H. Dettmer, U.S. Atty., Grand Rapids, MI, Michael J. McNulty, Thomas A. Mariani, Jr., Richard B. Stewart, Susan L. Schneider, Anna L. Wolgast, Environment & Natural Resources Div., Environmental Enforcement Section, Jon M. Lipshultz, Environmental Defense Section, Land & Natural Resources Div., Leslie E. Lehnert, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Environmental Enforcement Section, Washington, DC, Roger Grimes, Asst. Regional Atty., U.S. E.P.A., Region V, Chicago, IL, for the U.S.

Larry C. Willey, Grand Rapids, MI, Timothy A. Vanderver, Jr., John H. Martin, David J. Farber, Patton, Boggs & Blow, Washington, DC, for General Foods Corp.

Larry C. Willey, Grand Rapids, MI, David J. Hayes, Peter L. Winik, Latham & Watkins, Washington, DC, for Lasco Industries, Inc.

Robert P. Hamilton, Sullivan, Hamilton, Schulz, Allen & Letzring, Battle Creek, MI, John R. LaParl, Jr., John R. LaParl, Sr., Smith, LaParl & Mequio, Portage, MI, for Cello-Foil Products, Inc.

Larry C. Willey, Grand Rapids, MI, Mary Beth Cyze, Susan M. Franzetti, Gardner, Carton & Douglas, Chicago, IL, for Acme Printing Ink Co.

Larry C. Willey, Grand Rapids, MI, Jeffrey O. Cerar, Cynthia G. Irmer, Squires, Sanders & Dempsey, Washington, DC, Timothy C. Russell, Stuart E. Hunt, Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, Washington, DC, for Hoover Universal, Inc.

Larry C. Willey, Grand Rapids, MI, Michael L. McCluggage, Thomas W. Daggett, Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon, Chicago, IL, for Clark Equipment Co.

Paul T. Sorensen, Eugene E. Smary, Warner, Norcross & Judd, Grand Rapids, MI, for Kellogg Co.

R. Craig Hupp, Bodman, Longley & Dahling, Detroit, MI, for Grand Trunk Western R. Co., amicus.

Charles R. Bappert, Biringer, Hutchinson & Van Doren, P.C., Coldwater, MI, for Acme Belt Recoating.

Daniel P. King, Michael J. Nolan, Cortney E. Kelly, Kohl, Secrest, Wardle, Lynch, Clark & Hampton, Farmington Hills, MI, for Acheson Industries, Inc., Akemi Plastics, Inc., Armstrong Intern., Inc., Crotty Corp.

Ann F. Goodman, Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone, Lansing, MI, Gregory J. DeGulis, Janik & Bell, Cleveland, OH, for Acorn Bldg. Components, Inc.

John C. Fish, James, Dark & Brill, Kalamazoo, MI, Steven C. Kohl, Howard & Howard, P.C., Bloomfield Hills, MI, Richard D. McCormick, Bott & Spencer, P.C., Muskegon, MI, for Bennett Mfg. Co.

Dustin P. Ordway, Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & Freeman, Grand Rapids, MI, for Bronson Specialties, Inc., Motor Wheel Corp.

Stephen D. Turner, Law, Weathers & Richardson, Grand Rapids, MI, for Douglas Component Corp., Eaton Corp., Sinclair and Valentine Co., Inc., Stauffer Chemical Co.

Kenneth R. Oosterhouse, Farr & Oosterhouse, Grand Rapids, MI, Barry L. Malter, Jerome C. Muys, Jr., Jeffrey M. Karp, Paula E. Shoyer, Swidler & Berlin, Washington, DC, Steven L. Skahn, Grand Rapids, MI, for Emhart Industries, Inc., Bostick Chemical Div.

Jack D. Shumate, Darlene M. Domanik, Diane B. Carley, Butzel Long, Detroit, MI, Jean McCreary, Robert E. Bernius, Nixon, Hargrave, Devons & Doyle, Rochester, NY, for Federated Publication, Inc.

Margaret A. Coughlin, Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & Freeman, Detroit, MI, Robert E. Costello, Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI, Richard A. Glaser, Dustin P. Ordway, Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & Freeman, Grand Rapids, MI, for Ford Motor Co.

Kenneth R. Oosterhouse, Farr & Oosterhouse, Grand Rapids, MI, Robert S. Hartford, Jr., Nadler, Nadler & Burdman Co., Youngstown, OH, Steven L. Skahn, Grand Rapids, MI, for G.F. Corp.

Nancy M. Kollar, Winston & Strawn, Chicago, IL, Steven L. Skahn, Grand Rapids, MI, for Hillsdale Tool & Mfg. Co.

James W. Smith, Hatch & Smith, Kalamazoo, MI, John R. Dresser, Dresser Law Office, P.C., Sturgis, MI, for Label Technique, Inc.

Jon R. Muth, Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey, Grand Rapids, MI, Ross E. Chapman, Amy J. Glass, Deming, Hughey, Lewis, Allen & Chapman, P.C., Kalamazoo, MI, for Landscape Forms, Inc.

Millard N. Mayhall, Schroeder, DeGraw, Kendall & Mayhall, Marshall, MI, for Marshall Brass Co.

Dustin P. Ordway, Dickinson, Wright, Moon, Van Dusen & Freeman, Grand Rapids, MI, for Michigan Carton Corp.

Kenneth R. Oosterhouse, Farr & Oosterhouse, Grand Rapids, MI, Reed S. Oslan, Kirkland & Ellis, Chicago, IL, Richard W. Winchell, Elkhart, IN, Steven L. Skahn, Grand Rapids, MI, for Miles, Inc.

Kenneth R. Oosterhouse, Farr & Oosterhouse, Grand Rapids, MI, Thomas F. Karaba, Charles W. Siragusa, Crowley Barrett & Karaba, Ltd., Chicago, IL, Steven L. Skahn, Grand Rapids, MI, for O'Brien Corp.

Douglas W. VanEssen, Law, Weathers & Richardson, Grand Rapids, MI, for Production Plated Plastics, Inc.

Kenneth R. Oosterhouse, Farr & Oosterhouse, Grand Rapids, MI, William A. Ruskin, Lord, Day & Lord, New York City, Steven L. Skahn, Grand Rapids, MI, for Reichhold Chemical, Inc.

Kenneth R. Oosterhouse, Farr & Oosterhouse, Grand Rapids, MI, Richard W. Paulen, Jean Leslie Doyle, Laurence Alan McHugh, Barnes & Thornburg, South Bend, IN, Cynthia S. Gillard, James V. Woodsmall, Warrick, Weaver & Boyn, Elkhart, IN, Steven L. Skahn, Grand Rapids, MI, for Rinker Boat Co.

Stephen P. Vella, John Gerald Gleeson, Harvey, Kruse, Westen & Milan, P.C., Troy, MI, for Scowcraft Co.

Kenneth R. Oosterhouse, Farr & Oosterhouse, Grand Rapids, MI, Richard W. Paulen, Jean Leslie Doyle, Laurence Alan McHugh, Barnes & Thornburg, South Bend, IN, Steven L. Skahn, Grand Rapids, MI, for Starcraft Corp., Youngdoor.

Kenneth R. Oosterhouse, Farr & Oosterhouse, Grand Rapids, MI, Susan H. Shumway, Pamela I.S. Missal, Shumway & Merle, Southport, CT, Steven L. Skahn, Grand Rapids, MI, for Uniroyal, Inc.

Jon R. Muth, Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey, Grand Rapids, MI, for the Upjohn Co.

Alvin D. Treado, Lague, Newman & Irish, Muskegon, MI, for Yard-Man, Inc.

Charles V. Sweeney, Arvid A. Sather, Raymond P. Taffora, Michael, Best & Friedrich, Madison, WI, for Anderson Development Co.

Edmund O. Battersby, Samuel I. Bernstein Law Office, Farmington Hills, MI, for Delta Mfg. Co.

Steven C. Kohl, Howard & Howard, P.C., Bloomfield, MI, Richard D. McCormick, Bott & Spencer, P.C., Muskegon, MI, for Ferro Corp.

Douglas G. McClure, Conlin, McKenney & Philbrick, P.C., Ann Arbor, MI, for 3M Co.

Daryl J. Mumford, Holmes, Mumford, Schubel, Norlander & Macfarlane, Battle Creek, MI, for Wesley Carter.

Wesley Carter, pro se.

John L. Collins, Charles E. Barbieri, Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C., Lansing, MI, for Thomas Solvent Co., Richard Thomas.

John L. Collins, Charles E. Barbieri, Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C., James M. Sullivan, Sullivan, Hamilton, Schulz, Allen & Letzring, Battle Creek, MI, for Thomas Solvent Co. of Detroit, Inc., Thomas Solvent Co. of Muskegon, Inc., Thomas Solvent, Inc. of Indiana, TSC Transp., Inc.

James M. Sullivan, Sullivan, Hamilton, Schulz, Allen & Letzring, Battle Creek, MI, for Carol J. Thomas, Steven R. Thomas, Gregg S. Thomas, Todd M. Thomas, Richard E. Thomas Living Trust.

Frederick J. Dindoffer, R. Craig Hupp, Bodman, Longley & Dahling, Detroit, MI, for Grand Trunk Western R. Co.

Stephen D. Turner, Law, Weathers & Richardson, Grand Rapids, MI, John A. Ferroli, Dykema Gossett, Grand Rapids, MI, for Federal-Mogul Corp., James River Corp. of Virginia.

Erica Lynn Dolgin, Thomas J. Pauloski, Schiff, Hardin & Waite, Chicago, IL, for Glas-Tec, Inc.

Michael B. Ortega, Reed, Stover & O'Connor, P.C., Kalamazoo, MI, for Interkal, Inc.

John Gerald Gleeson, Howard & Howard, P.C., Bloomfield Hills, MI, Stephen P. Vella, John Gerald Gleeson, Harvey, Kruse, Westen & Milan, P.C., Troy, MI, for Kysor Indus. Corp.

William H. Merrill, Charles M. Denton, Michael F. Kelly, Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt & Howlett, Grand Rapids, MI, for Square D Co.

John R. Dresser, Dresser Law Office, P.C., Sturgis, MI, for the Grav-I-Flo Corp.


OPINION

ROBERT HOLMES BELL, District Judge.

Before the Court at this time are the Plaintiff Grand Trunk Western Railroad Company's ("Grand Trunk") and Defendant Rieth-Riley Construction Company's ("Rieth-Riley") cross-motions for partial summary judgment and summary judgment, respectively. The question in this case is whether Rieth-Riley is an "owner" or "operator" of a loading dock on land not belonging to it but over which it holds an easement for...

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