Family members blocked the eastern half of Godfrey’s Pond Road with tree trunks, restricting the club’s access. (AI image)
By 2021, the disagreement had become serious. Tensions increased further after an encounter between the two sides required police intervention.
Members of the family placed tree trunks across the eastern half of Godfrey’s Pond Road, preventing the association from using that section as it had done previously.
Family’s long connection with the club
The club had owned its western half since 1932, while the Dix family and earlier owners had held the eastern half since at least 1949. Because it was the only route available to its members, emergency vehicles and delivery services, for the club, it was particularly important. The association initially won its case in a lower court.
The road had an unusual ownership arrangement. Despite this division, both sides had used the road for years. With the disagreement unresolved, the association approached the court. The court records showed that the relationship between the Dix family and the association went back many years. Capri Dix’s grandmother, great-aunt, and great-grandmother had regularly ridden horses along the road and on trails within the club’s property. Her great-grandfather, Vincent Frens, was also described as a close friend of several association members. The Dix family challenged that decision, but an appeals court also ruled in the club’s favour. Five judges supported the outcome, while two disagreed. The majority considered the club’s decades of maintaining and using the entire road sufficient to support its claim. It also found that the family had not presented enough evidence to require a trial.
The club had earlier offered to purchase the family’s half of the road, but the proposal was rejected.
A New York family that owned half of a private road beside its 45-acre property has lost ownership of that portion to a neighbouring recreational club with around 1,500 members. The two sides had shared the road for decades, but their relationship deteriorated in 2021 when members of the family blocked part of it with tree trunks. Because it had used and maintained the road for many years, the disagreement eventually reached New York’s highest court, which ruled on Thursday that the club had gained ownership.