Fletcher v. Rylands Case Brief Summary | Law Case Explained

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Fletcher v. Rylands | 159 Eng. Rep. 737 (Ex. 1865)

If actions you take on your property damage your neighbor’s land, can your neighbor sue you for damages? Does it matter whether your actions were negligent? We explore those questions in Fletcher versus Rylands.

John Rylands decided to build a reservoir to supply his mill with water. He hired an engineer and other contractors to plan and construct the reservoir in an appropriate location on his property. While constructing the reservoir, Rylands’s employees discovered five vertical shafts in the location where the reservoir would ultimately sit. The shafts were quite old and were filled with soil. They were remnants of coal mining that had taken place on the property long ago. The shafts connected to a coal mine operated by Thomas Fletcher on nearby property. The employees didn’t notify Rylands about the shafts’ existence. When the reservoir was partially filled, one of the shafts ruptured and flooded Fletcher’s coal mine. As a result, Fletcher was forced to abandon his coal mining operation. He sued Rylands for damages.

The case was tried at the Liverpool Summer Assizes of eighteen sixty two, and a verdict was entered in Fletcher’s favor. The case was then appealed to the Court of Exchequer.

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