In a recent legal dispute involving property rights and alleged misconduct, the North Carolina Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal from a local equestrian ranch. The plaintiff, Blackrock Equestrian Ranch LLC, had filed a complaint against two employees of the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust (HCLT), accusing them of trespassing and invasion of privacy. The case was initially filed in Macon County Superior Court on December 12, 2024, presided over by Judge Tessa H. Sellers.
The plaintiff’s allegations stem from an ongoing conflict with HCLT regarding a conservation easement on their property in the Horsecove Community. Blackrock Equestrian Ranch claims that the defendants, Lance Hardin and Andrew Renfro, both employees of HCLT, unlawfully entered their land not covered by the easement. This incident is part of a broader legal battle where HCLT accused Blackrock of violating the terms of the conservation easement in May 2024. In response to these accusations, Blackrock denied any wrongdoing and counterclaimed for breach of contract and trespass.
On August 27, 2024, Blackrock initiated separate legal action against Hardin and Renfro for trespass and invasion of privacy. However, this case faced procedural challenges when the defendants moved to dismiss it under Rule 12(b)(6) for redundancy with another pending case involving similar facts—the so-called “HCLT Action.” The trial court agreed with this motion to dismiss the invasion of privacy claim but allowed other claims to be consolidated into the existing HCLT Action.
Blackrock argued that their appeal should be considered because they believed the trial court’s decision effectively ended their standalone case against Hardin and Renfro without addressing its merits. However, the appellate court determined that since related claims were still active within the consolidated proceedings in Macon County Superior Court (case #24-CVS-000245-550), there was no final judgment warranting an immediate appeal.
The plaintiff sought relief through injunctive measures to prevent further unauthorized entries onto their property by HCLT representatives. They also aimed to hold Hardin and Renfro accountable as individuals for their alleged actions outside official duties with HCLT.
Despite these efforts at seeking justice through multiple legal avenues simultaneously—a strategy known as parallel litigation—the appellate court found itself lacking jurisdiction due to procedural technicalities surrounding interlocutory orders versus final judgments on substantive issues like trespass or privacy violations.
Representing Blackrock Equestrian Ranch LLC was attorney Robin L. Tatum from Smith Anderson Blount Dorsett Mitchell & Jernigan LLP; meanwhile Fred H Jones from Jones Key Melvin & Patton PA defended Hardin along with his colleague Andrew Renfro during hearings before Judges Stroud Collins Griffin under Case ID: No 25-359
Source: COA250359_BlackRock_Equestrian_Ranch_LLC_v_Hardin_Opinion_North_Carolina_Court_of_Appeals.pdf
