The New York Court of Appeals delivered its decision on Thursday, siding with the Genesee County Fish & Game Protective Association after a decades‑long dispute over a half‑mile stretch of Godfrey's Pond Road. The conflict erupted in 2021 when the Dix family, owners of the adjacent 45‑acre property, blocked the road's eastern half with tree trunks to prevent club members from passing through. A police encounter the same year forced both sides to seek legal recourse. The family had previously declined the club's offer to purchase the disputed section.
The road itself slices the two properties: the club has owned the western half since 1932, while the Dix family has held the eastern half since at least 1949. Even with the split, both parties have routinely used the entire route, with the club depending on it as the sole ingress for its 200‑acre recreation area and for emergency vehicles and deliveries.
Central to the club's case was the doctrine of adverse possession. Over the past 90 years, members have cleared snow, repaired potholes, and laid asphalt across the entire road, a continuous exercise of ownership that the court deemed sufficient to establish title. The club also maintained that its 21 full‑time residents and visiting members treated the route as their own for decades.
The Dix family countered that the shared use stemmed from a long‑standing friendship. Capri Dix, a former club member, and her relatives had ridden horses along the road and hunted on the club's land for generations. Family members also claimed they had used the entire road, including the disputed portion, without objection from club officials.
In its ruling, a 5‑judge panel affirmed the lower court’s decision, citing the club’s uninterrupted use and maintenance as meeting the thresholds for adverse possession. The dissenting judges argued that the family’s historical cooperation should weigh more heavily, but the majority held that the legal doctrine prevailed. The court’s decision solidifies the club’s ownership of the eastern half, closing the dispute.
With the ruling in place, the club will now hold exclusive rights to that section of Godfrey's Pond Road. The Dix family must arrange alternate access to their property, possibly through a new easement or negotiated agreement. The case underscores how long‑term use can override historical arrangements when the law favors continuous, open occupation.