Bowman v. Wheeler
Bowman v. Wheeler
Opinion of the Court
This matter came on for hearing upon the demurrer of the defendant, Ethel Wheeler. Time allowing the various parties to file briefs having been extended from time to time and all parties now having filed such briefs as they desire, the court is of the opinion that the demurrer herein should be overruled.
Three reasons are urged why the demurrer should be sustained:
The first, that the Washington Court had no jurisdiction over the property and that since the Court did not give a personal judgment against the defendant, Ethel Wheeler, the complaint does not state a cause of action.'
Second, that the description is insufficient and
Third, that the permit is not transferrable, is a personal right and entirely subject to the control of the Secretary of Agriculture.
As the first question involved, it is urged that although the Washington Court had jurisdiction of the parties and the Court could have compelled the parties to make a mortgage in favor of the plaintiff, it had no right to decree a lien on property situated in Alaska in favor of the plaintiff. This seems to be the rule as stated in the case of Groom v. Mortimer Land Company, 5 Cir., 192 F. 849, 852, 853, where the courts say: “* * * While a.decree or a deed executed by a court officer by its direction is held insufficient to transmit title to real estate situated in a jurisdiction other than that of the forum, yet if the owner himself executes the conveyance, though in obedience to a decree of court, the rule is different. * * * ”
There are exceptions to the above rule, and since a foreign judgment is involved it is the duty of the court on a hearing on demurrer to give it effect and to indulge in every possible presumption in its favor.
In the case of Clark v. Iowa Fruit Co., C.C., 185 F. 604, 613, the court quoted the case of Byrne v. Jones, 8 Cir., 159 F. 321, 329, where the court quoting from Chief Justice Marshall, Massie v. Watts, 6 Cranch 148, 3 L.Ed. 181,
The next objection, that the description is insufficient, clearly cannot be sustained since some of the matters are sufficiently described although the description as a whole may not be very satisfactory.
The third objection is answered by the case of Alaska Consolidated Oil Fields et al. v. Rains, 9 Cir., 54 F.2d 868, 873, 5 Alaska Fed. 602, in which the courts say: “ * * * The court also held that a permittee, having secured a prospecting permit from the Secretary of the Interior, had a valuable right which he could transfer in conformity with the decree of the court. Inasmuch as the decision [referring to Witbeck v. Hardeman, 5 Cir., 51 F.2d 450] deals with the nature of the rights of a permittee which are involved in this litigation, and in view of the fact that we concur in what was said by Judge Sibley, speaking for the court, we quote therefrom at length as follows * * and-holds, “In view of the decisions with reference to the inchoate rights of a locator under the placer mining laws before discovery, and the analogous but more definitely determined rights of a locator who has acquired a
I have this date, Wednesday, April fifteenth, A. D. 1936, overruled the demurrer in the above entitled cause and have given the defendant, Ethel Wheeler, thirty days to answer, and have noted an objection and allowed the defendant, Ethel Wheeler, an exception to said ruling.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BOWMAN v. WHEELER et ux.
- Status
- Published