In re Oak Leaf Coal Co.
In re Oak Leaf Coal Co.
Opinion of the Court
This is a review by the respondent of an order made by the referee, upon the petition of Shannon and Lunsford, purchasers at the trustee’s sale of the property of the bankrupt, including a mining lease, executed to the bankrupt by the University of Alabama, and a right of way, railroad track, and roadbed, which ran over the lands of the respondent, Hood. The order directed respondent to permit the petitioners to take possession of the railroad. The jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court to make the order is conceded. The right of the petitioners depends upon the construction of a reservation in a deed, executed by B. M. Long to his daughter, Carrie Garner, the grantor of the respondent herein, conveying certain lauds, with a reservation to the grantor of minerals and usual mining rights, also certain parts of the river and creek bank, and the “right to build railroads through said land in order to reach other lands beyond and above.”
The respondent contends that a proper construction of the reservation would limit the right to build railroads to those built for the purpose of reaching the lands of the grantor then owned or thereafter to he acquired, and as the petitioners, at the time of the filing of the petition, were not mining coal on any lands ever owned by the original grantor, but only from lands the mining rights to which were acquired from the University of Alabama, the petitioners acquired ik> title or right to the possession and use of the railroad over the respondent’s lands, by their purchase at the trustee’s sale, and were not entitled to be put into possession of them. On the other hand, the petitioners contend that a proper construction of the reservation in the deed from B. M. Long to Carrie Garner does not limit the lands to he reached by the railroad to he constructed to those owned by B. M. Long, when the deed was executed, or to those which he after-wards acquired, but is broad enough to include lands in which B. M.
, The petition for review is denied, at the costs of the respondent and petitioner, Hood.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re OAK LEAF COAL CO.
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Easements @=51—Reservation—Construction. A reservation in a deed of tbe “right to build railroads through [land conveyed] in order to reach other lands beyond and above,” when read in connection with a reservation of minerals and mining rights, includes lands owned by the grantor at the time of the execution of the deed, and coming within the designation as being “beyond and above,” and also includes lands subsequently acquired by the grantor engaged in acquiring mineral lands and in bodying them up for profitable mining propositions, and also includes lands to which the grantor does not obtain title, but which are necessary for the utilization of his own lands. [Ed. Note.—For other cases, see Easements, Cent. Dig. §§ 109-112; Dec. Dig. @=51.] .2. Easements @=26—Reservation—Construction. A deed contained a reservation of the minerals and usual mining rights and the right to build railroads through the land conveyed to reach other lands beyond and above. A lessee of the land the grantor then owned and subsequently acquired obtained a lease of other lands for the purpose of mining. The grantor’s land could not alone be profitably used for mining. Held, tliat the reservation for railroads terminated when the mineral was exhausted in all the lands of the lessee. For other cases see same topic & KEY-NUMBER, in all Key-Numbered Digests & Indexes |Ed. Note.—For other cases, see Easements, Cent. Dig. §§ 72%-74, 80-82; Dec. Dig. 26J 3. Easements Where a right of way in a deed was not defined, but was actually located on the ground with the acquiescence of the holder of the land under the grantee, the right of way became defined. [Ed. Note.—For other cases, see Easements, Cent. Dig. §§ 103-107; Dec. Dig. 48.'j other eases sec same topic & KEr-NUMBJElt in all Key-Numbered Digests & Indexes