Lualemana v. Brown
Lualemana v. Brown
Opinion of the Court
OPINION OF THE COURT
On March 19, 1958 plaintiff Faliu Lualemana acting in behalf of the Lualemana Family of Asu filed his petition
Prior to the hearing the Court viewed the land in the presence of the plaintiff, the defendant, their respective counsel, and the intervenors. During the viewing the interveners were authorized by the Court to file a petition of intervention, which they did claiming that the cinder pit was on land belonging to the people of Pavaiai.
It is common knowledge and an historical fact of which we will take judicial notice that shortly after the war — it was in 1946 — that the villages of Aoloau and Asu were moved from their respective locations by the sea to Mt. Olotele. “Judicial notice may be taken of facts of local history which are of general knowledge.” 31 Corpus Juris Secundum 638. It appeared from the evidence that when the move was made the chiefs of both villages held a fono at which it was agreed that the land to be occupied by the people of the two villages should be divided between the Aoloau people and the Asu people and that a road was to be built by the people of both villages which would be the boundary between them, the Aoloau people to have the land above the road and the Asu people the land below the road. The road was built. The Asu people proceeded to clear from the bush the land assigned to them by the agreement and to build houses and put in plantations on it. The Aoloau people did likewise with the land assigned to them. Part of the road was very steep and very difficult to use.
When the new road was constructed a cinder pit which adjoins it on the upper side was opened up. It was from this cinder pit that defendant Brown took the cinders pursuant to permission granted him by the chiefs of Aoloau, they claiming that the pit was on land belonging to the Aoloau people.
At the viewing of the land involved High Talking Chief Moananu of Aoloau while standing on the old road to the rear of the cinder pit, told the court in the presence of the interested parties and their counsel that the old road was the agreed boundary line between the new villages of Aoloau and Asu. The evidence at the hearing, though slightly conflicting on this point, fully sustained Moananu’s statement at the viewing. Of course the construction of the new road, connecting it up at the ends with the old road that belonged to the Asu people before the new road was constructed, still belonged to them and the land above the old road still belonged to the Aoloau people. The land between the old road and the new road was still Asu land. After the new road was constructed some Aoloau people put in a banana plantation on the land between the old road and the new. When High Chief Lualemana of Asu learned of this he had the banana plants pulled up and put in a plantation of his own in their place. It was later agreed between the Asu people and the Aoloau people that Lualemana had the right to have his plantation there because it was still Asu land. It was also later agreed between the villages that some Aoloau people who had put in plantations below the
With respect to the claim of the intervenors that the land in which the cinder pit is is Pavaiai land, it need only be stated that their witness Paogofie S. (he was one of the intervenors) testified that both the new villages, i.e. Asu Fou and Aoloau Fou, were on Lualemana land. That was just another way of saying that they were not on the Pavaiai people’s land. Also, while on the stand, he was asked what particular Pavaiai chief owned the land. He answered that it did not belong to any particular chief, but to Pavaiai Village — i.e. it was the communal property of the entire village. He also testified that the Pavaiai people had never had any plantation at the cinder pit location, but that in the past before the war some of the Pavaiai people had gotten some asi and papaogo trees from that general area for use in putting up houses in their village. This must have been on rather rare occasions since the population of Pavaiai before the war was so small that only occasionally was a fale put up.
The taking of a tree occasionally for constructing a house did not constitute taking possession of the general area where the trees were cut (assuming they were cut) nor did it constitute occupation of the premises. This court has ruled many times that Samoans acquired title to their lands through first occupancy coupled with a claim of ownership. See Fagafa of Alofau v. Toia of Alofau, No. 18-1957 (H.C. of Am. S.); Soliai v. Lagafua, No. 5-1949 (H.C. of Am. S.); Faatiliga v. Fano, No. 80-1948 (H.C. of Am. S.). See also 2 Blackstone 8; Maine’s Ancient Law (3rd Am. Ed.) 238. In the Fagafa case just cited we said “Samoan families acquired title to their lands through first occupancy coupled with a claim of ownership.” If prior to the war a Pavaiai chief and his family had cleared from the bush the land where the cinder pit is located and put in
The weight of evidence is to the effect that the Lualemana people were the first to clear from the bush the land on which the cinder pit is located, put in plantations thereon, occupy it, and claim it as their own.
We conclude, therefore, that the cinder pit is on the communal land of the Lualemana Family of Asu Fou. It follows, therefore, that defendant Brown had no right .to take cinders from the pit pursuant to permission from the chiefs of Aoloau Fou.
However, it is clear to us from the evidence that Brown, who came from the States quite recently .to build the new Mormon Mission School at Mapusaga, acted in entire good faith when he took the cinders to use in the construction of the new school buildings. That he honestly believed that he had .the right to take them, relying upon the permission given him by the Aoloau chiefs, was very apparent to the Court during the hearing. We are convinced that it was an honest error on Brown’s part.
Plaintiff, as we have said, has complained of only two trespasses in his petition in behalf of the Lualemana Family, one on February 4, 1958 and the other on March 17, 1958. It is our belief from the evidence that there is no danger that these trespasses will be repeated; nor is there any threat that they will be repeated. The issuance of an
It is fundamental that an injunction will not lie to restrain one from doing what he is not attempting and does not intend to do. 43 Corpus Juris Secundum 436. And an “Injunction will not issue in the absence of an actual or presently threatened interference; it is not sufficient
Since it is our conclusion from the evidence that repeated trespasses by Brown are neither threatened nor intended, it follows that the injunction prayed for by the plaintiff should be denied.
ORDER
Accordingly, it is ORDERED that the plaintiff’s petition for an injunction against the defendant Brown be and the same is hereby dismissed.
In view of all the facts in this case we consider it consistent with justice that the costs amounting to $25.00 be divided equally among the plaintiff, the defendant, and the intervenors. Accordingly, costs in the sum of $8.33 are hereby assessed against plaintiff Faliu Lualemana, a like sum against defendant Brown, and $8.34 against Galoia Upuese and Paogofie S., the intervenors. All costs to be paid within 30 days.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.