Umbarger v. Chaboya
Umbarger v. Chaboya
Opinion of the Court
— The demanded premises are included within the concession alleged to have been made by the Mexican authorities to Chaboya; and also within the five hundred acre lot, subsequently granted to him by Dimmick, alcalde of San Jose. It is admitted on all sides that the last-named grant was void, as it clearly was: Redding v. White, 27 Cal. 284. The plaintiffs, who deraign title under Chaboya, rely solely on the concession and on the final decree of the courts of the United States, confirming Chaboya’s title as to so much of the land included in the concession as is embraced within the five hundred acre grant by the alcalde.
But the decree of confirmation is assailed on the ground that the United States district court had no jurisdiction to render it. This proposition is founded on the assumption that the court did not undertake to confirm the title under the concession, but only under the Dimmick grant; and it is claimed that it had no jurisdiction to confirm the last-named grant, because: 1st. The special act of Congress did not authorize that grant to be presented for confirmation, and Chaboya did not in fact present it in his petition; 2d. The act of March 3, 1851, required all titles, claimed under a pueblo, to be presented in the name of the pueblo, and not in the name of the claimant; and it is said that the court, for this reason, had no jurisdiction to confirm the Dimmick grant, even though Chaboya had presented his petition for that purpose. It becomes material, therefore, to ascertain whether it was the concession or the Dimmick grant which was. confirmed. It appears from the record of the proceedings. in the United States district court that the only claim which Chaboya asked to have confirmed, in virtue of the special act of Congress, was that which he asserted under the concession. No reference was made in his petition to the Dimmick grant, nor did he put that grant in evidence, or
The decree of confirmation is therefore valid, and is conclusive upon all persons whomsoever, unless it be third persons claiming under adverse grants as defined in section 15 of the act of March 3, 1851. The defendants deraign title under the city of San Jose, and claim to be such third persons. There appears to have been confirmed to the city of San Jose a large body of land, within certain exterior limits which include the premises in controversy. But on the face of the decree of confirmation, there is excepted from its operation the lands included within certain specified grants, “and also such other parcels of land as have by grants from lawful authority vested in private proprietorship or have been finally confirmed to parties claiming under said grants by the tribunals of the United States, or shall hereafter be finally confirmed to parties claiming thereunder by said tribunals, in proceedings now pending therein for that purpose.” The claim of Chaboya comes fully within the letter and spirit of the exception; and the five hundred acre tract confirmed to him was not confirmed to the city. There is no conflict between the confirmation to the city and that to Chaboya; and both decrees having become final, they are conclusive as between these parties.
There was therefore no error in excluding the decree of confirmation to the city, when offered in evidence by the defendants. If admitted, it would not have benefited them. Nor did the court err in excluding parol evidence tending to show the admissions of Antonio Chaboya, to the effect that the western line of his rancho did not extend to the Coyote creek. The best evidence of the true location of that line were the deseño, grant, and final location under the decree of confirmation. These showed the creek to be the western boundary of the ranch, and it was not competent to contradict them by parol. Several other rulings, and a portion of the charge of the court to the jury are assigned as error; but I discover no error in them, and deem it unnecessary to notice them more particularly.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- DAVID UMBARGER v. PEDRO CHABOYA
- Status
- Published