Keller v. Dillon
Keller v. Dillon
Opinion of the Court
By the Court.
delivering the opinion.
The Court below granted a new trial, on the ground of error in his charge to the jury, on the question of adverse possession. The jury under the evidence and charge of the Court found a verdict for the defendant. He defended on the ground of possessory title as well as title paramount. He had erected a wood rack on the right of way of the Central Railroad, cut' wood from the land in dispute, hauled it to his rack and sold it to the Railroad Company for more than seven years. The plaintiff .claimed, also, to have a good statutory title. The presiding Judge says, that he thinks his charge was in substance, that even, if the jury should find that at one time the plaintiff had a good statutory title, yet that title was defeated, if they should find that the defendant had erected a wood rack on the land, (although that wood rack was on the right of way of the Railroad,) for the purpose of selling wood to he cut from the land, and that the defendant and those under whom he claimed, did cut wood from the land and sell from said rack for the period of seven years. That, in such case, the statutory title of the plaintiff would be defeated by the statutory title of the defendant. The presiding Judge granted a new trial, on the ground that there was error in this charge to the jury. The charge was manifestly wrong, and, of consequence, the awarding of a new trial was right. When the Railroad Company acquires the right of way overland, the fee simple title vests in the company. The title as effectually passes
■ In the opinion delivered on the motion for a new trial, the presiding Judge does not say that' he did not decide as stated in the first assignment of error in this record. He assigns a good reason why he ought not to have decided so, viz: that as the plaintiff’s title depended upon the statute, it was the peculiar province of the jury to say whether under the evidence, a statutory title had been made out. But if the Court did so decide and charge the jury, there was error in that charge because it was an invasion of the province of the jury. Perhaps it was objectionable on another ground also. The Court says that the paper title of the defendant is complete from the grantee down to himself, and so it appears to be in the record before us. If so, and there was a house on the land which was occupied at intervals only, the presumption of law is, that during the time that, it was not actually occupied, the possession was in him who had the
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Stephen F. Keller, in error v. John Dillon, in error
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published