Kaihenui v. Aona
Kaihenui v. Aona
Opinion of the Court
OPINION OP THE COURT BY
This is an action of ejectment instituted by the plaintiff-appellant in the circuit court of the fourth circuit for “all of that certain piece of land situate at Waiakea, district of South Hilo, County and Territory of Hawaii, and in the circuit aforesaid, being a part of Royal Patent 1873, Land Commission Award 5157, to Kuahopu” and “containing an area of 4 3/10 acres.” The case was tried by the court without the intervention of a jury, the same having been expressly waived. At the conclusion of the trial the court rendered a decision in favor of the defendants and against the plaintiff.
In 1855 Kuahopu obtained a Royal Patent, 1873, L. C. A. 5157, for 12.20- acres of land of which the land in question
The plaintiff bases her claim to her alleged interest in the said property upon a deed from Charles Aki Aona to (her) Mary Elizabeth Kaihenui, dated November 24, 1906 (Plaintiff’s Exhibit O), Avherein and whereby the said Charles Aki Aona conveyed the entire tract of land containing an area of 4 3/10 acres and also upon a certain alleged partition deed made and executed between B. H. BroAvn, guardian of Kaaewaihau (w), an insane person, B. H. Brown, guardian of Ah Hung (k), a minor son of KaaeAvaih.au, Aki (k), a son and heir of Kaaewaihau, Thomas Forbes and Thomas Forbes, guardian of Mary Forbes, John Forbes, Thomas Forbes, Jr., and Emma Forbes, the minor heirs of Kamakaoumi, deceased, dated February 1, 1904, and acknowledged March 14, 1904 (Plaintiff’s Exhibit B), which last conveyance plaintiff also claims to he the common source of title whereby both the plaintiff and defendants claim. This claim of a common source of title is repudiated and denied by the defendants.
The first exception taken upon the trial by the plaintiff-
The estoppel relied upon by the plaintiff-appellant in this exception is not discernible. Estoppels are created by the party to be bound and are not manufactured by his opponent and cast upon him. We have failed to discover, in the record, any evidence tending to show any act or omission on the part of the defendants which could be construed as an estoppel, nor has the plaintiff-appellant even availed herself of the benefit of the statute in this jurisdiction upon “title through a common source” (Act 80, S. L. 1915). The fact that a plaintiff offers in evidence a conveyance which he designates as a common source of title does not preclude the defendant from disputing and contradicting such evidence and denying that any common source of title exists and of establishing the fact that he claims from a different source unless he is estopped by some act or omission of his own from so doing. Harrison v. Davis, 22 Haw. 55. This exception we regard as without merit and the same is overruled.
It may not be inappropriate at this time to consider the two instruments (Plaintiff-appellant’s Exhibits B and C) under and by virtue of which she claims an interest in the property described in her complaint and upon the validity of which claim depends her right to recover in this action. Exhibit B, purporting to be a partition deed entered into between B. H. Brown, guardian of Kaaewaihau (w), an insane person, B. H. Brown, guardian of Ah Hung (k), a minor son of Kaaewaihau, Aki (k), a son and heir of Kaaewaihau, Thomas Forbes and Thomas Forbes, guardian
There were a number of exceptions taken by the plaintiff-appellant during the course of the trial and to the decision, all of which have received due consideration by this court but we do not deem it necessary to comment thereupon as they are one and all without merit.
The exceptions are overruled, the decision affirmed and the cause remanded to the circuit court for further proceedings, consistent with this opinion.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- MARY ELIZABETH KAIHENUI v. EMMA AONA, W. H. BEERS, GUARDIAN OF A. A. KAULUKOU, AND W. H. BEERS, TRUSTEE
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Deeds — partition. Tbe fact that a party wbo has no interest in the property joins in a partition deed does not vest any interest in him although the deed purports so to do, there being no consideration for the grant to him. Evidence — common source of title. The fact that a plaintiff offers in evidence a conveyance which he designates as a common source of title does not preclude the defendant from contradicting such evidence and denying that any common source of title exists.