Moore v. Combs
Moore v. Combs
Opinion of the Court
But one question presented by the record is discussed by appellant’s counsel, and that is the overruling of the motion for a new trial. The facts involved in the consideration of this motion are these: Appellant and appellee were adjoining landowners; upon the line dividing their lands was a rail fence; appellant’s land is immediately south of appellee’s; a railroad passes through these lands in a northwesterly and southeasterly direction, and intersects the dividing line of the two tracts. of real estate at a point almost in the center of such line from east to west. While there is some conflict in the evidence on the question as to whether there was any agreement between the parties or their predecessors in the title that each should build, repair, and maintain certain portions of the fence, yet there is evidence in the record to support such agreement or arrangement, and that the parties acted accordingly. On the part of appellee it is contended such was the agreement and arrangement, and that the same had been acted on by the parties and their predecessors in title for a great many years. Upon this theory, appellee maintains that the east one-half of the fence was to be built and kept in repair by him, and the west half by appellant. The evidence, with all reasonable inferences to be drawn from it, fairly shows that, acting upon such agreement or understanding, the east half of the fence was built by appellee and his predecessors in title out of rails made from timber on his land, and had been maintained and kept in repair by him; that the same facts existed as to the west line of the fence on the part of appellant, except that the fence had not been kept in repair. Appellee owned 160 acres of land, and until recently appellant owned but eighty acres, such eighty
The real question for determination is, does the record show that appellee had such ¿n interest in the rails in question as would entitle him to maintain replevin for their possession? It is the theory of appellant that the fence which was taken down by him was a partition fence, belonging to him and appellee jointly, and that an action for replevin will not lie. On the contrary, appellee contends that the fence was built and maintained by him and his predecessors in title out of rails made from timber on his own land, under
The only exception to this rule is where the rails or material of which the fence is constructed are removed for the sole purpose of rebuilding, in which event such rails or material do not lose their character as realty. 7 Am. & Eng. Ency. of Law, pp. 593, 906; Ricketts v. Dorrel, supra.
By §6564 Burns 1894, adjoining landowners may agree to build and maintain certain portions of a fence between their lands, and it is made the duty of each party to “build, rebuild, repair, and maintain the portion assigned to him.” If this statute means anything, it means just what it says; and, when a fence is so built, it necessarily follows that the materials of which it is built belong to the party so building it, and the adjoining landowner has no interest in it, except such interest as the statute provides. Even the party building the fence could not remove it without giving the adjoining owner the statutory notice of his intention to remove it. Where, as in this case, the fence was wrongfully and tortiously removed, and the rails placed on the- land of appellant, they became personal property, and the subject of replevin. There was no joint ownership in the rails removed from the realty as shown by the evidence; The rails were put into the fence by appellee or his predecessors in title. They were made of timber grown on appellee’s land. The fence was maintained by him, and the evidence shows that, after it was torn down by appellant, appellee rebuilt it. There is evidence to sustain the verdict and judgment; and, as we can not disturb the judgment in such case, it must stand, unless the record shows some error for which a reversal should be ordered.
The only remaining- question discussed by counsel for appellant is the giving and refusing to give certain instructions. We can not consider the question thus raised, for the
In Chicago, etc., R. Co. v. Hedges, 105 Ind. 398, it was held that, when instructions are not signed by the trial court, they do not become a part of the record. See, also, Port Huron, etc., Co. v. Smith, 21 Ind. App. 233.
It follows from the statutes and the authorities that the instructions are' not in the record, because they are not signed by the trial judge, and for this reason we can not consider them. The record, as it comes to us, does not disclose any error for which a reversal should be ordered. Judgment affirmed.
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