Watts v. Myers
Watts v. Myers
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This is an action in ejectment involving the title to a quarter section of land in Kingman county. The court made findings of fact and conclusions of law, resulting in a judgment for the plaintiff from which the defendants appeal and complain of certain rulings touching the introduction of evidence and certain findings made by the court and its refusal to make others requested by the defendants, and of the general result of the trial. From the-findings it appears that in 1884 the plaintiff, then a widow having several children by a former marriage, was married to Lafayette Watts, and the following year with him took up her residence upon the land in question. Two of the plaintiff’s sons and a daughter lived with their mother and stepfather as members of the family and for a time the relations appear to have been pleasant. After the husband’s return from the funeral of his mother he suggested a conveyance of the land to his brother, Oliver Watts, who lived in Missouri, and upon the plaintiff’s objection he became sullen and brutally assaulted one of her boys without apparent provocation, saying that if she would sign the deed to his brother they would get along
Much complaint is made because the plaintiff was permitted to answer whether or not she had heard that her husband made threats in case she did not sign the deed and that she “had it from the surrounding circumstances, what happened,” and it is asserted that this violated the statutory bar against testimony concerning transactions or communications had with deceased persons. But the fact that she had heard that ire had made threats would imply that she had heard it from others rather than from him, and as to What had happened she was not permitted to state, hence the testimony was properly admitted. (Murphy v. Hindman, 58 Kan.. 184, 48 Pac. 850; Gaston v. Gaston, 83 Kan. 215, 109 Pac. 777; Bryan v. Palmer, 83 Kan. 298, 111 Pac. 443; Fish v. Poorman, 85 Kan. 237, syl. ¶ 7, 243, 116 Pac. 898; Coblentz v. Putifer, 87 Kan. 719, syl. ¶ 2, 725, 125 Pac. 30; Dennis v. Perkins, 88 Kan. 428, 436, 129 Pac. 165.)
It is urged that it was highly improper to receive testimony of statements made by Lafayette Watts after the deed was made to the effect that he still owned the land which he had deeded to his brother to defraud his wife. No reason is apparent, however, why one who has carried out such a conspiracy should not,
The defendants also urge that the findings of fact should have been for them and not for the plaintiff, which evidently means that in their opinion the fraud and duress were not sufficiently proved, but it is impossible to read the evidence without finding ample support for the charge of duress of a peculiarly cruel and effective kind.
Complaint is made that the court did not at the defendants’ request vacate the thirty-six findings of fact made and return fifty-six others submitted by them, but such examination as is consistent with the brevity of human life has resulted in finding no error in this respect.
It is urged that because the plaintiff did not move to set aside the deed or .take any other steps to protect her rights alf the many years which elapsed between its execution and the death of her husband she must be held to have jointly consented and to have estopped herself by her laches. The trial court found, however, that the land remained as it was except slight improvements ; that the rights of no innocent third party had intervened; that in accordance with the repeated statements made by the deceased himself he continued to be the owner of the land, which as a matter of course the sole heir would inherit upon his death. (Clark v. Coolidge, 8 Kan. 189; Golden v. Claudel, 85 Kan. 465, 471, 118 Pac. 77; Rambo v. Bank, 88 Kan. 257, 128 Pac. 182; Osincup v. Henthorn, 89 Kan. 58, 130 Pac. 652; City of Hutchinson v. Hutchinson, 92 Kan. 518, 141 Pac. 589; 36 Cyc. 730.)
As to adverse possession, neither Oliver Watts nor.
Finding no material error the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- E. C. Watts v. Emma Myers and Alonzo Lafayette Burgoon
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. 1. Ejectment — Deed Procured by Fraud and Duress of Husband — Certain Evidence of Wife Showing Duress Was Competent.- On the trial of an action by a widow to recover possession of land which she had been induced to convey by the fraud and duress of her former husband she was asked whether or not she had heard that her husband had made threats in case she did not sign the deed, and answered in the affirmative. She was also permitted to testify in answer to a question why she feared there would be more trouble. “Well, I had it from the surrounding circumstances, what had happened.” Held, that such testimony was not incompetent by reason of section 320 of the civil code as amended by chapter 229 of the Laws of 1911, concerning transactions or communications had with deceased persons. 2. Same — Statements of Deceased Husband Claiming Ownership of Land Competent Evidence. The testimony showed and the court found that the former husband in conspiracy with his brother had- by fraud and duress procured from the wife a deed conveying the land to the brother but that the husband continued to be the real owner of the land up to the time of his death, and that the defendants were voluntary grantees without consideration, the deed to them being made for the purpose of defrauding the plaintiff. Held, that it was proper to receive in evidence proof of statements made by the deceased husband after the execution of the deed by the wife that he still owned the land and had deeded it to his brother to defraud his wife. 3. Same — Delay in Bringing Suit no Estoppel. Mere delay in bringing suit does not estop the plaintiff from its .maintenance when the property has remained substantially the same and the rights of no innocent third party have intervened. 4. Same — Limitation of Action — Not Available to Nonresident. The defendants never having been within the state of Kansas could not avail themselves of the fifteen years’ statute of limitation as a basis for claiming adverse possession.