Hite's Heirs v. Shrader
Hite's Heirs v. Shrader
Opinion of the Court
Opinion op the Couet.
..THIS is a controversy for land, under adverse claims, The plaintiffs in error, who were complainants in the court below, assert title under the following entry:
“February 7th, 1784 — Philip Philips enters 630 acres on the- south side of Rough creek, including the first large bend thereof below tlie third falls, beginning at a beech in the lower line of Edmund Lyne’s 200 acre survey^standing at the mouth of Pleasant run; running thence S. 45 W. 100 poles, S, 45 E. 70 poles, S. 320 poles, N. 52 W. 255 poles, to the bank of Rough creek; thence up the same, with the meanders thereof, to the beginning.”
The defendant, in his answer, controverts the validity of this entry, and does not admit the complainants’ derivation of title under it; sets forth the entry under which he claims, of elder date, and insists upon its validity, and relies upon an adverse possession of more than seven years.
The court below dismissed the bill, and the complainants have brought the case to this court by writ of error.
1. The entry in the name of Philips, under which the complainants claim, is, no doubt, a valid one. The objects of its calls are well -identified, and their notoriety, at the date of the entry, is sufficiently established. The entry under which tfie defendant derives title, is elder in date;but its cajjig are not supported, nor is there exhibited in the regard, any serious effort to do so. The defendant jupies that he haá.had possession fer^
2. To understand this point, it is proper to advert to such parts of the will as have any hearing upon the subject. The testator, after making sundry specific devises of lands and other things, says: “ Item — All the lands that are not heretofore specially devised or disposed of, to continue in the hands of my executors, for the payment of my debts and the fulfilment of all my contracts; and, if necessary, to be sold by my executors, for the education of my children and the support of my family; and after the death of my wife, Elizabeth Hynes, all lands that are not disposed of by my executors for the purposes before mentioned, to be equally divided between my children. Item — I do ordain, constitute and appoint my nephew, William R. Hynes, Archibald Campbell, and my son, Thomas Hynes, when he shall arrive at the agé of twenty-one years, my sole executors, jointly or separately, to make conveyances, fulfil and adjust all previous or prior contracts that i .may in any manner be bound for, and to do such other acts and things touching the premises, as they may find-necessary, relative to their duty as executors.”
3. The conveyance in this case, made by the execu-tory the complainants, recites that it was made in ful-filment of a written obligation of the testator; and if the obligation had been proved, it would have been sufficiently shown that the deed was made in strict compliance with the power given to the executor by the will. But, except the recital contained in the deed, there is no evidence of the obligation; and the law is, that a deed reciting another deed, is evidence of the recited deed, against the grantor and those claiming under him, but is not evidence against a stranger. Philips’ Ev. 355-6.
-The majority of the court, therefore, (Judge Minns dissenting,) are of opinion, that the proof was insufficient to show, that the conveyance by the executors of Hynes- to the complainants, was made in pursuance of authority given him by the will. *' $
The deed of the executor would, without proof of the obligation of the testator, he sufficient, as we have already observed, to convey the interest derived to the executors; and that was sufficient to authorise the complainants to come into a @ourt of equity to assert their
The decree milst, therefore, be reversed, each party paying their own costs; and the cause must he remanded, for a decree to be entered dismissing the bill with costs, but without prejudice to another suit.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- HITE'S HEIRS v. SHRADER
- Cited By
- 4 cases
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- Published