Gillespie v. Bradford
Gillespie v. Bradford
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The history of this case as presented by the pleadings and proof shows that David Coleman was the patentee of a large tract of land lying in Bracken and Pendleton counties, and that during his life he conveyed to his son-in-law, Bengers, 5,000 acres of land, 3.000 acres of which was within the county of Bracken and 2,000 acres, or the greater part of it, in the county of Pendleton. The conveyance to Bengers was made in the year 1804. David Coleman, the patentee, died in the year-, and after his death his son, James Coleman, or some of his descendants, by certain equitable proceedings obtained what is now claimed the title to all the unsold land of the patentee within the patent boundary both in Bracken and Pendleton counties. N. D. Coleman, who was a son of James Coleman, and a grandson of the patentee, claimed by purchase and otherwise to own all the land that had been purchased by James Coleman under the decree in the chancery court, Nicholas Coleman, by his agents, claiming the land that had been conveyed by the patentee to Bengers. The latter, or rather his heirs, Bengers being dead, instituted action for the recovery of the land and for a division. This resulted in a compromise between N. D. Coleman and the heirs of Bengers, by which Coleman became the owner of the 3.000 acres lying Bracken county, and Bengers’ heirs of the 2,000 acres lying in Pendleton county. This compromise was made in 1850. In 1860 the agents of N. D. Coleman sold to this appellee,
After the entry by appellant under his purchase he also claims to have taken possession of another portion of the 2,000 .acres by extending his boundary and holding adversely to the title under which he entered. His claim, if hostile, was certainly not so open or notorious as to apprise the real owners, who were his vendees, of his intention to hold against them, nor are we prepared to say that any such adverse holding has been shown, but on the contrary the claim of the appellant under the facts of this record must be confined to the boundary upon which his father settled and enclosed, and the 72 acres purchased by him of Bengers’ heirs. It is apparent from the compromise agreement between Coleman and the heirs of Bengers that the one (Coleman) took the 3,000 acres and the other (Bengers) the 2,000 acres. They were separate tracts and the terms of the agreement are so plain as to leave but little
The appellee no longer had a standing in court, for if Bengers’ heirs had no right to maintain the action, they could not by a transfer of their title vest the appellee with such a right. This reasoning applies to the land purchased and not to the land devised by the appellant from his father. The proof shows that the father of appellant entered upon his tract and claimed it adversely to the world before appellant made his purchase of the 72 acres, and there is nothing inconsistent with appellant’s right to claim one tract under Bengers and the other under his father. Regardless, however, of this question it would be an anomaly in the practice to permit the appellee, who in the original action had proceeded against the heirs of Bengers and their vendees and tenants, when finding that he was without title, to purchase the claim of Bengers, and then by an amended pleading to have his right of recovery in the name of Bengers’ heirs or under their title as against those who entered as tenants or purchasers under Bengers. Besides, it appears by a subsequent amended pleading that some of the infant heirs of Bengers had never conveyed to the appellee and he was permitted to use their names in the prosecution of the action as their next friend. This was error. In fact the appellee had made out no cause of action until he filed an amended pleading to the effect that since the filing of the original action and the amendments the appellant had gone into bankruptcy and his assignee had conveyed to the appellee the land in controversy. This amendment was filed without any objection and only a few minutes before the judg
The judgment is reversed and cause remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.