McNeill v. Choate
McNeill v. Choate
Opinion of the Court
Opinion of the Court by
Affirming.
Appellee Choate owns a tract of farming land of more than one hundred acres, situated in Mississippi county, Missouri, just across the Mississippi river from Pulton county, Kentucky. Appellants, Charlie and Jesse McNeill, leased this tract from Choate at the rate of $12.50 per acre for the year 1919, to be cultivated in corn, and as the cleared portion of'the tract was estimated at one hundred acre's, appellants • gave to 'Choate their note for $1,250.00, due January 1, 1920, for said rents. The rent contract was in writing and contained the following stipulation:
“It is ag-reed by J. E. Choate that if the government levee should break or back water should overflow this land after May 1, 1919, and allow the water to overflow this tract of land, I will give up' the rent note and assume possession of the premises, at the option of the second party. ’ ’
The McNeills took possession of the farm and started to cultivate it, but about the first of May water covered some part of the laud, but bow much was so covered is in dispute. On the 31st day of December, 1919, appellants brought an action in equity against appellee Choate, in which they averred that the land which they rented from Choate wás covered with back water from the Mississippi river and tributaries after May 1, 1919, and remained overflowed until the — day of June, and that the
■The jury returned a verdict in favor of Choate for $1,250.00, -on which judgment was -entered, and from which judgment this appeal is prosecuted by the Mc-Neills.
As there is but a question -of fact it will be necessary to examine the evidence to determine whether the verdict is supported by sufficient evidence and is not flagrantly against the- evidence, as contended iby appellants. The execution of the contract and note is acknowledged, but the McNeills testified in-substance that some time in May, while the water was over twenty-five or thirty acres of the land in question, they encountered appellee Choate on the streets of Hickman one afternoon 'and told Choate that the water was on the land, and that they could not cultivate it as set forth in the contract, and then and there tendered the land back to Choate, who then offered the land to appellants for $6.25 per acre, which offer appellants accepted, and that -they cultivated the farm under this verbal contract. Appellants are sustained izi this particular by the evidence of Coonsldn Johnson, who testified that he was present and heard part, if not all, -of the conversation.
All this conversation, related by appellazrts as had with Choate, is deziied by -the latter. He says he did not even see appellants -on the streets of Hickman at the time and place stated by them, and had no -conversation whatever with them concerning the letting of the land to them at $6.25 per acre, or at any price except as set forth in
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.