Maddocks v. Keene
Maddocks v. Keene
Opinion of the Court
This is an action of trespass quare clausum wherein the plaintiff seeks to recover damages on account of the defendant tearing down a fence and letting his cattle upon the close of the plaintiff, situated in Camden, and is before this court on report.
The defendant offered no evidence of title in himself or any one under whom he claimed, or authority from the plaintiff to do the acts complained of, but relies for his defence upon the fact that the plaintiff had neither title nor possession to the premises. The record shows the parties under whom the plaintiff claims title had been in possession under warranty deeds, duly recorded, for several years, and no question is raised as to their title, except the defendant questions the validity of the title conveyed by Joslin, administrator of one Perry, claiming that certain provisions of the statute as to notice, etc., were not proved to have been given; but the defendant cannot raise that question. It is provided by section 30, chapter 73, R. S-, referring to the sales of real estate by license of the probate court: “If the validity of such sale is contested by one claiming adversely to the title of the wife, ward or deceased aforesaid, or by a title not derived through either, the sale is not void on account of any irregularity in the proceedings, if it appears that the license was granted by a court of competent jurisdiction, and the deed duly executed and recorded.” As said b> the court in Webster v. Calden, 53 Maine, 205, the defendant “by section 30 can only contest the demandant’s deed on the grounds that the license was not granted by a court of competent jurisdiction, and that the deed was not duly executed and recorded. But the jurisdiction of the court was unquestioned, and the deed under which the demandant claims was duly executed and recorded.” In this case the license was issued to Joslin, administrator of Perry, to sell the real estate described in the deed given by Joslin. The probate court which issued the license was a court of competent jurisdiction, the deed was duly executed and recorded. As the defendant does not claim title either in himself or any one under whom he acted adversely to the wife, ward or the deceased, or title derived through either, he cannot contest the plaintiff’s title claiming under the deed, except in the above two respects, and there can be no question from the record, but that the court had competent jurisdiction, and the deed was duly executed and recorded.
The defendant offered no testimony that the instrument was not sealed except as shown by the instrument itself, and we think that the declaration by the signers that they had signed and sealed,
The remaining question is one of damages. There being no evidence explaining the defendant’s admission, as testified to, that he tore down the fence, and the other evidence that his cattle were on the premises, the case resolves itself into the question of the amount of damages. They were small and the evidence is meagre as to the amount; $10 will not be excessive as damages.
Judgment for the plaintiff.
Damages assessed at $10.00.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Lizzie M. Maddocks v. Milford L. Keene
- Status
- Published