Connor v. Connor
Connor v. Connor
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff’s aunt, Bridget Mahan, owned the premises, consisting of a parcel of land and two houses. The defendants lived with her in one of the houses at the time of her death, September 24, 1901. Bridget Mahan deeded the premises to the plaintiff, subject to a life estate reserved to herself, by deed acknowledged November 9, 1892. Four days after Bridget’s death, the plaintiff caused notice to vacate to be served upon the defendants, threatening ejectment for noncompliance. No time was stated in the notice. The plaintiff ascertained on November 1st that the defendants had vacated the house. She went to the place, and found it
The only question in the case is whether the defendants unlawfully withheld the possession of these premises from the plaintiff when the action was begun. It is undisputed that,«in compliance with counsel’s notice, they moved out and vacated the premises, locking one door on the inside, and closing the other door, which was locked behind them by a spring lock. They kept no key. Whatever the plaintiff may have thought, this was an abandonment of possession, as a matter of fact, and there is nothing to indicate that the defendants ever made a claim of title of any kind. The statement that the plaintiff would get the house when the law gave it to her was not a claim of title, when viewed in the light of the undisputed facts. In this respect the case differs from Whiteley v. Whiteley, 110 Mich. 556 (68 N. W. 241). There being no claim of title, and the proof conclusively showing that there was no possession, plaintiff’s case has nothing to rest upon. Apparently, counsel commenced it upon the belief that by retaining the
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- CONNOR v. CONNOR
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- Published