O'Neil v. Potter
O'Neil v. Potter
Opinion of the Court
This bill is filed to establish a right of way across premises owned by defendant, and to enjoin defendant from interfering with complainant’s use thereof. The case will be the better understood by the appended map, showing the situation of the premises substantially as they appeared on the 11th day of August, 1879.
The rectangular figure extending east from the southeast corner of the main building, known as the “Sherwood House,” was of later construction; but, apart from this, the map shows the situation of the buildings, with corner and distances as established by the testimony.
In the platting the lots were made to face Lawrence avenue, and were 40 feet in width. There is testimony that there was an overplus in the block, and the testimony
In August, 1879, John Levy owned the north 70 feet of lots 1 and 2 and the west 25 feet of lot 3 of said block 23. Mr. Sherwood formerly owned the same property, and gave mortgages upon it. John Levy acquired title to the south 20 feet of the north 70 feet of said lots 1 and 2 by sheriff’s deed on foreclosure of one of these mortgages. He became the owner of the north 50 feet of lots 1 and 2, and the west 25 feet of lot 3, by deed from A. C. Howard, who had become the owner of the property by sheriff’s deed on foreclosure of the other mortgages. August 11, 1879, John Levy and wife conveyed by quitclaim deed to George W. Sherwood the north 50 feet of lots 1 and 2, and in said deed was the following exception:
“Excepting and reserving the right of way north and south not less than ten feet in width across said premises east of said Sherwood house; also excepting and reserving the south half of the south wall of said hotel building.”
The same day (August 11, 1879) John Levy and wife conveyed by warranty deed the following property:
“Commencing fifty feet south of the northwest corner of block 23, thence running east along the south line of the brick hotel building known as the Sherwood house, eighty feet, thence south twenty and one-sixth feet, thence west eighty feet, thence north to place of beginning, including the south half of the south brick wall of said hotel building, also the right of way across the premises this day deeded by us to George W. Sherwood and reserved by us in said deed to said Sherwood.”
“ Also a right of way not less than ten feet in width off the east end of the north fifty feet of lots numbered one and two of said block twenty-three.”
November 16, 1886, John Levy deeded the west 25 feet of lot 3 to George W. Sherwood; consideration, $1. It is an undisputed fact, testified to by witnesses of complainant and defendant, that the west 25 feet of lot 3 was used by George W. Sherwood prior to Ndvember 16, 1886, the date of the last-mentioned deed from Levy to Sherwood. The defendant in this case obtained by warranty deed from Mr. Sherwood, April 21, 1892, the north 50 feet of lots 1 and 2; also a strip of land 25 feet in width and 89 feet in depth, extending south from Lawrence avenue, off the west side of lot 3. Defendant also claims by commissioner’s deed given May 9, 1892; said commissioner’s deed giving him the north 50 feet of lots 1 and 2; also a strip of land 30 feet in width and 100 feet in depth, extending south from Lawrence avenu.e, off the west side of lot 3.
In August, 1879, the Sherwood House, or Hotel, was occupied by Mr. Sherwood for hotel purposes, and had been so used from about the year 1871. It consisted Of a three-story brick structure, 50 feet in width by 80 feet deep, fronting on Cochrane avenue, and situated on the southeast corner of Cochrane and Lawrence avenues. The south half of the first story was used for store purposes, and the north half for the office, washroom, and baggage or sample room connected with the hotel, and a hallway leading from the south side of the office running back to a door at the east end of this hallway. The south half of the second story was used as the dining room of the hotel, at the front of the building, with kitchen in the rear; and the north half contained the hotel parlor in
The circuit judge decreed that complainant was entitled to a right of way 10 feet in width across lots 1 and 2, immediately east of the brick building formerly known as the “Sherwood House,” now the “Pythian Temple.” It was not found that the complainant had used a right of
What the complainant’s rights might have been, had there been a timely application to reform the deeds under which he claims, we need not determine. We are convinced that, as to the right of way claimed, both by failure
The decree is reversed, and the bill dismissed, with costs of both courts to defendant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- O'NEIL v. POTTER
- Status
- Published