Brown v. Sams
Brown v. Sams
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
This is an action of trespass, brought to recover damages to plaintiff’s crop committed by the defendant’s hogs. There was judgment in the trial court for the defendant, and the plaintiff brings the case to this court.
The facts as found by the trial judge are as follows: The plaintiff and defendant owned adjoining farms, and constructed upon the dividing line a partition fence; each agreeing to keep in repair a certain portion of it. After some years, and about two years before this suit was brought, the plaintiff notified the defendant verbally that he would no longer keep up his part of the fence, and allowed the same to become defective and out of repair. No written notice was given of the plaintiff’s intention to withdraw from the agreement or to remove his part of the fence, and the defendant did not assent to such withdrawal. The defendant’s hogs passed from his field, through that part of the fence which it was plaintiff’s duty to keep up, into the field of the latter, and injured the crop growing thereon, to recover damages for which this action was instituted.
Partition fences upon the line between adjoining landowners may be erected and kept in repair at the
The cases of Clovers v. Sawyers, 1 Head, 157, and Stallcup v. Bradly, 3 Cold., 407, were decided before the statute of 1875 was enacted. Acts 1897, p. 243, c. 95,. applies only to cases where the fence used as a partition fence, or a part of it, is entirely upon the lands of one of'the adjoining proprietors, and such proprietor is the owner of the fence. In such a case under that act the owner of the fence may remove it by consent of the •other proprietor, or after six months’ notice in writing
It was therefore tbe duty of the plaintiff to have kept bis part of tbe partition fence between bis lands and those of tbe defendant in repair, and, tbe damages to bis crop having resulted from a failure to discharge this duty, be is without remedy.
Tbe plaintiff, however, insists that tbe defendant is liable for trespass committed by the bogs under chapter 151, page 315, of tbe Acts of 1903, which it is admitted applies to Hamblen county, making it unlawful to allow live stock to run at large and tbe owner liable for all damages done by such stock while at large. We do not think so. This statute does not repeal those in relation to partition fences. There is no express repeal. It is not done by necessary implication because there is no inconsistency, and tbe two statutes can well stand together. Fisher v. Baldridge, 91 Tenn., 418, 19 S. W., 227; McCampbell v. State, 116 Tenn., 107, 93 S. W., 100. Tbe latter act creates a greater necessity for partition fences than existed before it was passed. It requires tbe owner of live stock to keep it confined, and partition fences are necessary in many cases for this purpose. Cases may occur where one of tbe adjoining
There is no error in the judgment of the circuit court, •and it is affirmed, with cost.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- I. N. Brown v. E. B. Sams
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- 2 cases
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- Published