Palm v. Palm
Palm v. Palm
Opinion of the Court
Mrs. Valina Palm, appellant, brought this suit in trespass to try title against Oliver Palm, appellee, to recover 207.1 acres of land.
The defendant pleaded not guilty and the 10-year statute of limitations to 123.7 acres of the land.
The plaintiff is the surviving wife of Henry Palm, deceased, and they- were the father and mother of defendant, Oliver Palm.
The land in controversy is a part of a 640-acre tract originally granted to Henry Palm. He having left a will by which all of his property passed to his wife, plaintiff, record title is now in her. Upon the trial the defendant introduced evidence to prove a pa-rol gift from his father of the 207.1 acres sued for, with his mother being present and assenting, followed by his taking actual possession by fencing 123.7 acres of the land, and making other permanent and valuable improvements; and also offered evidence in support of his plea of limitations.
The contention of plaintiff as to the defendant’s claim under parol gift, as revealed by the evidence in her behalf, is that the defendant was permitted to go upon the land under the agreement that he should occupy, cultivate, etc., it for three years, rent free, as a consideration for improvements, and at the expiration of the three years he was to purchase at $20 per acre.
The case was submitted upon a general charge, and the jury- made the following finding; “We the jury, find for the defendant, Oliver Palm, 123.7 acres of land which he now has 'under fence.” And judgment was entered accordingly, from which it is properly here for review.
First assignment is:
“The court erred in his charge to the jury, wherein he charged the jury as follows:
“ ‘If you should find and believe from the evidence that the defendant went into posses *313 sion of the land in controversy and made valuable improvements thereon under a parol gift from his father, then you are instructed not to consider any agreements to convey the land back unless such agreements were in writing and supported by a consideration; neither will you consider any verbal agreements to convey the land back by Oliver Palm made after the 10-year period has elapsed, if it did, if you should find in favor of the defendant under his plea of 10 years’ limitation'.’ ”
The following are the reasons given as to why the charge is error:
“(a) Because said charge is upon the weight of the testimony in that it is an assumption on the part of the court that the defendant entered upon the land in controversy and made valuable improvements thereon under a parol gift from his father, when such issue was. an issue of fact to be determined by the jury, and precluded the jury from passing upon the credibility and weight of the testimony.
“(b) Because said charge instructs the jury, in effect, not to consider for any purpose the statements made by the defendant, Oliver Palm, as to paying rents upon said land, which said testimony was offered for the purpose and should have been considered by the jury for the purpose of passing upon the credibility of the witness and defendant, Oliver Palm, and should have been limited to such purpose, while said charge, in effect, precludes the jury from considering such statements and agreements for any purpose.
“(c) Because said charge instructs the jury .not to consider any verbal agreements to convey the land back by Oliver Palm, made after the ten-year period had elapsed, when such testimony should have been considered by the jury, regardless of when such agreements were made, in order to permit the jury to intelligently pass upon the credibility of said witness, and because, further, such testimony was not offered for the purpose of showing a reconveyance of the land, but for the purpose of substantiating the claim of the plaintiff that the defendant did not and had not held such adverse possession as was necessary under his claim of ten years’ limitation.”
The only other assignment is that the verdict and judgment are contrary to .the law and the evidence, and the evidence is wholly insufficient to support said verdict under the appellee’s claim under the statute of 10-year limitation.
This proposition is not suggested by either party, but we think it is an additional reason why the cause should here be affirmed.
Affirmed.
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