Woodson v. Allen
Woodson v. Allen
Opinion of the Court
The first assignment of error is unworthy of serious consideration. The evidence offered by appellee was properly admissible, and in the absence of rebutting testimony warranted the verdict of the jury in her favor.
The second assignment, however, presents a question of more moment. Appellant relied for his defense, in addition to the plea of “not guilty,” upon the plea of the statute of hmitatións of five years, under a deed duly recorded. In support of this plea, after having proved all the other requisite facts as provided by the statute, he introduced and read in evidence a deed to himself for the land, duly executed and acknowledged by the grantor for record, with a certificate of the clerk indorsed thereon, showing that the deed had been duly recorded for more than five years before the commencement of the suit. But in rebuttal, appellee read in evidence a certified copy of the record of this deed, from which it appears that the deed was inaccurately copied by the clerk by whom it was recorded. The boundary, as given in that part of the deed not correctly recorded, is as follows, to wit: “ Thence east 1,344 varas with the north boundary line of T; G. Box’s survey to a corner; thence south 1,344 varas with the east line of said Box’s survey; thence west with said Box’s south boundary,” etc. In the record the first of these calls reads: “ Thence east 1,344 varas with the east boundary line of T. G. Box’s survey to corner.” Omitting the next call in the deed, and then proceeding as in the succeeding calls in the deed.
The burthen of proof is upon the defendant setting up ■ the defense of limitations, and to enable him to maintain his defense by reason of five years’ possession, he must show that he has been in possession for the required time
In view of these considerations, we think the court erred in holding that the deed was not duly registered, within the meaning of the statute in question, and the judgment must therefore be reversed and the cause remanded.
Reversed and remanded.
[Opinion delivered March 28, 1881.]
Reference
- Full Case Name
- J. J. Woodson v. M. A. R. Allen
- Cited By
- 4 cases
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- Syllabus
- 1. Limitation—Registration.—Though possession o£ land for five years under a deed “or deeds duly registered,” must be shown to successfully defend under the plea of five years’ limitation, it is not essential that the deed thus registered should have been correctly copied in every particular by the recording clerk. If it is copied with sufficient accuracy to enable persons examining the record to see that the record and the deed are for the same land, it is sufficient.