Brooks v. Kerr
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal and cross-appeal from a decree of the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, rendered on the 9th day of December, 1913. The case may be briefly stated as follows:
The complainant in the court below, appellee here, and her brother, the defendant, appellant here, agreed verbally to purchase together the timber on a tract of land in Randolph county, W. Va., on the waters of Gladdys fork and Svahers Mountain, containing some 900 acres, and hereinafter referred to as the “Leonard tract,” and to cut the timber therefrom and divide the profits equally. The purchase was made at the price of $5,000, $3,000 of which was to be paid in cash, of which complainant paid. $2,500 and the defendant $500, and executed his note for the deferred payment .of $2,000. A sawmill was placed -upon the tract, and a small portion of timber cut. A de'ed was taken in the name of the defendant alone, though complainant insists that it should have been made to her and her brother jointly. Shortly after taking the deed, the defendant gave,to the complainant a paper showing her interest in the timber purchased. At the time of this purchase, the defendant, owned the timber on the adjoining tract of land, also containing about 900 acres, and hereinafter referred
The complainant contended, briefly, that the timber on the Leonard tract was the more valuable of the two and that she was entitled to share in the profits arising from the manufactured lumber therefrom, as well as in the enhanced value of the property from the sawmill and other improvements placed thereon by them- jointly; whereas, the defendant insisted that complainant had agreed to accept $4,500 in full of her one-half interest in the entire property, to which she was entitled from the Leonard tract and the improvements thereon; that the Peck timber was much more valuable than the Leonard, and that he had incurred considerable expense and costs in connection with the acquisition of the property, and in securing by law the purchase price therefor, as well as expense in cutting timber before the sale, all of which he claimed his sister should share in arriving at the amount due her, and that, in any event he had paid her more than her full interest.
The pleadings fully and distinctly set forth the claims of the parties, and thereupon the case was referred by agreement, to a master, with directions to make sundry inquiries involving the several contentions made. The master rejected the defendant’s claim that his sister had agreed to accept a lump sum of $4,500 in full of her one-half interest, and also that she had been paid in full. Further, he reached the following conclusions: (a) That the timber on the Leonard tract was not the more valuable of the two tracts, and, on the contrary, the value was as 4 to 11 in favor of the Peck tract, (b) That the defendant was entitled to an allowance for some of the expenses incurred and claimed by him, in connection with the purchase of the property and the handling thereof, as well as for certain expenses incurred in connection with the lawsuit to recover the unpaid balance due by the purchaser on the property sold; and he made an allowance therefor, fixing the proportion which the complainant should bear at the same ratio of 4 to 11. (c) That there was due the complainant, as of the 1st day of April, 1913, after deducting three general payments made to her, aggregating $4,256.75, on account of her one-half interest, the sum of $2,076.73.
It follows that the decree of the lower court should he affirmed, at the cost of the appellant and cross-appellee, and it is so ordered.
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BROOKS v. KERR
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- Published