Creason v. Peterson
Creason v. Peterson
Opinion of the Court
Defendants Peterson deeded to the plaintiffs by a metes and bounds description a tract of land containing about one acre located on Ninth East near 5600 South in Murray, Utah. Subsequently, in connection with a sale to a third party, plaintiffs discovered that there was a variance- of a few
Defendants appeal contending (1) that there was no breach of warranty; and (2) that in any event, the alleged expense of attorneys’ fees incurred by plaintiffs was neither necessary nor reasonable.
Defendants’ argument as to (1) above is that there was no breach of warranty because the plaintiffs had peaceable possession and enjoyment of the property without any eviction or threat thereof. With this we do not agree. The majority rule, with which we are in accord, is that there is a breach of warranty when it is shown that the grantor did not own the land that he purported to convey by the warranty deed description.
Prior to 1943 the property in question was held by Frank M. Alpaugh. He had acquired it as a part of a larger tract in 1920 by warranty deed from R. A. and
Beginning at a point in center of intersection of 55th South and 9th East streets, point being 13.25 chains west from the south-east corner of the northeast 14 of the north-west 14 of Section 17, Township 2 South, Range 1 East, Salt Lake Meridian, thence north along center of 9th East street, 9.20 chains; thence north 84 deg. east along line of fence 319.5 feet; thence south 9.72 chains, more or less, to center of County road and 40 line; thence west along center of road 319.5 feet to the place of beginning. (Emphasis added.) The difficulty giving rise to this lawsuit stems from the fact that in 1943 Frank M. Alpaugh divided the property and deeded this smaller tract to the defendants Peterson by meets and bounds description, but without the emphasized reference to the fence line (a reference which had been in every conveyance of the larger tract back as far as 1875). In 1963 the Petersons conveyed to the plaintiffs Creason (Hallmark Constructors, Inc., a corporation owned by them) by a similar warranty deed without referring to the fence line. The absence of the fence line reference in that 1943 deed would cause a shift of the tract, compared to what it would be according to the survey, a short distance north of the tract as it would be as tied to the fence lines, as shown by the subjoined diagram.
When the foregoing .facts are considered in the light of the well settled rule of law that conveyances of property are to be construed in accordance with the intentions of the parties,
The remaining problem relates to the award of attorneys’ fees to the plaintiffs in the sum of $720. As above noted, inasmuch as it is shown that there was a technical defect in the title, the plaintiffs would be justified in doing whatever was reasonable and prudent to clear it up; and if this involved the necessity of employing an attorney, the reasonable expense therefor would be compensable.
The judgment is affirmed except as to the remand for that purpose. The parties to bear their own costs.
. 6 Powell on Real Property, Sec. 905 (1969).
. Wilson v. Forbes, 13 N.C. 30 (1928) and Note, 125 Am.St.Rep. 443, 455 (1909).
. Schiff v. Dixon, 204 Okl. 112, 227 P.2d 639 (1951); Faller v. Davis, 30 Okl. 56, 118 P. 382 (1911); Anderson v. Larson, 177 Minn. 606, 225 N.W. 902 (1929); Fender v. Farr, 262 S.W.2d 539 (Tex.Civ.App. 1953); Russell v. Belsher, 221 Ala. 360, 128 So. 452 (1930).
.gee See. 57-1-12, TJ.C.A.1953: “Such deed when executed as required by law shall have the effect of a conveyance in fee simple * * * with covenants from the grantor, that he is lawfully seised of the premises; that he has good right to convey the same; * * * that the grantor will forever warrant and defend the title thereof in the grantee against all lawful claims whatsoever.”
. Wood v. Ashby, 122 Utah 580, 253 P.2d 351 (1952); Gardner v. Fliegel, 92 Idaho 767, 450 P.2d 990 (1969); Hogan v. Blakney, 73 Idaho 274, 251 P.2d 209 (1952).
. See Van Cott v. Jacklin, 63 Utah 412, 226 P. 460 (1924).
Concurring Opinion
(concurring).
I concur for the reason that there was an obvious breach of warranty, that the grantees were required to clear the title, which they did, and that the grantors should pay the reasonable expense thereof, —which is the only question to resolve on remand.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Gerald J. CREASON and Viola M. Creason, and Hallmark Constructors, Inc., a Corporation, Plaintiffs and Respondents, v. Arnt LeRoy PETERSON and Ruby W. Peterson, His Wife, Defendants and Appellants
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published