Kimble v. Ford
Kimble v. Ford
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
Plaintiffs alleged that they were the owners and entitled to the possession of certain personal property, which the defendant unlawfully withheld from their possession, after demand. Defendant admitted the withholding, denied plaintiff’s ownership, and alleged ownership in himself, and adverse possession by him for more than three years.
Upon the trial it appeared that the plaintiff, Clara Kimble, and the defendant were brother and sister, and that their controversy arose out of a bill of sale made by the father and mother of the two parties to the plaintiff named, in consideration of a promise to support, feed, clothe and furnish them with medical attendance during their lives. Levi M. Ford and his wife, the parents, had resided for many years upon certain land belonging to them in Skagit county. They had several children, but these had all left
Plaintiffs based their claim upon the absolute right of Ford, sr., and his wife to deal with their owm property as'
Appellants complain of various errors of the court in admitting testimony and in charging the jury. But as we view the evidence, which is submitted to us under an allegation of insufficiency, be these alleged errors as they may, the conceded facts make the judgment a correct one, and therefore are not to be disturbed for the errors suggested. Appellants were not deprived of any testimony, and so far as any testimony may have been wrongfully admitted against them, it was immaterial in view of the admitted facts.
Here was a case where it is conceded that there was a mutual agreement, put in writing so far as the land was concerned, but remaining in parol as to the personalty, except that the possession of the latter was surrendered to the respondent. For more than ten years this arrangement has been carried out, and it did not, therefore, lie in the power of Ford, sr., and his wife to annul it in the informal way which they adopted. It was a contract which they could have called upon the court of their county to enforce or annul; but property devoted to the performance of the contract by respondent, and delivered to him for that purpose, could not be taken from him summarily, and without consultation with or notice to him. If respondent was threatening to dispose of this property in such a way as to defraud his father and mother, the court would have interfered to prevent him; for although as to innocent third parties he may have had all of the indicia of ownership, and could have made good title, as between him and his parents he was not the absolute owner. In conducting the business of the farm he could undoubtedly dispose of
For these reasons we find the judgment to have been correct; and it is, therefore, affirmed.
Dunbar, C. J., and Hoyt, Scott and Anders, JJ., concur. 9
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.