Sturtevant v. McDougall
Sturtevant v. McDougall
Opinion of the Court
This action was commenced by Emma O. Sturtevant against Malcolm McDougall and Mary Mc-Dougall, husband and wife, to cancel certain tax deeds to real estate in the city of Seattle. The plaintiff alleged that, at all times since October 25, 1901, she had been the owner of, and entitled to the possession of, all of block 2 in Burke’s addition to the city of Seattle, deriving her title by mesne conveyances from the United States, without pleading her chain of title or naming her immediate grantor; that the
The findings of fact made by the trial court show that on October 26, 1900, actions were commenced by J. Frank Keefer against John McKenna, to foreclose the delinquent tax certificates; that thereafter tax deeds regular upon their face were issued to him; that thereafter and prior to the commencement of this action, Keefer and wife, by deed, conveyed the real estate to the;respondent Malcolm McDougall; that in the tax foreclosure proceedings the summons which
During the progress of the trial the appellant offered evidence which she claimed tended to show that the property stood of record at the time of foreclosure of the tax certificates in the name of John McKenna, but that he held the same in trust for one Michael Day; that when the respondent McDougall originally acquired the property, he purchased' the tax title; that thereafter he took a conveyance from John McKenna, but with full knowledge of the fact that John McKenna held the legal title as trustee for Michael Day; that Michael Day had never executed any conveyance, but that his interest in the property was attached in an action brought against him by one Robert G. Thompson; that in pursuance thereof a sheriff’s levy and sale were made; that afterwards a sheriff’s deed was made, under which the appellant now claims to have acquired the beneficial or equitable title of Michael Day. This offer of evidence to show a former equitable title in Michael Day was, upon the objection of the respondent, refused by the trial judge, and the appellant now contends that the trial judge erred in making
The appellant further contends that the court erred in refusing to permit her to file an amended complaint, pleading an equitable title in Day to which she had succeeded. We think this question is not before us for consideration, as the record fails to show either that the appellant ever made any application to amend or that the court refused such application. No surprise was claimed by her when the court refused the evidence offered, nor did she then ask leave to amend. On the contrary she submitted her case on the pleadings then before the court. There is in the record an amended complaint which appears to have been verified and served after the trial, at or about the time of the service and filing of appellant’s motion for a new trial. But there is no showing that the amended complaint was then or at any other time presented to the trial judge.
The judgment is affirmed.
Hadley, C. J., Root, Fullerton, Rudkin, Mount, and Dunbar, JJ., concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.