Harman v. Alt
Harman v. Alt
Opinion of the Court
In an action of unlawful entry and detainer the court below directed a virdiet for plaintiff, and entered judgment thereon that plaintiff recover the land sued for. To review that judgment this ’writ of error was awarded the defendant.
There is no substantial merit in the first point, that the summons is defective. Cunningham v. Sayre, 21 W. Va. 440, we think decisive of this question.
We are of opinion also, that the judgment below should be affirmed on two grounds: Eirst, that there was an agreement as to the boundary line in dispute, fixing it where plaintiff claims it, and binding defendant; second, that plaintiff by actual, open, notorious, exclusive and continuous adverse possession of said land, for more than ten years, acquired good title thereby, rendering his ouster by defendant, though peaceable, unlawful, entitling plaintiff to judgment for possession.
It is said that because Nine, at the time of the surrey by Pearson, in 189?', had not disputed with Harman as to the location of the line, and Harman had not agreed before hand to be bound by that survey, though he participated therein, and afterwards acquiesced, and accepted the same, neither Nine nor Alt are concluded or estopped from enlarging their boundary by going over to the old marked line. This, however, is not the law. Gwynn v. Schwartz, 32 W. Va. 487, and Teass v. City of St. Albans, 38 W. Va. 1, hold, that disputed boundaries between two adjoining tracts of land may be settled by express oral agreement, executed immediately, and accompanied by possession according thereto. And, as particularly applicable to the contention of defendant’s counsel in this case, point six of the syllabus in the first case, declares that, long acquiescence by one adjoining proprietor in a boundary established by the other is evidence of such agreement so fixing the division-line between them. “What is meant by long acquiescence”, says Judge Green, in this case, “is not definitely settled by the decisions”, but, as particularly applicable to the case here, point eight of the syllabus says: “Such acquiescence, in this State for a period of over ten years will justify a jury in inferring, that such parol agreement establishing such division-line existed; and a verdict based on such inference ought not to be set aside as plainly, contrary to the evidence.” It was wholly unnecessary, however, for the court below in this case to have submitted to a jury the question of the fact of the agreement by plaintiff, for the evidence proves beyond doubt, and there is nothing to the
But conceding that there was no agreement binding Harman, there was actual, open, notorious, exclusive, and continuous adverse possession by him, for more than ten years before defendant entered and tore down the division fence. This gave him the absolute, indefeasible title to the land by adverse possession, even though it be conceded arguendo, that originally the defendant or his predecessors in title may have had the better title. Plaintiff’s title became good title by adverse possession. Such title by adverse possession confers legal title, enabling the owner not only to defend, but to maintain ejectment or other actions thereon. Parkersburg Industrial Co. v. Schultz, supra, syllabus, point five.
The proposition of defendant’s counsel, based on White v. Ward, 35 W. Va. 418, that acquiescence or admission by a landowner, made under a mistake as to his rights, will not estop him from subsequently enlarging his possession to the limits of his deed, does not apply as against one who has acquired good title by adverse possession. This case distinctly so decides.
The point is made, however, that defendanPs entry was peaceable, not forcible. This is not a defense if his entry was unlawful. This action goes against one who enters peaceably, if his entry be unlawful; and his entry is unlawful, though peaceable, as against the true owner of the land. In this case we hold that plaintiff had acquired by adverse possession absolute title to the land in controversy, on which he could maintain ejectment or other action. The entry by defendant was therefore unlawful, if not forcible. His entry was that of a stranger to the paramount title of the plaintiff. He must therefore sur
These conclusions, we think, constitute a complete answer to all the points presented in argument, calling for no further reply thereto, and resulting in an affirmance of the judgment below. Judgment affirmed.
Affirmed.
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