Allison v. Allison

8 Tenn. App. 270
Court of Appeals of Tennessee·Decided May 6, 1928·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

HEISKELL, J.

This suit was brought to settle the title to a small tract of land at Linton, Davidson county, Tennessee. It involves the construction of the will of Thomas J. Allison who died in 1900. He was the father of complainant, Thomas J. Allison and grandfather of the defendants.' The suit involves, however, only two clauses of said will. The one devising land to complainant, Thomas J. Allison for life with remainder to his children, and that devising land to the father of defendants for life with remainder to them.

The devise to complainants is as follows :

1 ‘ I will and bequeath to my son Thomas J. Allison all my land west of South Harpeth River on the right of the Nashville and Centerville Road going from Nashville to Centerville as it now is on the west side of said river, including the dwelling, the store house and the blacksmith shop the same being in Davidson county, Tennessee. ’ ’

The devise to W. H. Allison, deceased, father of defendants, is as follows:

“I will and bequeath to my son William H. Allison all that portion of my land known as the Barham and Henry tracts of land, which lies on the west side of South Harpeth River and on the south side of the Nashville and Centerville road, leading from Nashville to Centerville as it now is.”

The land in controversy contains about three aeres and lies on the south or left-hand side of the Nashville and Centerville Road, going from Nashville to Centerville and west of the South Harpeth River, that is, between the river and the road.

The bill prays that the land be construed to be devised to complainant and that he be put in possession of same and if this can,not be done, that it be decreed that as to the land in question, that the testator died intestate and that it be sold for partition.

The minor defendants answered by guardian ad litem, the others filed an answer and cross-bill insisting that the said land passed to them under the terms of the will and that it be so decreed.

Complainants demanded a jury and submitted two issues to the court.

*272 1. Were the lands in dispute and described in the pleadings known at and prior to the date of the execution of the will of Thos. J. Allison, deceased, as a part of the Barham and Henry tracts of land referred to in the will of the said deceased?

2. Was it the intention of the testator Thos. H. Allison deceased, to devise the land in dispute and described in the pleading to complainants in this cause?

The court made up and submitted to the jury only this one issue, instead of those submitted to the court by complainants:

“Were the lands in dispute and described in the pleadings at and prior to the death of Thos. J. Allison January 2, 1897, known as a part of the Barham and Henry tracts of land referred to in the will of said deceased. ’ ’

The jury could not agree and there was a mistrial.

At the April term, 1927, when the case was reached for trial, complainant tendered five issues, all of which were declined by the court and the following single issue was submitted to the jury:

“Were the lands in dispute and described in the pleadings, at and prior to the date of T. J. Allison’s will, on November 7, 1891, and at the death of Thos. J. Allison, January 2, 1897, known as a part of the Barham and Henry tracts of land, referred to in the will of the said deceased?”

And this issue the jury answered yes. Thereupon, the Chancellor entered a decree in favor of defendants, holding that it was the purpose and intention of the will to divide the testator’s land west of South Harpeth River so as to leave all to the right or north of the Nashville and Centerville Road to T. J. Allison and all to the left or south of said road to W. H. Allison. Right or left of the road means in going from Nashville to Centerville. From this decree the compláinants have appealed and assigned errors. We do not consider it necessary to follow the assignments in detail. The testator owned on the west side of the river two tracts of land, one known as the Barham and Henry tract, which went to W. H.. Allison, and the other known as the Sherrill tract, north of and adjoining the other tract, which latter tract went to Thomas J. Allison. The small tract of land in controversy is a part of the Sherrill tract but cut off from the rest of said tract by the Nashville and Centerville road, so that the road and the river included this few acres along with the Barham and Henry tract of some four hundred acres. The theory of the complainants is that the land in controversy by the intention of the will went to Thos. J. Allison, although south of or on the left of the road, because it was not a part of the Barham and Henry tract. The theory and contention of defendants is that the land in dispute was known as a part of the Barham and Henry tract by virtue of *273 being thrown with it by the boundaries of river and road. That it was so known for many years during the lifetime of the testator and therefore passed under the language of the devise to "W. H. Allison, “All that portion of my land known as the Barham and Henry tract of land, which lies on the west side of the South Har-peth River and on the south side of the Nashville and Centerville road,” and that this is especially true when considered in connection with the description of land devised to Thomas J. Allison “All of my lands west of the South Harpeth River on the right of the Nashville and Centerville road.”

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Allison v. Allison, 8 Tenn. App. 270 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1928).

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