Anderson v. Anderson

121 So. 2d 393, 239 Miss. 798, 1960 Miss. LEXIS 356
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedJune 13, 1960
DocketNo. 41406
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 121 So. 2d 393 (Anderson v. Anderson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson v. Anderson, 121 So. 2d 393, 239 Miss. 798, 1960 Miss. LEXIS 356 (Mich. 1960).

Opinion

Kyle, J.

This case is before ns on appeal by Mansfield Anderson and others, complainants in the court below, from a decree of the Chancery Court of Yazoo County rendered in favor of Ed Wilburn Hooker and others, de[804]*804fendants in the court below, in a snit filed by the appellants as heirs-at-law of James Anderson, deceased, to establish their title to a remainder interest in and to obtain possession of 139 acres of lands situated in Yazoo County, which was owned by one James Anderson, a white man, who is referred to in the record as “James Anderson, the testator,” to distinguish him from James Anderson, the father of the complainants and one of the devisees named in the will and codicil of the said testator, at the time of his death in 1872, and which was allotted and set apart to Edward Anderson as his separate part or share of the lands devised by the said “James Anderson, the testator,” in his last will and testament and codicil to the said Edward Anderson and seven other children, named in said will and codicil, subject to the limitations and conditions therein stated.

In their original bill of complaint, which was filed by the complainants on November 14, 1955, the complainants sought to have cancelled as clouds upon their title the claims of the defendants to the lands described as Lot No. 3 of the lands owned by the said James Anderson, testator, at the time of his death, as shown on the surveyor’s plat of said lands filed in the partition proceeding, Cause No. 981, in the chancery court of said county in 1878, and to have cancelled as clouds on their title claims of other defendants to the lands described as Lot No. 4, as shown on said surveyor’s plat, as to which different questions of fact and of law were presented.

The two groups of defendants, however, filed special demurrers to the original bill on the ground that the bill was multifarious. The demurrers were sustained, and the complainants were directed to file separate bills as to each of the two tracts of land, Lot No. 3 and Lot No. 4. The complainants then filed two separate bills of complaint, one as to Lot No. 3, in which the appellees in this case were named as defendants, and one as to Lot No. 4, in which other parties were named as defendants. [805]*805The exhibits attached to the original bill were made exhibits to each of the recast bills. The suit involving the question of title to the lands embraced and included in Lot No. 4 was later heard on a general demurrer filed by the defendants in that case. The demurrer was sustained by the chancellor; the complainants refused to amend; and a final decree was entered dismissing the bill of complaint, and on appeal the decree of the lower court was affirmed by this Court on March 10, 1958, without a written opinion. See Mansfield Anderson et al. v. Cleveland Anderson et al., Cause No. 40,690, 223 Miss. 33, 100 So. 2d 852.

The complainants filed their recast bill of complaint to establish their title to the land embraced and included in Lot No. 3 on November 6, 1956. The defendants filed motions to strike certain portions of the bill, and the court ordered that said portions be stricken. Thereafter general demurrers were filed by the several defendants. The grounds of general demurrer alleged were: (1) That there was no equity on the face of the bill; and (2) that the bill showed on its face that the complainants had no right to or interest in the lands to which they claimed title and no right of possession of said lands. The chancellor sustained the demurrers; the complainants declined to amend their bill; and a final decree was entered dismissing the complainants’ bill of complaint. From that decree the complainants have prosecuted this appeal.

Copies of the last will and testament of the said James Anderson, the testator, were attached as exhibits to the original bill of complaint and as exhibits to the recast bill. The will was dated July 16, 1870, and its contents may be summarized as follows: In the first item of said will, the testator provided for his burial and the payment of his funeral expenses. In the second item the testator willed and directed that his executor sell all of his property for cash or on time, as he might elect. In the [806]*806third item the testator bequeathed to ‘ ‘ Shepherd, Lewis, Richard, Benjamin, Caleb, Edward and Jane Anderson, colored, lately legitimatized by the Legislature of the State of Mississippi, each $1,000.00”, and appointed H. J. Thomas their guardian. In the fourth item the testator bequeathed to James Anderson, son of Mary May of Rowan County, North Carolina, $1,000.00. In the fifth item the testator willed and directed that the residue of his estate he divided equally “share and share alike, between my three brothers, Lewis, Minor and Benjamin Anderson, and sister, Lucy, in case of the death of either the children shall heir the share of the parent. ’ ’ In the sixth item the testator appointed H. J. Thomas executor without bond.

The codicil to said will was dated February 3, 1872. The material provisions of the codicil, in which the testator made sweeping changes in the testamentary disposition of his property, are contained in the first paragraph of the codicil, which is as follows:

“CODICIL
“I, James Anderson of the County of Holmes and State of Mississippi having on the 16th day of July A.D. 1870 made and published my last will and testament in writing and thereby made sundry demises and bequests according to the then existing circumstances of my estate hut which circumstances having changed I do by this writing which I hereby declare to he a Codicil to my said will to be taken and construed as a part thereof. In lieu of one thousand dollars bequeath to each Item 3rd, I will devise and bequeath to Shepperd Richard Lewis Benjamin Caleb Edward James and Jane Anderson and after them to their children my plantation on Dry Creek including the Ross place to he equally divided between share and share alike each one on arriving at the age of 21 years may have his or her portion allotted and set off and [807]*807put in possession of the same. I further will and direct that should either or any of the above named die without heirs of the body his or her portion shall descend to and be equally divided among the others. The above bequest is made with the limitation that all that portion of the tract lying East of a line running equal distance between the row of cabins and the main dwelling from the Pickens Station Road to S. L. St. Johns line and all north of said Road containing ninety acres I will and bequeath to Sopha Day my colored house woman who has faithfully served and patiently and kindly nursed me in my affliction this bequest is made only during her life and at her death to be divided equally share and share alike among the children above named this bequest is made to Sopha Day on condition that she reside in the dwelling and take special care of the same and the premises and it is my will and request that she keep the children with her take care of and assist them in making a living as far as within her power. This bequest is on further condition that should she marry or take up with any man or keep a disorderly house attempt to sell or dispose of the place or cease to occupy it she shall forthwith vacate the premises and land be divided as above directed. ’ ’

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Related

Avant v. Wells
244 So. 2d 398 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1971)
Evans v. State
135 So. 2d 174 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1961)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
121 So. 2d 393, 239 Miss. 798, 1960 Miss. LEXIS 356, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-v-anderson-miss-1960.