Baxter v. Baxter

92 N.E. 881, 46 Ind. App. 514, 1910 Ind. App. LEXIS 125
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 3, 1910
DocketNo. 7,204
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 92 N.E. 881 (Baxter v. Baxter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baxter v. Baxter, 92 N.E. 881, 46 Ind. App. 514, 1910 Ind. App. LEXIS 125 (Ind. Ct. App. 1910).

Opinion

Myers, J.

1. Appellee brought this suit against appellant to quiet his title to certain real estate in Allen county, Indiana. The complaint was in two paragraphs. A joint and several demurrer thereto for want of facts was overruled, to which ruling appellant took the following exception: “To which ruling of the court the defendant excepts.”

Appellee insists that no question is raised as to the sufficiency of either paragTaph of the complaint separately considered, for the reason that the exception was “in gross and not several.” Appellee has cited cases in support of his contention, but these eases on this point have been disapproved. Whitesell v. Strickler (1907), 167 Ind. 602; Bedford Quarries Co. v. Bough (1907), 168 Ind. 671, 14 L. R. A. (N. S.) 418; City of Decatur v. McKean (1906), 167 Ind. 249; United States Cement Co. v. Koch (1908), 42 Ind. App. 251.

2. Appellant’s first assignment questions the first paragraph for want of facts. The objection lodged against this paragraph is that it does not show that appellee is elaiming an interest in the real estate adverse to appellant. It appears from this paragraph that appellee was the owner in fee simple of the real estate described, and that appellant “is claiming some interest in and title to [517]*517said real estate, which is unfounded and without right and constitutes a cloud upon plaintiff’s title.”

In the case of Rennert v. Shirk (1904), 163 Ind. 542, it is said: “In an action to quiet title, under our statutes (§1082 Burns 1901), the pleading, to be sufficient, must allege that the pleader [plaintiff] is the owner of the real estate described therein, or a certain interest therein, and that the defendant in the action or cross-action claims an interest therein, and that such claim is adverse to the title asserted in said pleading, or that the same is unfounded and a cloud upon such title.”

In the paragraph now being considered, it is alleged that appellant’s claim of title “is unfounded and without right, and constitutes a cloud upon plaintiff’s title.” This allegation was the equivalent of an allegation that appellant’s claim was “adverse” to appellee’s title, and was sufficient to withstand the objection urged against it. Rennert v. Shirk, supra; Corbin Oil Co. v. Searles (1905), 36 Ind. App. 215.

Appellant also insists that the second paragraph was insufficient as against a demurrer for want of facts. In this paragraph it was alleged that appellee, on December 28, 1906, was the owner of the land in controversy. Following this general allegation of ownership, there is a statement of facts showing that appellee was on that day eighty-three years of age; that his eyesight was bad; that he was physically weak and infirm; that appellant, then a strong, able-bodied man, took hold of him in a rude and angry manner and threatened to do him bodily injury; that, to save himself from what he believed to be great danger of bodily harm, appellee executed to appellant, without consideration, a deed for an undivided one-half interest in the real estate in question.

[518]*5183. [517]*517As to this paragraph it is claimed that it does not show ownership of the land in appellee at the time the suit was [518]*518commenced, nor that appellant was then claiming any title or interest in the land adverse to appellee, nor that the alleged grantor had at any time demanded a reconveyance, nor had rescinded or offered to rescind the deed made by him to appellant. In a suit to quiet title,. the complainant must show the interest in the land which he asks to have quieted, and that he is the owner of such interest at the time the suit is begun. Chapman v. Jones (1908), 149 Ind. 434. And a complaint which fails to make this showing will be held insufficient as against a demurrer for want of facts. Corbin Oil Co. v. Searles, supra.

4. In this paragraph it is alleged that appellee, on December 28, 1906, was the owner of the land in question. The pleader then proceeds with a statement of facts, showing that the only defect in his title arose out of a certain alleged deed made by him to appellant; that the. deed was not the act of appellee, and was made under such circumstances as to render it ineffectual to convey title; that appellant had caused it to be recorded in the deed records of Allen county. It was not necessary for appellee to allege in terms ownership of the real estate at the time the suit was commenced, or that appellant claims title adverse to appellee, if the facts show ownership and that such claim is inconsistent with appellee’s title. Kitts v. Willson (1886), 106 Ind. 147; Bisel v. Tucker (1889), 121 Ind. 249; Seymour Water Co. v. City of Seymour (1904), 163 Ind. 120; Caress v. Foster (1878), 62 Ind. 145; Corbin Oil Co. v. Searles, supra.

As to appellant’s claim of interest in the land, it appears that he appreciated the value of the deed enough to have it recorded in the record of deeds of the proper county, which deed, upon its face, showed that he was the owner of an undivided interest in the land in question. The facts that such a deed was on record, that it was obtained from the appellee in the manner and form alleged, and that he [519]*519is defending a suit on the part of his grantor to quiet his title as against said deed, are sufficient to warrant this court in holding that the paragraph is sufficient in this particular.

As to the question of a demand for reconveyance before bringing suit, it is sufficient to say that the facts show that the deed was obtained by appellant wrongfully and fraudulently, and, this being true, no demand was necessary.

5. Appellant insists that the court erred in overruling his motion to amend his cross-complaint. The motion to amend was made after all the evidence was in and the argument of counsel heard, except the closing argument for appellee. The right to amend pleadings calls for the sound judicial discretion of the trial court. "While such discretion is subject to review by an appellate tribunal, such discretion will not be disturbed unless it clearly appears to have been abused to the prejudice and harm of the party against whom the ruling was made. §405 Burns 1908, §396 R. S. 1881; New Castle Bridge Co. v. Doty (1907), 168 Ind. 259; Chicago, etc., R. Co. v. Williams (1907), 168 Ind. 276; Smith & Stoughton Corp. v. Byers (1898), 20 Ind. App. 51.

6. It appears that the cross-complaint proceeded upon the theory that the deed in question was made to appellant, in pursuance of an agreement between appellant and appellee. At the time the alleged deed was made there was a mortgage for $2,000 on the land, and there is nothing in the deed indicating that the grantee was to assume any part of the mortgage. The proposed amendment was tó the effect that appellant was to assume the payment of one-half of that mortgage.

By the cross-complaint appellant sought to have the title to an undivided one-half interest in the land quieted in him. There was no attempt in any of the pleadings to reform the deed, or to reform any contract in connection therewith.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Donnelly v. Fletemeyer
176 N.E. 868 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1931)
New York, Etc., R. Co. v. Iddings, Admx.
151 N.E. 361 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1926)
Hessong v. Wolf
151 N.E. 15 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1926)
Simms v. Gilmore
135 N.E. 183 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1922)
Gwinn v. Hobbs
118 N.E. 155 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1917)
Laramore v. Blumenthal
108 N.E. 602 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1915)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
92 N.E. 881, 46 Ind. App. 514, 1910 Ind. App. LEXIS 125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baxter-v-baxter-indctapp-1910.