Brady v. Kreuger

66 N.W. 1083, 8 S.D. 464, 1896 S.D. LEXIS 61
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedApril 18, 1896
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 66 N.W. 1083 (Brady v. Kreuger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brady v. Kreuger, 66 N.W. 1083, 8 S.D. 464, 1896 S.D. LEXIS 61 (S.D. 1896).

Opinion

Corson, P. J.

This was an action to recover the possession of real property, and damages for its detention. The action was originally commenced against Kreuger alone, but subsequently Minnie Nidrow (formerly Minnie Kipp) was made a. party defendant by an amendment to tb\e answer. Kreuger, in. [466]*466bis answer, denies the ownership of the plaintiff, and alleges, in substance, that Minnie Kipp was at all times mentioned in the complaint in the lawful and peaceable possession of the second story of the building on said premises, by virtue of a homestead right thereto as the wife of John Kipp, and that defendant was in the possession of the same as her agent. The facts, as disclosed by the evidence, briefly stated, are as follows: John H. Kipp and Samuel 0. Overby, prior to April 11, 1893, were partners in a general retail mercantile business, under the firm name of Kipp & Overby. The second story of the building in which this mercantile business was carried on was occupied by Kipp and family and said Overby as a residence. On the last-mentioned day, Overby conveyed his interest in the real and personal property of the partnership to plaintiff, Brady, and the business was continued under the firm name of Kipp & Brady until November, 1893, when Brady purchased Kipp’s interest in the partnership. The lots and building thereon used as the' store and dwelling house were partnership property. At the time Kipp sold his interest to Brady, Kipp and his family still occupied the said second story of the store building, but the deed to the real property was not signed by Mrs. Kipp. In December, 1893, a decree of divorce was granted dissolving the marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Kipp; but she continued to occupy the second story of the store until March, 1894, when she, desiring to visit friends in the east, requested Kreuger to occupy the rooms for her in her absence, and he was so occupying them when this action was commenced. At the close of all the evidence the court, on motion of plaintiff, directed a verdict in his favor, and from the judgment entered therein the defendants appeal.

At the commencement of the trial, counsel for the defendants objected to any evidence being given under the complaint upon the grounds (1) that the court had no jurisdiction; (2) because the complaint did not state facts sufficient to constitute ta cause of action, This objection wag gyerruled. and the dq-[467]*467fendants duly excepted. This ruling was clearly correct, as the action is one to recover the possession of real property, and damages for withholding the same, and contains all the aver-ments essential to a good complaint in such an action. The plaintiff alleges that on November 9, 1893, he was the owner, and was seised in fee, of the premises, describing them fully; that on March 1, 1894, and while the plaintiff was such owner and seised and possessed of the said premises, the defendants unlawfully entered upon the second story of said premises, and ousted and ejected the plaintiff therefrom, and ever since have withheld the possession of the same from the plaintiff, to his damage in the sum of $200. It alleges that the value of the rents and profits of said premises so unlawfully withheld from March 1, 1894, is $200, and plaintiff demands judgment for the possession, and $200 damages. The appellants contend that the action was one in forcible entry and detainer, of which the circuit court has not original jurisdiction, but only appellate jurisdiction. But in this contention the counsel are clearly in error. The complaint is sufficient as a complaint for the recovery of the possession of real property, but fails to allege several essential facts necessary to constitute an action for forcible entry and detainer. Payne v. Treadwell, 16 Cal. 246; § 6073, Comp. Laws.

. At the close of the evidence on the part of the plaintiff, the defendants moved the court to direct a verdict for the defendants, This was denied, and exception taken; but as the defendants proceeded to introduce evidence on the part of the defense, and subsequently moved for a direction of a verdict at the close of all the evidence; this exception will not be further .considered.

At the close of all the evidence the plaintiff and defendants moved for a direction of the verdict. The motion of the plaintiff will be considered first in order, as its disposition will .determine the motion,, of the defendants. The counsel for the respondent raises a preliminary question ftnd is that this [468]*468court cannot review the evidence, for the reason that the bill of exceptions does not contain any specification of the particulars in which the evidence is alleged to be insufficient to support the verdict. The respondent has filed an additional abstract, in which he asserts that the bill of exceptions contains no statement of the particulars in which the evidence is alleged to be insufficient, and as this is not denied by the appellants, it will be taken to be true. But the counsel is clearly in error in his contention. The statement or bill of exceptions is only required to specify the particulars in which the evidence is alleged to be insufficient to justify the verdict or other decision when one of the grounds of a motion for a new trial is the insufficiency of the evidence to justify the verdict or decision. Sec. 5090, Comp. Laws. A motion to direct a verdict presents a question of law, which requires the court to review the evidence in order to determine whether or not, as matter of law, the verdict was properly directed, or the motion denied.

It is contended by the appellants: First, that the husband and wife have a homestead interest in partnership real property, and that no conveyance of such homestead can be made by the husband alone. Second, that after a divorce the wife retains her interest in the homestead, and that, under the facts proven in this case, she was entitled to retain possession of the premises occupied by herself and husband at the time the divorce was granted. Third, that the. conveyance made by Kipp of his half interest in the partnership property was absolutely void. All of these propositions are controverted by the respondent.

The real property in controversy being partnership property, no homestead rights therein could be acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Kipp, as against the co-partner. Sec. 4084, Comp. Laws, provides that “each member of a partnership may require its property to be applied to the discharge of its debts, and has a lien upon the shares of the other partners for this purpose and for the payment of the general balance, if any, due to him,” [469]*469Real estate belonging to a co-partnership is subject to the same rules as the personal property of such co-partnership. Betts v. Letcher, 1 S. D. 197, 46 N. W. 193. In the case at bar the plaintiff, as part of the consideration for the sale to him by Kipp of his interest in the co-partnership property, agreed to pay the partnership debts and save Kipp harmless therefrom. To hold that a partner, by obtaining possession of, and using as a residence, partnership real estate, could acquire a homestead right therein, as against his co-partner, would lead to great injustice and wrong by one partner to his co-partner. We think both the spirit and policy of the law, are clearly against such a claim. If Kipp could not have claimed this property as homestead property, as against the plaintiff, his wife would occupy no better position than her husband.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
66 N.W. 1083, 8 S.D. 464, 1896 S.D. LEXIS 61, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brady-v-kreuger-sd-1896.