Breeding's heirs v. Taylor

45 Ky. 62, 6 B. Mon. 62, 1845 Ky. LEXIS 77
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedJune 20, 1845
StatusPublished

This text of 45 Ky. 62 (Breeding's heirs v. Taylor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Breeding's heirs v. Taylor, 45 Ky. 62, 6 B. Mon. 62, 1845 Ky. LEXIS 77 (Ky. Ct. App. 1845).

Opinion

Judge Breck

delivered the opinion of the Court — which was suspended until the 7th October, when the suggestions of the parties were overruled, and suspension removed.

In 1834, the heirs of Nathaniel Breeding recovered a judgment in ejectment by default, upon the service of the common order, against Mich'ael Morrell, the tenant in possession, and by a habere facias possessionem, subsequently evicted him. After eviction, Breeding’s heirs leased to Morrell the whole tract claimed by them of a thousand acres, and continued him in possession. The judgment in ejectment was rendered at the May term of the Court, and at the August term following, the Court, on the motion of James Taylor, the landlord of Morrell, set aside the judgment, let him in as a defendant, and also made an order for the restoration of the possession to him. That proceeding upon the appeal of Breeding’s heirs was reversed by this Court. The case is reported in (6 Dana, 226.) Prior to the reversal however, Taylor, [63]*63under the order aforesaid, had been restored to the possession, and thereupon Morrell took a lease from him, and was continued in possession. Subsequent to the reversal, Breeding’s heirs, by a writ for forcible detainer against Morrell, the term of his lease under them having expired, again obtained the possession, and again leased to Morrell, and continued him in possession. This was on the 2d August, 1838, and on the day following, Taylor exhibited his bill in Chancery against Breeding’s heirs, praying for a new trial in the ejectment, and also an injunction restrainingfurther proceedings thereon, which was awarded him. In April, 1840, Taylor commenc.ed an action of ejectment; and in August following, upon notice to Breeding’s heirs, moved the Court for a restoration of the possession of all the land, of which Breeding’s heirs, under the writ of habere facias upon their judgment in ejectment, had obtained the possession, except about twenty seven acres, which was at the time in the actual occupancy of Morrell.

Breeding’s claim ofri=llt-

The suit in Chancery, and the motion for a restitution, were heard together, upon an agreement of the parties, that all the testimony taken in either, or in the ejectment, and all the exhibits were to be read in each case. The Circuit Judge dismissed Taylor’s bill without costs, but sustained his motion, and ordered the possession to be restored to him, “of all the land which he held outside of the enclosure of bis tenant, Morrell;” and also gave him a judgment for his costs.

To reverse the judgment upon the motion, Breeding’s heirs have appealed to this Court; and Taylor prosecutes a writ of error, and seeks a reversal of the decree dismissing his bill.

The judgment upon the motion will first be considered.

The land sought to be recovered by Breeding’s heirs in their ejectment, is not designated in their demise by specific boundaries, but described generally as a thousand acres of wood land, and a thousand of orchard, &c. being part of John Harris’ survey of 5,000 acres. But it appears that they claimed under a deed to their ancestor, from the heirs of John Harris, one thousand acres [64]*64by marked boundary. The deed purports to have been made in 1804.

Taylor’s claim of right. A judgment in ejectment ag’st only one tenant authorizes a divestiture of his possession only, and not the possession of others not sued. The holder of the legal title, upon being let into possession under _ a judgment against one tenant who has intruded into possession,becomes possessed to the extent of his title unless another is possessed of the better possessory title, in which event his possess’n would be restricted to the possession under the judgment.

[64]*64Taylor claims under two grants — one to Ash, Morgan, &e., and the other to John Crittenden. The grant to Crittenden issued upon the survey of John Harris for 5,000 acres, subsequent to the date of the deed from Harris’ heirs, of whom Crittenden and wife were part, to Breeding. There is much conflicting testimony in regard to the possession of the 1,000 acres in contest. On the part of Breeding’s heirs, it is contended that the possession was taken under their claim, even before the date of their deed, and so continued till 1823 or 1824, when Taylor obtained it from their tenant. On the other hand. Taylor contends that Breeding’s heirs have never had any possession, they nor their ancestor.

In regard to the relative merits of the respective claims of the parties, we deem it unnecessary to decide or enquire. Nor need we decide further in regard to the possession, than to say, that Morrell, at Ihe commencement of Breeding’s ejectment, was upon the 1,000 acre tract as the tenant of Taylor, but that his lease and possession were limited to his actual enclosure, containing about 27 acres. Morrell’s close was the only improvement upon the tract. But Taylor, in virture of his actual possession by his agent, of other portions, of these two grants, under which he held, claimed to be in possession of all the Breeding tract, outside of the enclosure of Morrell.

Finding no person upon the land but Morrell, Breeding’s heirs in their ejectment, proceeded against him alone, and the judgment recovered by them, was in effect against him, and him alone.

In the execution of the habere facias, they had no right to evict or to disturb the possession of any other person. And we do not understand that the Sheriff did dispossess any other individual, nor in point-of fact, that he changed the possession, except so far as it was held by Morrell. He turned him out, and put in the Breedings in his place. He.s.ays in his return he found no other person residing upon, or in possession of the land, and that he delivered possession of the land and premises io Ihe plaintiff’s [65]*65attorney. The only way he delivered posssssion, was by the turning out Morrell, the only person upon the land, and putting the Breedings or their attorney in his place. This it was his duty to do, and in doing it there was no abuse of the process. The rights and possession of Taylor were not by any act of the Sheriff, affected outside of the actual enclosure of Morrell.

A junior patentee entering upon the elder, obtains possession coextensive with his enclosure only. The quashal of a writ of restitution and a restoration of possession given under it, places the parties, in respect to their legal rights as they stood before the emenation of the writ.

Yet if the Breedings had, by length of possession or otherwise, the better possessory right to the whole 1,000 acre tract, and claimed possession to that extent, upon dispossessing Morrell and acquiring his possession, their possession, in that event, would be coextensive with the boundaries of their whole claim. But if Taylor had the better possessory title, their possession would be limited to the actual enclosure of Morrell. The entry made by them and actual possession acquired, so far as Morrell had it by authority of law, would be as available, and have the same effect in regard to their constructive possession as to the residue of the tract, as if they had entered without a judgment or the aid of the officer. It was held, in the case of Hord vs Bodley, (5 Litt.

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Related

Breading's Heirs v. Taylor
36 Ky. 226 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1838)
Hord v. Bodley
15 Ky. 88 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1824)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
45 Ky. 62, 6 B. Mon. 62, 1845 Ky. LEXIS 77, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/breedings-heirs-v-taylor-kyctapp-1845.