Brinton v. Steele

147 P. 1062, 27 Idaho 193, 1915 Ida. LEXIS 33
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedApril 12, 1915
StatusPublished

This text of 147 P. 1062 (Brinton v. Steele) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brinton v. Steele, 147 P. 1062, 27 Idaho 193, 1915 Ida. LEXIS 33 (Idaho 1915).

Opinion

BUDGE, J.

— This action has been three times before this court (Brinton v. Steele, 19 Ida. 71, 112 Pac. 319, 23 Ida. 615, 131 Pac. 662, 25 Ida. 783, 140 Pac. 113), and is again before this court upon appeal from a judgment in favor of respondent.

This court, speaking through the late Justice George H. Stewart, in rendering its opinion, found in 23 Ida. 615-, 131 Pac. 662, affirmed the judgment of the trial court, but for the purpose, as clearly appears from the opinion when considered as a whole, of permanently establishing the boundary-line upon the ground between lots 12 and 13, block 30 of the city of Lewiston, owned by the appellant and respondent respectively, made the following statement: “From' the finding it is apparent that the dividing line between lots 12 and 13 is and should be fixed from the survey made by Briggs and Maxon by making proper apportionment of excess land in the southern ends of lots 12 and 13, and that being true, the true line between the two lots should be established and identified by a clear description in the findings and decree and also upon the ground by proper monuments.” The proper apportionment had already been made by Briggs and Maxon, whose survey of the boundary line between said lots 12 and 13 had by the trial court in its findings and decree been adopted as the true line, which findings by the trial court and the decree based thereon were found by this court to be sufficient, but not certain and specific as to the location of the true boundary line upon the ground between said lots 12 and 13, and for the purpose of establishing permanently the true boundary line upon the ground between said lots 12 and 13, and that the said boundary line might be more fully identified by the findings, this court directed that the true line between said lots should be marked by placing proper and lasting monuments along said line, and that said lasting monuments be described in the findings of the court, in order that the parties to this action at any future time might be able to identify the correct dividing line between said lots 12 and 13 by reference to the findings of the trial court and by the permanent monuments.

[195]*195While it is true that the language used in this connection in the opinion, as well as the language used in remanding the cause for further proceedings, is unfortunate by reason of the use of the word “reversed” instead of the word “remanded,” from a consideration of the entire opinion, it is quite clear to us the court reached the conclusion that the permanency of the line established between said lots depended upon the existence of a line of trees dividing said lots, and in time these trees would disappear, which, in all probability, would result in the contention between the parties to this action over the correct line being renewed. Therefore, in order to avoid such a contingency, this court directed that “proper monuments” be erected along the line theretofore established by the survey of Briggs and Maxon, which line had been previously adopted by the trial court as the correct dividing line. The concluding portion of the opinion was no doubt confusing to the trial judge. This is evident from the fact that after the cause was remanded, considerable time elapsed before the directions of this court were complied with, and resulted in the issuance of an alternative writ of mandamus directed against the trial judge for failure to comply with the judgment and order of this court. See Brinton v. Steele, 25 Ida. 783, 140 Pac. 113, where this court made the following order:

“The [trial] court should direct the surveyor, whose survey has been adopted and which he proposes to follow in this case, to go upon the ground and there establish permanent and lasting monuments, and these should be referred to in the findings and decree so definitely and certainly as to leave no doubt as to the exact points through which this dividing line runs. Evidently the trial court means to find that the dividing line between these adjoining properties runs through the center of this row of trees. These trees are now old and decaying and will doubtless be removed from the ground in a very few years, and a decree referring to them will then be as uncertain and indefinite as has been the line during the past. It will then take extraneous and oral evidence to prove the location of this line.”

[196]*196It is clear that the intention of this court, in view of the fact that the trial court had not caused to be erected 1 ‘ permanent and lasting monuments” along the correct line as established by Briggs and Maxon, and failed to refer to said permanent and lasting monuments in its findings of fact, which findings and decree in this respect were not specific and certain, was merely to direct that this be done; remanding the case for that purpose only, and not for the purpose of making any changes in the line as established by Briggs and Maxon or causing the line to be changed or run in any other or different course than that found by the trial court to be the true line according to the above-mentioned survey.

The trial court, in compliance with the order above mentioned, directed Edson D. Briggs, one of the surveyors whose survey was adopted by the court, to go upon the ground and establish permanent and lasting monuments on the dividing line between lots 12 and 13, block 30, and to report the same to the court. Thereafter, in pursuance to the order of the court, Briggs rechecked the line theretofore established by himself and Maxon and made his report, which in part is as follows:

“I further certify that having been requested to locate said line dividing lots 12 and 13, of block 30, with reference to the row of poplar trees referred to in the above-entitled action, I retraced the said line dividing said lots 12 and 13, of block 30, to note its relation to said trees, and for the information of the above-entitled court and the said parties to said action, I beg to report as follows:
“Starting from the said undisputed point of northwest corner of lot 13, block 30, thence south 29 degrees, 01 minutes west, upon said line 897 feet in length to the southwest corner of point of lot 13, block 30, a brick building is constructed on the northeast coiner of said lot 12, block 30, which entirely covers the stump of the tree which, if still standing, would be the first tree of said row.
“The said line intersects the first tree of said row now standing at a point 80.2 feet from said monument at north[197]*197west corner of lot 13, block 30, said line passing directly through the center of said first tree.
“The said line intersects the second tree now standing of said row at a point 98.2 feet from said monument at northwest comer of lot 13, block 30, said line passing a little to the west of the center of said second tree, which has grown toward the east.
“The said line intersects the third tree now standing of said row at a point 116 feet from said monument at northwest corner of lot 13, block 30, and passes through the present center of said third tree.
“The said line intersects the fourth tree of said row now standing and passes through the eastern half of said fourth tree, which has grown toward the west; and adjacent to said tree, on said line, I set a monument which is 282.6 feet from said monument at northwest corner of lot 13, block 30, consisting of three-fourths inch galvanized gas-pipe.

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Related

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
147 P. 1062, 27 Idaho 193, 1915 Ida. LEXIS 33, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brinton-v-steele-idaho-1915.