Chicago Great Western Railroad v. Zahner

182 N.W. 904, 149 Minn. 27, 1921 Minn. LEXIS 582
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedApril 29, 1921
DocketNo. 22,172
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 182 N.W. 904 (Chicago Great Western Railroad v. Zahner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chicago Great Western Railroad v. Zahner, 182 N.W. 904, 149 Minn. 27, 1921 Minn. LEXIS 582 (Mich. 1921).

Opinion

Quinn, J.

Action in ejectment to recover possession of the parcel of land described in the complaint. The cause was tried to the district court of Ramsey county. Evidenee was taken, findings made and judgment entered in favor of defendant. There was an appeal by plaintiff to this court and it was held that the deed referred to in the pleadings conveyed only a railroad right of way easement and not the fee, and that under such deed the railroad company is entitled to the exclusive possession of the right of way easement, and that it may recover possession without showing that it has immediate need of the portion occupied by the owner of the servient estate for railway purposes, or that such occupancy disturbs its enjoyment thereof for railway purposes, and the judgment was reversed. An application for a rehearing was made by defendant, and in disposing of the same it was said: That “if the defendant * * * is entitled to relief in this action because of any fact not appearing in the record now before the court or not pleaded, she can apply to the trial court upon the going down of the remittitur.” 145 Minn. 312, 319, 177 N. W. 350.

The defendant, in conformity with the suggestion, applied to the trial court, upon notice, for leave to serve and file an amended answer in the nature of a cross-complaint, and for a new trial as to the issues thus presented. The proposed pleading contained a general denial, admitted defendant’s possession of the property in controversy, and affirmatively pleaded mutual mistake as to the amount and description of the property conveyed by the Secombe deed, and asked for a reformation thereof on the ground of such mutual mistake, so as to make the deed conform with the agreement and intention of the 'parties thereto. The motion for leave to amend and for a new trial was denied, and this appeal followed.

The plaintiff makes no claim to the right of possession except through the warranty deed from Secombe which was executed in March, 1905. This deed, in addition to the description, contained the following: “Such portions of lots 3 and 4 being deemed necessary to be used for a track contemplated and to be laid by said Chicago Great Western Railway Company on said land for commercial purposes.”

A diagnam of the situation showing substantially the tract (BDEE) conveyed by the deed, and also the triangle (ABO) crossed by the sidetrack, as well as the location of the track follows:

[29]*29

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Related

Mattson v. Underwriters at Lloyds of London
414 N.W.2d 717 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1987)
Greber v. Harris
209 N.W. 30 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1926)
Swanson v. Alworth
196 N.W. 260 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1923)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
182 N.W. 904, 149 Minn. 27, 1921 Minn. LEXIS 582, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chicago-great-western-railroad-v-zahner-minn-1921.