Clark v. McAtee

161 S.W. 698, 253 Mo. 196, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 250
Supreme Court of Missouri·Decided December 6, 1913·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

BLAIR, C.

Evddemcet!

This is an action in ejectment. The dispute concerns the boundary line between certain lots in the city of Edina. The ^aS ^een here kef°re [227 Mo. 152.] As on the former trial, the judgment was for plaintiff, and defendants appeal.

The only plat of a survey in the record is called the “Robinson Survey,” was offered by plaintiff and shows the southwest corner of the original town of Edina is also the southwest comer of section 18, township 62, range 11. The Robinson Survey shows 16 blocks. Block 1 is the southwest block in the plat. Blocks 2, 3 and 4 lie, in order, north of block 1 and between 1 and 2, 2 and 3 and 3 and 4 are streets platted as sixty-six feet wide.

The length of the west line of each of blocks 1, 3 and 4 is platted as four chains. That of block 2 is platted as 4.02 chains. Clay street runs between blocks 1 and 2; Jackson, between blocks 2 and 3; Smallwood, between blocks 3 and 4; and Marion street runs north of block 4 and has a platted width, at the northwest corner of that block, of fifty-five feet.

[197] Survey No. 77, which, played such an important part in the former trial and the former hearing in court, was again relied upon by respondent, though not offered in evidence as an official survey.

The surveyor who made it testified he was following the Robinson Survey, that he began at the southwest comer of section 18-62-11 at the “nigger head rock” which has been immortalized by this litigation. As on the former trial, it appears there is no plat or field notes calling for this rock, but the surveyor above mentioned had previously used it in other surveys.

He testified he verified its location at the southwest corner of section 18-62-11 by running south 111 links to a limestone rock, there being a call in “the field notes,” supposedly those of the survey of section 18, for a limestone rock 111 links south of the southwest corner of that section. To this part of his testimony and that concerning other marks, corners, buildings, etc., further reference will be made in the course of the opinion.

The surveyor also testified that the actual; measured distance from the southwest corner of the section and original town to the northwest corner of the inclosure on block 3, as shown by survey No. 77, is 925.58 feet, and that this distance corresponds exactly with that called for by the Robinson Survey; that the actual distance from the northwest corner of block 3 north across Smallwood street to the southwest corner of block 4, as inclosed, is 74 1-3 feet; and that the actual length of the west line of block 4, as inclosed, is 251 1-3 feet.

As platted, block 4 is divided into two equal parts by an alley miining north and south through its center. Both the east and west halves of the block, as thus divided, are divided into five lots — lots 1 to 5, inclusive, lying in the west half and fronting west- on First street, and lots 6 to 10, inclusive, lying in the [198] east half and fronting east on Second street. Lot .1 is the southern lot in the west half, and 2, 3, 4 and 5 lie north of it, in order. Lot 6- is the southern lot in the east half, and 7, 8, 9 and 10 lie north of it, in order. Each of these lots has a platted frontage of 52 4-5 feet, and of these respondent owns lots 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 and appellants own lots 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7. The lines in controversy are those between lots 3 and 4 and lots 7 and 8.

The surveyor mentioned testified that his measurements disclosed that the true line between lots 3 and 4 was “about eight feet” south of appellants’ fence, and the line between lots 7 and 8 was “about ten or twelve feet” south of appellants’ fence. It may be noted here that the platted distance from the southeast corner of block 1 to the northeast corner of block 4 is 3.3 feet greater than the platted distance from the southwest corner of block 1 to the northwest corner of block 4.

This surveyor also testified that respondent’s north fence was some twelve feet north of what he fixed as the true north line of block 4 and of lot 5 of-that block. He did not measure to the north boundary of the original town, as shown by the plat, nor did he make any measurements of the actual occupancies of respondent and appellants.

For appellants there was in evidence actual measurements of the inclosures of respondent and appellants. One witness who made measurements testified, and the plat made by him disclosed, that the west line of block 4, as inclosed, is 253% feet; and the east line 259 feet; that appellants’ frontage on the west side of the block is 149 feet and respondent’s frontage on the west side is 104% feet. Appellants ’ frontage on the east side is 105 feet and respondent’s frontage on the east 154 feet.

■ Respondent’s case depends absolutely upon the testimony of the witness who surveyed the property [199] for her and made survey No. 77. In making this survey this witness testified that his purpose was to follow the calls in the Eohinson Survey, accepting it as accurate. The questions are whether he used the correct beginning point as called for by that survey; and, if so, whether he accurately followed the calls of that survey for courses and distances.

Let it be conceded that the beginning point he selected was the right one, yet the record demonstrates the inaccuracy of his subsequent proceedings. His testimony and measurements show that the distance from the beginning point to the northwest corner of the inclosure in block 3 is 925.58 feet. ' This, he testified, is the distance between the beginning point and the northwest comer of block 3, as platted. The slight-error apparent in this measurement is negligible. His survey shows the distance from the northwest corner of block 3,- as inclosed, across the street to the southwest corner of block 4, as inclosed by appellants’ fence, to be 74 1-3 feet. It also shows that 'the length of the west line of the inclosures of respondent and appellants in block 4 is 251 1-3 feet. He testified respondent’s north fence, which should have been placed along the true north line of lot 5, block 4, is twelve feet north of the true line. He also testified that the fence which divides the occupancies of respondent and appellants in the west half of block 4 is about eight feet north of the true line between lot 3, owned by appellants, and lot 4, owned by respondent.

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Clark v. McAtee, 161 S.W. 698, 253 Mo. 196, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 250 (Mo. 1913).

161 S.W. 698 (Clark v. McAtee) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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