Collins v. Jackson

517 N.E.2d 269, 34 Ohio App. 3d 101, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 10316
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 19, 1986
Docket50981
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 517 N.E.2d 269 (Collins v. Jackson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Collins v. Jackson, 517 N.E.2d 269, 34 Ohio App. 3d 101, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 10316 (Ohio Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

Parrino, J.

Plaintiffs appeal the trial court’s judgment in favor of the defendants. The facts giving rise to this appeal are as follows.

I

Norman Jackson, Sr. died March 29, 1984. Shortly thereafter, Daisy G. Collins was named as the executrix of his estate, and was charged, in part, with the duty to maintain any real property in the estate. One such property was the decedent’s residential home located at 12809 Brookfield Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. Norman Jackson, Sr. died owning an undivided one-half interest in the property and bequeathed it to his sons, Norman H. Jackson II and Harry L. Jackson, who already jointly owned the other undivided one-half interest in the property. 1 The two sons consented to the management of the property by Daisy Collins.

At the time of the decedent’s death he was living in the house with his second wife, Gertrude Jackson. She has remained in the house and has not paid any rent, despite requests from Daisy Collins. As a result, Daisy Collins filed a forcible entry and detainer action seeking to evict Gertrude Jackson, and also sought past rent.

A hearing on the eviction action was had on August 29, 1985. At the hearing, Daisy Collins testified that Gertrude Jackson was not named in the will and, thus, elected to take her statutory share of the decedent’s *102 estate. 2 Collins acknowledged that as a result, Gertrude Jackson has an undivided one-sixth interest in the residence in question. Collins further testified that she had unsuccessfully attempted to get Gertrude Jackson to pay rent on the home, and now seeks to have her evicted. Collins then called Cecil Salie, who testified that she rents a house two streets away for $325 per month. 3 Gertrude Jackson took the stand in her defense and admitted that she had not paid any rent, but denied having ever agreed to pay rent. She further maintained that she has refused to move from the house because she believes that the decedent had a second will in which she may have been given a greater interest in his estate. At the time of the hearing, that issue was pending before the probate court.

In an entry filed for journalization on September 5, 1985, the trial court found in favor of defendants on both of the plaintiffs’ claim. The plaintiffs filed a timely appeal raising six assignments of error.

II

Appellants’ second, third, and fourth assignments of error state:

“II. The trial court committed prejudicial, reversible error in denying restitution of the premises to Plaintiffs, who had the right to immediate possession of the premises.
“HI. The trial court committed prejudicial reversible error in denying payment of rent to the Plaintiffs who hold the record title to an undivided one-half interest in the real property and to the Plaintiff who has been ordered by the Probate Court of Cuya-hoga County to manage the real estate and to collect the rents therefrom.
“IV. The judgment of the trial court is manifestly against the weight of the evidence.”

Under each of these assignments the appellants argue that the trial court’s final judgment was contrary to law, and against the weight of the evidence. In examining the merits of this argument we must consider the plaintiffs’ counts separately.

The plaintiffs’ first count sought the eviction of Gertrude Jackson, pursuant to R.C. Chapter 1923. An executrix charged with the duty to manage real estate is expressly authorized to prosecute actions for forcible entry and detention. See R.C. 2113.311(B)(5). The question in the instant case is whether the executrix could evict the decedent’s wife.

R.C. 1923.02 defines persons who are subject to a forcible entry and de-tainer action. R.C. 1923.02 provides in pertinent part:

“(A) Proceedings under Chapter 1923. of the Revised Code, may be had: * *
“(5) When the defendant is an occupier of lands or tenements, without color of title, and to which the complainant has the right of possession.” 4

*103 In Brown v. Burdick (1874), 25 Ohio St. 260, the court held in paragraph three of the syllabus that a person who wrongfully takes possession of property after the owner dies but before the land is devised, is “ ‘an occupier without color of title’ ” and may be evicted. In the instant case Gertrude Jackson possessed the property, and certainly in the first year was authorized to do so. See R.C. 2117.24 (surviving spouse permitted to stay in mansion house for one year). However, that right terminated on March 29, 1985, and Gertrude Jackson would only be legally entitled to stay in the home if she had a possessory interest in the property.

The record reveals, and Daisy Collins acknowledged at oral argument, that Gertrude Jackson presently owns an undivided one-sixth interest in the property. Her co-tenants in common are the decedent’s sons who together own the remaining five-sixths undivided interest in the property.

It is clearly established that any co-owner of real property has a right to enter upon the common estates and take possession of the property, subject to the right of his co-tenants to take possession. Cohen v. Cohen (1951), 89 Ohio App. 389, 46 O.O. 218, 102 N.E. 2d 712, reversed on other grounds (1952), 157 Ohio St. 503, 47 O.O. 363, 106 N.E. 2d 77; Hogg v. Beerman (1884), 41 Ohio St. 81; Jackson v. Brown (1934), 17 Ohio Law Abs. 414. Further, one joint tenant cannot recover sole possession from another co-tenant. He can only share possession. 4 Thompson on Real Property (1979) 222, Section 1810. Therefore, Gertrude Jackson as a co-tenant has a possessory interest in the property and is not subject to eviction.

Accordingly, the trial court properly ruled in favor of Gertrude Jackson on the appellants’ first count.

The appellants’ second count sought to collect past rent due. The law is clear that even though Gertrude Jackson was a co-tenant, she was liable for the reasonable fair rental value of the property. This duty was set forth in West v. Weyer (1888), 46 Ohio St. 66, 18 N.E. 537, and followed in Cohen, supra (157 Ohio St. 503). Therefore, as to the second count, the appellants’ second, third and fourth assignments of error are sustained.

Ill

Appellants’ first, fifth and sixth assignments of error state:

“I.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
517 N.E.2d 269, 34 Ohio App. 3d 101, 1986 Ohio App. LEXIS 10316, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/collins-v-jackson-ohioctapp-1986.