Criner v. Davenport-Bethel Co.

1930 OK 314, 289 P. 742, 144 Okla. 74, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 662
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 24, 1930
Docket20812
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1930 OK 314 (Criner v. Davenport-Bethel Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Criner v. Davenport-Bethel Co., 1930 OK 314, 289 P. 742, 144 Okla. 74, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 662 (Okla. 1930).

Opinion

CTJLLISON, J.

This case was commenced by the defendant in error, Davenport-Bethel Company, a corporation, in the district court of Tulsa county, Okla., against W. M. Criner et al., plaintiffs in error, and for convenience we will refer to the parties as they appeared in the lower court.

Plaintiff brings this suit to quiet title, adjustment of disagreements between plaintiff and defendants growing out of a joint building enterprise, and for injunctive relief.

On October 2, 1928, the court granted a restraining order, and on October 10th a temporary injunction was granted.

Plaintiff, for its cause of action, states:

(1)That it is now and at all times hereinafter mentioned was a corporation.

(2) That the plaintiff is the owner of and entitled to the immediate possession of the following described real estate and premises : “Alsace addition to the city of Tulsa, Okla., according to the recorded plat thereof.”

(3) That the defendant wrongfully and unlawfully keeps the plaintiff out of possession of said premises and has so wrongfully and unlawfully kept the plaintiff from the use and possession of the same since the 1st day of September, 1928, to the plaintiff’s damage in the sum of $1,000.

Second Cause of Action.

(1) That the defendant claims some right, title, or interest in or to the real estate herein described, but that the plaintiff states that the said claim is without right as against the plaintiff and that the same constitutes a cloud upon the title of the plaintiff which should be removed.

Third Cause of Action.

That the defendant heretofore, by means of force and violence and by means of threats directed against this plaintiff, its agents and servants, has prevented and still prevents the plaintiff from coming upon its property and from exercising its rights of ownership thereto; that the said defendant did on, to wit, the 25th day of September, 1928, wrongfully, unlawfully, and forcibly exclude the plaintiff, its agents, and servants from the said premises and prevented the plaintiff from entering into any of the buildings thereon, the said buildings consisting of four dwelling houses, garages, and other buildings in connection with same, by means of locking the doors of said buildings, and preventing the plaintiff, by means of threats of force and violence against the plaintiff, its agents, and servants, from unlocking said doors and from exercising any rights of ownership upon said premises..

Wherefore, plaintiff prays judgment against the defendant for possession of -the said premises; that the defendant be ejected therefrom; that the title of the plaintiff be quieted against the defendant and against all persons claiming under or through him, and the plaintiff further prays that the defendant be permanently enjoined from interfering with or molesting the plaintiff in the exercise of its rights to said premises, from disturbing or interfering with’ the possession of said premises by the plaintiff, and that the defendant be permanently enjoined from setting up or asserting any ■claim of right, title, or interest in or to the said premises or any part thereof, and further prays for damages in the sum of $1,-000.

*76 Defendant for Ms answer to plaintiff’s petition states:

(1) This defendant denies 'eacli and every material allegation as set forth in plaintiff’s petition, except such as is hereinafter specifically admitted.

(2) This defendant admits that the plaintiff is a corporation as is set forth and alleged in its petition.

(3) This defendant specifically denies that the plaintiff is the owner of real estate set forth in its petition; and he further denies that the plaintiff is entitled at the time of filing of said petition, or at any time, to the possession of said property.

(4) This defendant specifically denies that he has wrongfully or unlawfully, or either, has kept the plaintiff out of the use and possession of the property described in his petition; or has damaged the plaintiff in any amount whatsoever.

By way of cross-petition, the defendant states:

(1) This answering defendant states to the court that on or about the first of February, 1928, the exact date being unknown to this defendant, this defendant and the plaintiff, the Davenport-Bethel Company, a corporation, entered into an oral contract whereby and wherein it was promised and agreed by and between the parties hereto that they, the plaintiff and defendant, would purchase and improve the following described real estate, to wit: “Alsace addition to the city of Tulsa, Okla., according to the recorded plat thereof,” and in which agreement it was specifically agreed and understood that the plaintiff was to finance the purchasing and improving of said real estate, and build thereon certain -residences, the specific specifications and plans not being at that time agreed upon; but this defendant states and makes known to the court that it was specifically agreed and understood, orally, by and between the plaintiff and defendant that this defendant, after managing the construction of any building or buildings on the real estate hereinabove described, that the same was to be rented or sold and that this defendant was to have one-half of the - net profits .received from the same.

This defendant further states that in accordance with said contract as above set forth, he proceeded to and did draw, design, plan, and supervise and had erected on said addition, at the expense of the plaintiff, four dwellings, -which he states and makes known- to the court was and is now of the value of $20,000 ; that in carrying out the contract he continuously expended all of his time and has truthfully and faithfully done and performed all things agreed to have been done by him.

(2) This defendant further states to the court that the plaintiff willfully, wrongfully, and unlawfully refused to and still refuses to carry out its contract with this defendant ; that, as he is informed and believes, and therefore states the facts to be that, by reason of the contract as above set forth a special partnership was created as a matter of law by and between this defendant and the plaintiff and that he is entitled to an accounting herein.

(5) This defendant further states to the court that at the time of entering- into the oral contract as above set forth, it was agreed and understood by and between the plaintiff and defendant that the property set out in plaintiff’s petition was to be deeded by the record owner, B. F. Pettus, Jr., to one W. L. Criner; that said deed was executed by the said B. F. Pettus, Jr., and delivered to the said W. L. Criner to be by him held as trustee for the use and benefit of this defendant and the plaintiff; and that since the date of execution and the delivery of the said deed, the title to said property was vested in the said W. L. Cri-ner for the use and benefit of this defendant and the plaintiff in accordance with the terms of the contract as above set forth: that the plaintiff through connivance and fraud has secured the actual possession of the said deed, and has willfully and fraudulently refused to place the same of record for the purpose and with the intention of defrauding this defendant of his rights as above set out; and that this plaintiff now is in actual possession of said deed.

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Bluebook (online)
1930 OK 314, 289 P. 742, 144 Okla. 74, 1930 Okla. LEXIS 662, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/criner-v-davenport-bethel-co-okla-1930.