Dennis v. Tomlinson

49 Ark. 568
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedMay 15, 1887
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 49 Ark. 568 (Dennis v. Tomlinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dennis v. Tomlinson, 49 Ark. 568 (Ark. 1887).

Opinion

Battle, J.

Plaintiffs allege, in their complaint, that Henry T. Simpson departed this life on or about the 9th of September, 1869, intestate, seized in fee simple of the west half and the southeast fractional quarter of section eleven (11) in township seven (7) south, and in range six (6) west, and then in the county of Arkansas, but now in the county of Lincoln, and leaving his brother, John W. Simpson; Mary Tomlinson, the child of his sister, Alcinda Bronson ; Fannie Brewster and Florence May Harding, children of his sister, Fannie Brewster; Reuben T. Dye, John B. Dye, Fannie Dye and Richard H. Smith, children of his sister, Annie Smith; Martha F. Scott, Elizabeth ^. Wyatt and Cherry C. Parker, children of his sister, Jane Parker; and Mary J. Boles, Allie E. Burke, Adela F. Johnson, Cherry W. Parker, John M. Parker and George Parker, children of his sister, Cordelia Parker, his heirs at law; and that the plaintiffs and defendants in this action are the only heirs now surviving.

That^soon after the death of Henry T. Simpson, John W. Simpson took possession of the personal property of the deceased and converted it to his own use, and entered into possession of the lands and received the rents and profits thereof and continued in such possession and receipt until his death, and that his heirs from and at all times since his death have continued in such possession and receipt, and that neither he nor they have ever accounted to fir with plaintiffs or either of them, or any of the other heirs of Henry T. Simpson, in respect to or of and concerning such rents and profits.

That John W. Simpson died in the year 1876, intestate, leaving his daughter, Elizabeth Dennis, one of the defendants herein, and his sons, J. B. Lockhart Simpson and Thompson Simpson, his heirs at law him surviving.

That J. B. Lockhart Simpson departed this life in the year 1878, intestate, leaving Lydia Simpson, his widow, one of the defendants in this action, and his sister, Elizabeth Dennis, and his brother, Thompson Simpson, his heirs at law.

That Thompson Simpson died in 1882, intestate, leaving Neppie Simpson, his widow, one of the defendants herein, and his daughters, Mary Simpson and Zoe Simpson, two of the defendants herein, his heirs at law.

That on the 1st day of August, 1866, Henry T. Simpson, in his lifetime, mortgaged the west half of section eleven to John W. Simpson, to secure the payment of a certain writing obligatory on that day executed by him to John W. Simpson, for the sum of $1507.88, payable’on the second day of August, 1866, and bearing 10 per Centum per annum interest from maturity until paid; and that the deed of mortgage was acknowledged on the 3d day of June, 1867, and on the 27th of the same month was filed for record and recorded in the recorder’s office of Arkansas county.

That this writing obligatory was paid in the lifetime of Henry T. Simpson; and that, if anything remained unpaid, it was paid by and out of the rents and profits received by John W. Simpson, in his lifetime.

And plaintiffs asked, in their complaint, that an account of the rents and profits so received be taken; and that, if it shall appear that any part of the writing obligatory secured by the mortgage remained unpaid at the time of the death of Henry T. Simpson, so much of the*rents and profits received be appropriated to the payment thereof; and that the afore-described lands be divided between plaintiffs and defendants according to their several and respective interests, and for other relief.

The court appointed a guardian ad litem for the minor defendants, Mary and Zoe Simpson, who accepted the appointment, and filed answers for each of them, denying all allegations in the complaint prejudicial to their interests.

The defendants, Timothy S. Dennis, Elizabeth Dennis, Lydia F. Simpson and Neppie Simpson, severally and separately, answered the complaint, admitting that Henry T. Simpson owned the lands in controversy at the time of the execution of the mortgage and writing obligatory, and alleged that Henry T. Simpson being indebted to John W. Simpson in the full amount of the principal and interest of the writing obligatory mentioned in the complaint, in consideration of the agreement of John W. Simpson to release him from all obligations to pay it and to maintain and support him for and during the remainder of his natural life, agreed to and did sell, surrender and deliver to John W. Simpson the lands in controversy; and that, thereupon, John W. Simpson released him from all obligations to pay the writing obligatory, and, irj the lifetime of Henry T. Simpson, took possession of the lands, and from thenceforth he and his heirs have held exclusive, open, notorious and adverse possession thereof, and maintained and supported him, Henry T. Simpson, at his own cost and charge, thenceforth and until his death.

That Robert Hutchinson, as surviving partner of the firm of Yell & Hutchinson, on the 20th of May, 1867, in the Arkansas Circuit Court, recovered a judgment against Henry T. Simpson, for the sum of $134, debt, and $52,93, damages, and $21.05, costs ; that afterwards, on the 29th of September, 1868, Hutchinson caused an execution to be issued on said judgment ; that the Sheriff, to whom it was directed, levied it on the lands in controversy, and sold them under the execution, on the 2d day of November, 1868, to Hutchinson, he being the highest bidder therefor; and that, on the 24th of May, 1869, the Sheriff conveyed the land to Hutchinson, in the manner prescribed by law; and that, on the 24th of July, 1869, Hutchinson, for and in consideration of the sum of $350 paid by John W. Simpson, conveyed the lands to him, John W. Simpson ; and that thereafter John W. Simpson, and since his death his heirs, held possession of the lands, adverse to all the world, under the conveyance made by Hutchinson, and paid all the taxes assessed against the same.

That since the death of John W. Simpson, his heirs have divided these lands between themselves, and by their several deeds have conveyed their respective interests in each parcel to the heir to whom the same was set apart in the division ; and that each one of the heirs, believing that he, or she, had a good and valid title, has made valuable improvements on the lands so set apart to him or her.

That plaintiffs’ right of action did not accrue within three years, nor within seven years, next before the commencement of this action.

And they insisted and asked, that, in the event it should, be adjudged that the plaintiffs were entitled to a partition of the lands, the mortgage executed by Henry T. Simpson should be first satisfied, and that the amount paid Hutchinson by John ' W. Simpson, and the amount paid in payment of taxes, and the value of the improvements made by them, should be declared a lien on the lands by the court and that such lien be foreclosed according to law.

Plaintiffs replied to the answer of defendants, denying that the Sheriff levied on, sold or conveyed, or that Hutchinson .sold or conveyed (o John W. Simpson, the whole of the lands in controversy, but say that the Sheriff conveyed so much of the lands ás he sold, immediately after the sale; and deny all the other allegations in defendant’s answers.

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Bluebook (online)
49 Ark. 568, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dennis-v-tomlinson-ark-1887.