Dobson v. Shoup

43 P. 817, 3 Kan. App. 468, 1896 Kan. App. LEXIS 110
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedFebruary 6, 1896
DocketNo. 68
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 43 P. 817 (Dobson v. Shoup) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dobson v. Shoup, 43 P. 817, 3 Kan. App. 468, 1896 Kan. App. LEXIS 110 (kanctapp 1896).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Johnson, P. J. :

This suit was commenced in the district court of Barber county to enjoin the sheriff of that county from selling a tract of land containing 80 acres, which he had taken under execution and was proceeding to advertise and sell on an execution issued by the clerk of the district court on a j-udgment theretofore rendered in said court. On filing the petition, duly verified, the judge of the district court, at chambers, made an order granting the [472]*472plaintiff below a temporary restraining order, enjoining the sheriff and the execution creditor from proceeding further under said execution. To the petition of the plaintiff below the defendants filed a general demurrer, which was overruled by the court and excepted to by the defendants below, and this ruling of the court is the first error complained of in this court.

The plaintiff’s petition alleges that he is a resident of the county of Barber and state of Kansas, and that in 1890 he purchased the land described in his petition for the sole purpose and with the sole intention of occupying the same, together with his family, as a residence for himself and family, and that he was unable to occupy the same as a residence until some time during the latter part of February, 1891, from which said time he has occupied the same as his homestead and as a residence for himself and family, and expects to continue to occupy the same as a residence for himself and family; and further alleges, that .on the 13th day of February, 1891, J. W. Dobson levied upon said tract of land under and by virtue of an execution issued out of the district court of Barber county, Kansas, in favor of George W. Stevens, as plaintiff, and that on the 6th day of March, 1891, he notified the sheriff, in writing, that he claims and did claim the said land as his homestead.

The contention of the plaintiffs in error is that this petition does not state facts sufficient to entitle the plaintiff below to the relief sought by this suit; that it does not contain such clear and concise statements of fact as to show that plaintiff below was entitled to have this tract of land protected against the levy and sale under execution ; that it does not show that the land was the homestead of Frederick Shoup. Section 9 of article 15 of the constitution of Kansas reads-:

“ A homestead to the extent of 160 acres of farming [473]*473land, or of one acre within the limits of an incorporated town or city, occupied as a residence by the family of the owner, together with all the improvements on the same, shall be exempted from forced sale under any process of law, and shall not be alienated without the joint consent of the husband and wife, when that relation exists ; but no property shall be exempt from sale for taxes, or for the payment of obligations contracted for the purchase of said premises, or for the ' erection of improvements thereon : :Provided, The provisions of this section shall not apply to any process of law obtained by virtue of a lien given by the consent.of both husband and wife.”

The code of civil procedure requires the plaintiff in his petition to state the facts constituting his cause of action in ordinary and concise language, without repetition. Now, does this petition contain a statement of such facts, all being admitted as true, as would entitle him to the relief sought by this suit? Does the petition state such facts as show this land to be the homestead of the plaintiff below? We do not think it does. It does not state that the plaintiff and his family were occupying this land at the time the levy of execution was made, nor does it state that the plaintiff and his family have since at any time occupied this land as a homestead or residence. He alleges that he has occupied the same as his homestead and as a residence for himself and family, but there is no statement that he and his family are in the occupancy of this land as their homestead; but that he occupies it for himself and family. This is not equivalent to an allegation that the land is occupied by the family of the plaintiff below. The petition should be liberally construed for the purpose of determining its effect, and construed with a view of substantial justice between the parties ; but in the liberal construction of the petition we are not authorized [474]*474to interpolate therein necessary averments intentionally omitted by the pleader so as to give force and effect thereto. It is the allegations contained in the pleading itself that should receive the liberal construction, in view of the substantial rights of the parties. The- petition itself should contain all the necessary averments' to show that he is entitled to the relief demanded. It is necessary, to constitute a quarter-section of land as the homestead of the owner, that it be occupied by the owner and his family, and, where a party seeks to protect his homestead against a sale on execution or other process in a court of equity, to set up all the necessary facts that go to constitute the land^the homestead. The petition alleges that the plaintiff purchased the land for the sole purpose and with the sole intention of occupying the samé, together with his family, as a residence for himself and family, and avers that he was unable to occupy the same as a residence until some time during the latter part of February, 1891. There is no statement anywhere in the petition of the facts showing any reason why he could not occupy this land with his family, nor is there any allegation in the petition that his family at any time was residing in the state of Kansas, or residing with the plaintiff. The petition failing to contain the necessary allegations to show that this land was his homestead, it failed to state a cause of action in his favor, or to entitle him to the relief sought by this action. The demurrer was improperly overruled.

The final contention of the plaintiffs in error is, that the evidence on the trial of this case was not sufficient to prove a cause of action in favor of the plaintiff below, or to entitle him to a perpetual injunction against the enforcement of the execution by a sale of the land levied on. We have examined the evidence [475]*475contained in the record carefully, and do not think it proves that the plaintiff below was entitled to the strong protecting arm of a .court of equity to protect the land as a homestead. The evidence shows that plaintiff was a married man ; that he had himself resided in Barber county, Kansas, for about two years; that he came to Kansas on a visit, intending to go on to the territory south of Kansas in search of a claim; that the opening up of that country had been delayed much longer than he anticipated, and that he con-' eluded to make his home in Kansas ; that his children were all married, and his family consisted only of himself and wife, and that his wife resided in the state of Pennsylvania and had never been in Kansas ; that she was living in Pennsylvania taking care of an invalid sister of hers in that state, and her coming to Kansas depended upon certain contingencies as to whether she could make suitable arrangements for the care and maintenance of this invalid sister, who was the owner of real property in Pennsylvania; that plaintiff’s wife would remain in Pennsylvania until such time as she could make suitable arrangements for the care of the sister, and, also, until such time as a distribution of her property could be made among those entitled to distribution.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Clay v. First Nat'l Bank in Ardmore
1934 OK 312 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1934)
Tromsdahl v. Nass
146 N.W. 719 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1914)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
43 P. 817, 3 Kan. App. 468, 1896 Kan. App. LEXIS 110, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dobson-v-shoup-kanctapp-1896.