Drew Lumber Co. v. Union Investment Co.

63 So. 836, 66 Fla. 382
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedNovember 25, 1913
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 63 So. 836 (Drew Lumber Co. v. Union Investment Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Drew Lumber Co. v. Union Investment Co., 63 So. 836, 66 Fla. 382 (Fla. 1913).

Opinion

STATEMENT.

. The appellee filed its bill in equity in the Circuit Court’ of Suwannee County against the appellants alleging there as follows:

“That your Orator is the owner of and is in possession of land in Suwannee County, Florida, as follows to-wit: Section 27, Township 5 South of Eange 15 East, containing 640 acres more or less.

2.

That on the......day of...............A. D. 1911, the said land was wild and unimproved land and that your orator on the said date bought the said land from the heirs of A. D. Basnett, deceased, and took from the said heirs of the said A. D. Basnett a deed of conveyance to the same and immediately went into possession thereof, and has been in continuous possession of the said land ever since exercising ownership over the same, that is to say, your orator immediately after taking possession thereof erected a fence around it, dug a well on it, built a house on it and has had about ten acres cleared for cultivation.

[384]*3843.

Your orator would further show that on the 28th day of December A. D. 1912, some one did feloniously and maliciously go on the said land and tear down the house thereon belonging to your orator, and your orator has been informed and believes that some of the above named defendants did so feloniously and maliciously destroy the house of your orator and that the others did aid, abet and encourage and hire them to do so. And that on the 31st day of December, 1912, all of the above named defendants with the exception of T. A. Thompson and Drew Lumber Co., were on the said land fearing down the fence maliciously and destroying the property of your orator. And your orator has been informed that they were hired to do so by T. A. Thompson and your orator further beiieves that Drew Lumber Co., has aided and encouraged them in doing so. And on the said date 31st day of. December, 1912, one of the said.defendants did beat and bruise your orator’s servant while he was on the land fixing up the fence at the request of your orator and was otherwise improving the said property. The premises considered and in as much as your orator can have adequate relief only in a court of equity your orator prays:

That your Honor grant unto your orator a writ of injunction directed to Drew Lumber Co., a corporation under the laws of Florida, T. A. Thompson, E. T. Summers, W. F. Hazel, Tobe Jones, James Terry, John Donaldson, Henry Hill and Alex Alexander restraining them and each of them either in person or by and through their agents, employees or servants from further destroying fence or other property on the said land and from further molesting any of the agents or servants of your orator while on the said land in the interest of your orator.

And may it please your honor to grant unto your orator [385]*385the writ of summons in chancery, issuing out of and under the seal of said court, directed to the sheriff of said county, commanding him to summons the above named defendants and each of them to be and appear before this court on a day certain to be fixed by this court, and then and there true and perfect answer make to this bill of complaint, but not under oath the same being hereby waived, and require them to show why this injunction should not' be permanent.

And may it please the court to grant unto your orator such other and further relief as to your Honor may seem meet and just.

And your orator will every pray, etc.

Humphreys & Blackwell,

Solicitors for Complainant.

STATE OP PLOEIDA,

County op Suwannee.

Before the undersigned, a Notary Public, personally came, A. Lee Humphreys, who being duly sworn deposes and says that he is the president of tbe Union Investment Co., the above named complainant and the proper one to swear to the foregoing bill of complaint and that he has read the foregoing bill and knows the contents thereof and that the contents are true; that there is no judge present in the said county of Suwannee authorized to grant writs of injunction, and the affiant prays that the Circuit Court Commissioner in said county may order the issuing of said writ; that affiant has been informed and believes the above defendants are now on the land further injuring the property and that the rights of complainant will be greatly and unduly prejudiced if the injunction in this [386]*386case is not issued immediately, or without notice to these defendants.

Sworn and subscribed to before me this the 1st day of Jan. A. D. 1913.

A. Lee Humphreys.

H. DeG. Stewart, Rotary Public, (SEAL.)”

Upon this bill a court commissioner granted temporary injunction as prayed in the bill. Thereupon the complainants obtained leave of the court to file and did file an amended bill alleging therein as follows:

“1.

That your orator is the owner of and is in possession of land in Suwannee County, Florida, described as follows, to-wit: Section 27, Township 5 South of Range 15 East, containing 640 acres more or less.

That on to-wit: 20th day of September, A. D. 1911, the said land was wild and unimproved land and was unoc- ■ cupied and your orator then and there went into possession of the same under a claim of title. And your orator has held possession of the said land since the said date of September 20th, 1911, and its possession has been continuous, peaceful and undisturbed; your orator has been exercising rights of ownership over the same, that is to say your orator immediately upon taking the possession thereof put up a substantial enflosure around the said land, and has bored a well thereon, built a house thereon and has been clearing some of the land for cultivation and has had cleared about to-wit; twelve acres.

3.

Your orator would further show that it is endeavoring to get the land in proper shape so as to plant a crop on the said land for the year 1913.

[387]*3874.

Your orator would further show that George L. Drew acting for himself and also for Drew Lumber Co., did procure and hire a bunch of men to go on the said land in the night time on the 28th day of December, A. D. 1913, and to tear down the house of your orator thereon. And that the said bunch of men so hired by Geo. L. Drew did go on said land on the said date at the request and direction of Geó. L. Drew and did cut and mutilate your orator’s wire fence around said land and did tear down your orator’s house.

5.

Your orator would further show that on the 31st day of December, A. D. 1912, all of the above named defendants except Drew Lumber Co., T. A. Thompson, Frank Drew and Geo. L. Drew Avent on the said land forcibly and Avith shot guns against the protests of your orator’s servant, who Avas at the time on the land for your orator and improving the land at your orator’s request, and one of them did beat and bruise your orator’s servant and threatened to kill him and told him that if he did any further work on the land that they Avould kill him and did forcibly make your orator’s servant stop work on the said land, and did cut and tear down some of your orator’s fence and did then state that they were going to tear it all down and that they would die there and that they would kill any one who interfered; that the said named defendants did go on the land at the request of T. A. Thompson, Geo. L.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
63 So. 836, 66 Fla. 382, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/drew-lumber-co-v-union-investment-co-fla-1913.