Eckleman v. Miller

57 Ind. 88
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1877
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 57 Ind. 88 (Eckleman v. Miller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Eckleman v. Miller, 57 Ind. 88 (Ind. 1877).

Opinion

Howe, J.

In this action, the appellant was the plaintiff and the appellee was the defendant, in the court helow. Appellant’s complaint was in two paragraphs :

In the first paragraph, the appellant alleged, in substance, that on the 11th day of October, 1874, said Cynthia M. Davis died testate, and, in November following, the appellee was appointed executor of said decedent’s estate; that on the 1st day of April, 1868, the appellant was, and still was, the owner in fee-simple,- and in the possession, of the north twenty feet of lot number fifty-eight, in the-town of Elkhart, in Elkhart county, Indiana; that on said 1st day of April, 1874, said Cynthia M. Davis was-seized in fee-simple, and in the possession, of the south twenty feet of lot number fifty-nine, in said town of Elk-hart; that on the — day of May, 1871, the appellant,, being about to erect on his said lot a large three-story brick store-room, twenty feet in width and eighty feet in depth, fronting on the east line of his said lot, and being-about to place the north wall of said building all on his own land, the said Cynthia M. Davis requested the-appellant to place the one-half of the said north wall of said building on her said lot, so that the said wall, when erected, would be a division and party-wall between the-said lots, so owned by the appellant and said Cynthia M.. Davis, and then and there agreed to and with the appellant, that, if the appellant would so place the north wall of his said building upon said two lots, as that one-half of said wall, in thickness and height, would be on appellant’s lot, and the other half thereof on her lot, she, Cynthia M. Davis, would pay the appellant the one-half of the value of said north wall of said building, whenever the same was used in the erection of a building on her [90]*90said lot; that, in good faith, relying upon the said promise and agreement of said Cynthia M. Davis, the appellant, during the summer of 1871, erected said brick building on his said lot, and so placed the north wall thereof that the one-half of said wall rested on appellant’s lot, and the other half thereof on the lot of said Cynthia M. Davis, as requested by her; that on the 25th day of September, 1872, said Cynthia M. Davis sold and conveyed her said lot, together with the one-half of said party-wall, to one Louisa J. Chapman, who erected thereon, in the summer of 1872, a three-story brick building, using as the south wall thereof and as a support to and for, and a part of, her said building, the said wall so erected by the appellant; that the value of the one-half of said wall, so used by said Louisa J. Chapman as the grantee of said Cynthia M. Davis, is one thousand dollars; that said Louisa J. Chapman used said wall, and took possession of one-half of the same, under and hv virtue of the said conveyance to her of said premises by said Cynthia M. Davis, and without paying appellant therefor, though demanded, and had ever since used said wall for the support of her said building; that no part of the cost or value of said wall had been paid to appellant by any one; and that the same was due and owing from the estate of said Cynthia M. Davis, deceased. Wherefore, etc.

In the second paragraph of his complaint, the appellant alleged substantially the same facts as in the first paragraph, except that he alleged in the second paragraph, that said Cynthia M. Davis agreed, that whenever said party-wall was used on her lot, “ whoever used the said wall should pay for it.”'

Appellee answered the appellant’s complaint in two paragraphs, as follows:

1. A general denial;

2. In the second paragraph of his answer, the appellee alleged, in substance, that he admitted the appellant’s ownership of the real estate claimed by him in his com[91]*91plaint, and that appellant, at the date mentioned by him, erected a brick building on his said lot, and that, hy and with the consent of appellee’s decedent, the appellant erected his north wall about six inches over on the lot then owned hy said decedent; but the appellee said, that, notwithstanding the premises, the appellant ought not to maintain his action against the estate of said decedent, for that the said wall was erected under the following circumstances, to wit: That the appellant, being about to erect his said building, requested permission from said decedent, then the owner of the lot north of appellant’s lot, to rest the north half of his wall on said decedent’s, ground for support, and to get the benefit of six inches’ additional width to his building; that said decedent, being so requested, gave the appellant license so to support the north half of his north wall on her ground, but the appellee said that said license was given upon the express condition, that said decedent was not to own any part of said wall, nor was the same to become appurtenant or attached to her lot, until the same should be used and paid for by whomsoever should appropriate and use the same, but was to remain the appellant’s property; that said decedent then informed the appellant that she never intended to build on her lot, and that if she would in any manner become liable to pay for any part of said wall, she would refuse her assent to appellant to build thereon; that said decedent never in any manner claimed or owned any interest in said wall, and when she sold her lot to said Louisa J. Chapman, she informed said Louisa’s agent that she had no right nor interest in said wall, and that she received no consideration whatever for said wall, when she sold her lot; and that the said Louisa had used and appropriated the said wall to her own use, if at all, without the advice, consent or procurement of said decedent. 'Wherefore, etc.

Appellant demurred to the second paragraph of the answer, for the alleged insufficiency of the facts therein [92]*92to constitute a defence to his action, which demurrer' was overruled by the court below, and to this decision the appellant excepted. And the appellant then replied by a general denial.

The action, being at issue, was tried by a jury, in the court below, and a general verdict was returned for the appellant, assessing his damages at five hundred and sixty dollars. And the jury also returned, with their general verdict, a special finding as to particular questions of fact,, submitted to them by the parties under the direction of the court below. ¥e need not notice the answers of the jury to the appellant’s interrogatories, as these interrogatories, and the answers thereto, relate to matters virtually admitted in the second paragraph of appellee’s answer, and have no connection whatever with the alleged agreement of said Cynthia M. Davis, deceased, as the same is stated in either paragraph of the appellant’s complaint. We set out, however, the interrogatories propounded to the jury by the appellee, and the answers of the jury thereto, under the direction of the court, for the reason that upon the special finding of facts, as contained in these interrogatories and answers, the court below rendered judgment for the appellee, notwithstanding the general ■verdict of the jury for the appellant. These interrogatories and answers were as follows:

“1st. Did Mrs. Davis agree unconditionally, that she would pay for any part of the wall in controversy ?

“Answer. No.

“ 2d. With, or through whom, was the agreement concerning said wall made ?

“Answer. Dean Swift.

“3d. Was there any other agreement between said Eckleman and Mrs. Davis, except such as was made through Mr. Swift ?

“4th.

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Bluebook (online)
57 Ind. 88, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eckleman-v-miller-ind-1877.