Farish v. Coon

40 Cal. 33
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 15, 1870
DocketNo. 2,464
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 40 Cal. 33 (Farish v. Coon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Farish v. Coon, 40 Cal. 33 (Cal. 1870).

Opinion

Ceockett, J.,

delivered tbe opinion of tbe Court, Sprague, J., and Bhodes, C. J., concurring:

Tbe appeal in tbis case is from an order refusing to dissolve an injunction obtained by tbe plaintiffs against tbe defendants, Coon, Washington and Bullock, as Tide Land Commissioners, appointed under tbe Act of Marcb 30, 1868, and tbe defendants, Haigbt, McCoppin and Otis, composing tbe State Board, organized under said Act, enjoining tbe said defendants, and tbe Southern Pacific Bailroad Company, and tbe Western Pacific Bailroad Company, wbicb are also made defendants, from selling or advertising to sell at auction or otherwise, and from assigning, transferring or conveying to said railroad companies, or any other corporation or person, and from permitting or allowing said companies, or any other corporation or person, to take possession of certain tide and salt marsh lands, situate in tbe city and county of San Francisco, below high water mark in tbe bay of San Francisco.

Tbe injunction also prohibits tbe defendants from doing any act or taking any steps to aid or assist said companies, or any other corporation or person, to procure, or meddle, or interfere with, or acquire tbe title to, or possession of, or any interest in, said lands in hostility to tbe title or possession of tbe plaintiffs, or in derogation of their rights. Tbe motion to dissolve tbe injunction was [44]*44made upon tbe complaint alone, and tbe motion having been denied, tbe defendants bave appealed. For tbe purposes of tbe motion and of tbis appeal, tbe allegations of tbe complaint must, therefore, be taken as true. Tbe claim of tbe plaintiffs to tbe relief demanded is founded on tbe ground that, in 1851, one Weir bad a brickyard on tbe adjoining upland, and erected buildings and employed a large number of men and horses for carrying on tbe business; that be claimed 160 acres adjoining tbe brick-yard, on which be pastured bis horses; that Farrington & Ludlum succeeded to all Weir’s rights for a valuable consideration? and continued to use tbe premises in tbe same manner; that, to render their claim more definite and valid, they caused tbe 160 acres to be surveyed; and, in tbe name of Farrington, in June, 1852, took up tbe same under and in accordance with tbe provisions of tbe Act of April 20, 1852, entitled: An Act prescribing tbe mode of defending and maintaining possessory actions on public lands in tbis State;” that in tbe latter part of 1852 they erected a substantial bouse on said land, at an expense of $1,500; and caused a substantial fence to be constructed around tbe tract, at a further expense of $1,500; that they immediately entered into tbe actual occupation of said dwelling-house and tbe lands so inclosed, and continued thereafter so to occupy them by themselves or tenants; that in January, 1858, Ludlum took up an adjoining tract of 74|- acres, under tbe Act aforesaid, for their joint use, and which was thereafter jointly used and possessed by them; that said locations were made in good faith, under tbe belief that said lands were public lands of tbe United States or of tbis State, and that it has since been ascertained and determined by tbe action of Congress and tbe adjudications of tbe Courts of tbe United States, that at tbe dates of said locations tbe said lands were public lands of tbe United States or of tbis State; that in July, 1853, Farrington & Ludlum united with Eddy, Story & Reed, who claimed some of tbe adjoining lands, in an agreement to unite their interests, whereby it was stipulated to form a joint stock company, of which [45]*45Need, Eddy & Ludlum were appointed Trustees, and to cover tbe lands-claimed by tbe several parties witb school land warrants, issued by tbis State under tbe Act to provide for tbe disposal of tbe 500,000 acres of land granted to tbe State of California by an Act of Congress, and to bold, improve and sell tbe said lands, so to be covered by said warrants, for tbe benefit of tbe parties composing said company, according to tbeir respective interests; tbat tbe warrants were accordingly purchased and duly located in July, 1853, on a tract of 640 acres, which included tbe Farrington & Ludlum tracts; tbat tbe purchase money for tbe warrants was paid into tbe State treasury, and has never been refunded or offered to be refunded; tbat tbe warrants were located in good faith, and in tbe belief tbat tbe lands were subject to such location, and tbe parties were so advised at tbe time by eminent counsel; tbat in pursuance of said location tbe said lands were by tbe Surveyor-General of tbis State and by tbe Register of tbe United States Land Office for tbis State duly set aside, reserved and segregated from tbe mass of tbe public lands of tbe United States, in satisfaction of so much of tbe 500,000 acres granted to tbis State by Act of Congress; tbat said segregation remains in force and has not been vacated or annulled; tbat after tbe location of said warrants all tbe lands covered thereby were occupied by said Farring-ton & Ludlum and tbeir said associates to tbe exterior boundaries thereof; tbat in 1854, Farrington & Ludlum erected, at an expense of $2,000, a substantial board fence, sufficient to turn cattle, around tbe two tracts so located by them under tbe Possessory Act before referred to, and planted oyster beds on tbe land covered witb water, built oyster bouses and kept and maintained tbe same for many years; tbat Farrington & Ludlum, and those bolding witb and under them, prior to tbeir conveyance to tbe plaintiffs, expended in and about tbe premises and tbe purchase money thereof tbe sum of $15,000, and tbat prior to tbe first day of January, 1868, there has been expended in buildings and other improvements on tbe premises tbe further sum of $30,000; that in 1853 or 1854 one Hiram Pearson, being [46]*46tbe owner of several school land warrants issued under the Act of 1852, located them in due form upon lands contiguous to those included in the locations already mentioned; that the lands covered with Pearson’s warrants were duly set aside and segregated from the mass of public lands, and that Pearson entered upon and took possession of said lands, and erected several houses and other improvements thereon to the value of several thousand dollars; that he continued in possession until he conveyed to the plaintiffs; that they have ever since been and now are in the possession, as purchasers in good faith and for a valuable consideration; that the plaintiffs and their predecessors and grantors have expended on said tract, in piling the same, erecting houses and other improvements thereon, and in defending their title thereto, the sum of $30,000, in good faith and under the belief that the rights so acquired would be rebognized by, and would be valid against, both the State of California and the United States; that such expenditures were made before any scheme was agitated for the disposition of such lands by the State; that portions of the lands covered by the said school land warrants are upland, and other parts are salt marsh or overflowed lands; that the plaintiffs have succeeded to all the rights of Farrington & Ludlum, Peed, Eddy, Story and Pearson in and to the whole of said lands, and that they and their said predecessors and grantors have been in the bona fide,

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Bluebook (online)
40 Cal. 33, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/farish-v-coon-cal-1870.