Foster v. Givens

67 F. 684, 14 C.C.A. 625, 1895 U.S. App. LEXIS 2796
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
DecidedMay 7, 1895
DocketNo. 222
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 67 F. 684 (Foster v. Givens) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Foster v. Givens, 67 F. 684, 14 C.C.A. 625, 1895 U.S. App. LEXIS 2796 (6th Cir. 1895).

Opinion

LURTON, Circuit Judge.

This is an action of ejectment brought by the plaintiffs in error who were plaintiffs in the circuit court. The action was for the recovery of a tract of land described as containing 50,000 acres, being the same patented by the state of Kentucky, February 28,1779, to Abraham Morehouse. Plaintiffs claimed as heirs at law of Henry_ Banks, and, for the purpose of deraigning title to their ancestor 'from the patentee, Abraham Morehouse, offered in evidence a transcript of a record from the circuit court [685]*685of Franklin county, Ky., wherein their ancestor was a complainant in equity, and Philip Henry Keying Tot Bastrop and the unknown heirs of Abraham Morehouse were defendants. They sought to show by the final decree in that cause that the land now in controversy had been sold, by and through commissioners therein appointed, to satisfy an equitable lien thereon in favor of Henry Banks for purchase money due from the said Morehouse and Bastrop; and that the said lands had been sold and conveyed by the commissioners who executed the decree to the said Henry Banks, by virtue of the power in them vested by the decree aforesaid. Upon the objection of the defendants, that record was excluded. There being no other evidence tending to show title in said Henry Banks, the court instructed the jury to find for the defendants. Plaintiff's assign this action of the court in excluding said record, and in the peremptory instruction, as error, and this is the only question for decision.

The defendants in error justify the ruling of the court, upon several distinct grounds, any one of which, if well taken, renders the decree void as to the heirs of Abraham Morehouse, and therefore inadmissible as a link in the chain of title sought to be established by the plaintiffs in error. The first objection to the decree was to the jurisdiction of the court over the tract oi' land involved in this suit. The transcript tendered in evidence purports to he a bill in chancery filed in the circuit court of Franklin county, Ky. That court was one of general jurisdiction in both suits at common law and in chancery. Under the statute organizing circuit courts, its territorial jurisdiction was limited to the body of the county of Franklin. It has not been contended that its jurisdiction was limited to cases involving lands wholly within the county. On the contrary, it has been properly admitted that if any part of a body of land, or one of several parcels of land, subject to a common mortgage or equitable lien, be within the county in which the suit is brought, the court will acquire jurisdiction over the entire body of land, or the several parcels subject to the common mortgage or claim of lien, and may effectively exercise jurisdiction with reference to the entire subject-matter of the suit. This principle of local jurisdiction is familiar law, and the Kentucky courts, at an early day, expressly so announced it. Dunn v. McMillen, 1 Bibb, 409; Cave v. Trabue, 2 Bibb, 444; Brown v. McKee, 1 J. J. Marsh. 476; Owings v. Beall, 3 Litt. 104. The circuit courts of Kentucky, being courts of general common-law and equity jurisdiction, and not courts of special and limited jurisdiction, are within the well-known rule which presumes, upon a collateral attack, that a jurisdiction actually exercised by such a court was rightfully exercised, until the contrary clearly appears. Such courts of record are competent to decide upon their own jurisdiction, and to exercise it to final judgment. This applies to both jurisdiction over the subject-matter and over the persons of the defendants, and, when a judgment of such a court is collaterally brought in question, every reasonable presumption will be indulged in favor of the rightful exercise of jurisdiction, and they are not required to spread upon their records the facts and evidences upon which their jurisdiction [686]*686was rested. Freem. Judgm. § 122; Pope v. Harrison, 16 Lea, 90. Grignon’s Lessee v. Astor, 2 How. 337. In Galpin v. Page, 18 Wall. 366, Justice Field, in speaking for the court concerning the presumptions in favor of the rightful exercise of jurisdiction by courts of general, and not limited, powers, said:

“It is presumed to have jurisdiction to give the judgment it renders, until the contrary appears. And the presumption embraces jurisdiction, not only of the cause or subject-matter of the action in which -the judgment was given, but of the parties also. The former will generally appear by the character of the judgment, and will be determined by the law creating the court or prescribing its general powers. The latter should regularly appear by evidence in the record of service of process upon the defendant, or his appearance in the action. But where the former appears the latter will be presumed.”

As already stated, the circuit court of Franklin county was a court of general common-law and equity jurisdiction. If we turn to the decree pronounced in the cause of Henry Banks v. Bastrop and the Heirs of Morehouse, we find that the judgment rendered was in regard to a contract for the sale of numerous parcels of land, and that the court adjudged that Bastrop and Morehouse were indebted to the complainant, Banks, in a sum in excess of $50,000, as purchase money for a large body of lands lying in distinct tracts, some of which were described as being in counties other than Franklin, while the locality of others did not appear. The court adjudged one contract, embracing many parcels lying in different counties, and adjudged to the complainant a common, equitable lien, embracing all the parcels sold, and that all the tracts should be sold for the satisfaction of a unit vendors’ equity. Clearly, the power to hear and adjudge a cause presenting questions of the kind adjudged was within the jurisdiction of the circuit court for Franklin county.

“The power to hear and determine a cause is jurisdiction. It is coram judiee whenever a case is presented which brings this power into action. If the petitioner states such a case in his petition that on a demurrer the court would render judgment in his favor, it is an undoubted case of jurisdiction. Whether, on an answer denying and putting in issue the allegations of the petition, the petitioner makes out his case, is the exercise of jurisdiction conferred by the filing of a petition containing all the requisites, and in the manner prescribed by law.” U. S. v. Arredondo, 6 Pet. 709.

If we turn to the bill filed by the complainant Banks, we find that it substantially alleged: (1) That the complainant contracted and sold four tracts or parcels of land to Abraham Morehouse for the consideration of $17,500, no part of which had been paid. One of those tracts is the one now involved. Concerning that tract, it was alleged that it had been located and surveyed by the complainant and one Phillip Barbour, and that Barbour had assigned his interest in the survey to the complainant; that Morehouse had caused a patent to issue to himself, and thereby acquired the legal title. (2) It alleged that, as a part of the same contract, the complainant had contracted to furnish the said Morehouse other lands to the aggregate value of $32,500, these other lands “to be ascertained by the appraisement of good, disinterested men, on oath,” reference being made to the contract itself for the details of the agreement. (3) [687]

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Bluebook (online)
67 F. 684, 14 C.C.A. 625, 1895 U.S. App. LEXIS 2796, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foster-v-givens-ca6-1895.