Gurganus v. Kiker

241 So. 2d 113, 286 Ala. 442, 1970 Ala. LEXIS 989
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedJuly 10, 1970
Docket6 Div. 670
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 241 So. 2d 113 (Gurganus v. Kiker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gurganus v. Kiker, 241 So. 2d 113, 286 Ala. 442, 1970 Ala. LEXIS 989 (Ala. 1970).

Opinions

PER CURIAM.

This is a statutory ejectment suit. The complaint was filed in the Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County on July 31, 1967, by Douglas Kiker and Mable Kiker against David Gurganus. There was a demand for a jury trial made by the plaintiff, but when the case was called for trial, the jury demand was withdrawn. Defendant’s demurrers were overruled and a plea of the general issue in short by consent was filed. On January 9, 1968, the cause was tried by the court without the intervention of a jury. At the conclusion of the trial, the. court took the cause under submission.

On March 22, 1968, the court issued the following:

“MEMORANDUM FOR ATTORNEYS

“After extended consideration the Court is now of the opinion that judgment in this case should be entered for the plaintiffs.
“Hon. Robert V. Wooldridge, Jr., is requested to prepare appropriate judgment which will be signed after it has been inspected by Mr. McGuire and the judgment date will be fixed at the time of signature.
“Dated this 22nd day of March, 1968.
“Submitted by Fred W. Nicol Circuit Judge.”

We observe that appearances of counsel show Mr. Robert V. Wooldridge, Jr., on behalf of plaintiff, and Mr. Jack H. McGuire on behalf of defendant. Later, counsel, here appearing for appellant, filed in the Circuit Court a motion for a new trial.

[444]*444On March 26, 1968, the formal judgment was signed and filed. The judgment was rendered in favor of plaintiffs and against the defendant for the possession of the property as described in the complaint, to wit:

“All of the portion of the NE }4 of SE 14 of Section 13, Township 17 South, Range 9 West, that lies West of Alabama Highway No. 69, containing ten (10) acres, more or less.”

Thereafter, and on April 25, 1968, a motion for new trial was filed. The motion was later taken under submission, and thereafter overruled on November 22, 1968.

It is the defendant’s contention in brief that the plaintiffs did not meet the burden of proof, also, that the judgment was not supported by the evidence. It is contended than no one could sue defendant after February 21, 1957, which ended the statutory period of ten years.

The plaintiffs claim title by conveyance in March, 1962. At that time, Mable Gurganus Kiker owned the land in the South half of the NE 54 °f this section. The defendant was her father-in-law, plaintiff having married one of his sons. Following his deafh, she married Douglas Kiker.

The triangular strip of the land in dispute is located in the NW corner of the NE 14 of the SE J4 of the Section and is bounded on North and West by the Quarter Section lines. The eastern and southern boundary is the Alabama Highway No. 69.

Plaintiff’s Exhibit #1, a map, engineered to scale, shows the area in dispute and the surrounding areas. This map was used during the trial in the examination of many of the witnesses. Plaintiff testified there was a road that “runs from the highway over to your house.” This roadway splits the disputed strip in half.

It seems from the evidence that there was general recognition that there was some “mix-up” on record concerning this disputed strip' — due possibly to an error in the description in one of the deeds.

On direct examination of plaintiff Douglas Kiker, he testified, in part, as follows :

“Q. Now, immediately before this suit was filed, did you have any conversations with the Defendant with respect to any claim he might have to this property?
“A. Yes sir, we talked about it on numerous occasions in a friendly fashion. We never had any hard words over it I wouldn’t think.
“Q. Was he claiming to own an interest in it?
“A. Yes, sir, in 1963 we had a discussion when I was building a fence around the other 40.
“Q. Just tell the Judge what transpired in that conversation.
“A. Well, Mr. Gurganus told me he had a claim to the 10 acres and at that time he asked me not to build a fence around it and I didn’t and at that time he said he would like to get it settled and we both agreed we would like to get it settled and he said if we would have an abstract run, at that time, however the abstract proved out, that the one that got it would abide by it and pay for the abstract. '
“Q. After that conversation did you obtain an abstract ?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Was the abstract made available to him?
“A. Yes, sir, I gave it to Mr. Gurganus.
“Q. Before the abstract was obtained he said whatever the abstract showed he would abide by it?
“A. Yes, sir.
[445]*445“Q. If it showed your wife owned it that would be the end of it?
“A. He said he would abide by whatever the abstract said.
“Q. That was in 1963:
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Do you recall what time of the year in 1963 that was?
“A. It was in the fall because I planted my pasture in the fall and it was winter pasture.
“Q. In the fall of’63?
“A. As far as I can recall.
“Q. After you got the abstract, did you show it to him or make it available to him?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. Did you all have any further conversations concerning it?
“A. Yes, sir, he brought the abstract back. I don’t know, he kept it maybe a week or two. It was quite a few days and when he brought it back he told me he had changed his mind and he would try to hold the land through possession.
“Q. He had decided to try to hold it through possession ?
“A. Yes, sir.
“Q. You sure those are the words he used, that he was going to try to hold it through possession?
“A. As far as I can recall.
“Q. Is that your best judgment?
“A. Yes, sir.”
On direct examination, Plaintiff, Mable Gurganus Kiker, gave the following testimony:
“Q. Now since 1962, from the time you bought that property up until immediately sometime soon before this 'property was purchased, did the Respondent make any claim to you with respect to that property?
“A. My husband was going to put a fence up out there.
“Q. When was that?
“A. At the time we got the abstract. I don’t remember the exact date.
“Q. About 1963?
“A.

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

Related

Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc. v. Goodin
535 So. 2d 98 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1988)
Whitehead v. Hester
512 So. 2d 1297 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1987)
Montgomery Lincoln-Mercury, Inc. v. Neal
423 So. 2d 850 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1982)
Ex Parte Neal
423 So. 2d 850 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1982)
Atlas Subsidiaries of Mississippi, Inc. v. Nixon
251 So. 2d 235 (Court of Civil Appeals of Alabama, 1971)
Gurganus v. Kiker
241 So. 2d 113 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
241 So. 2d 113, 286 Ala. 442, 1970 Ala. LEXIS 989, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gurganus-v-kiker-ala-1970.