Hunt v. McDonald

149 P.2d 792, 65 Idaho 610, 1944 Ida. LEXIS 86
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJune 24, 1944
DocketNo. 7184.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 149 P.2d 792 (Hunt v. McDonald) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hunt v. McDonald, 149 P.2d 792, 65 Idaho 610, 1944 Ida. LEXIS 86 (Idaho 1944).

Opinion

BUDGE, J.

This is an action to quiet title to real estate hereinafter described. The cause was heard before the court without a jury. From the decree entered both plaintiff and defendants appeal. For brevity, we will refer to the plaintiff as respondent, and to the appearing defendants as appellants.

All the defendants were duly served with summons and defaulted, except the appellants here. Answers were filed by the McDonalds and also by the Mussigbrods. The answer of the latter was, in substance, the same as that of the McDonalds, except in this: “That if, in this cause, it be adjudged that the said defendants, Madilon McDonald and J. J. McDonald are not the owners of and entitled to possession of the real property described in the plaintiff’s complaint, then, that they as Executors of the Last Will and Testament of Peter S. Mussigbrod, deceased, the prior record owner, are the owners and entitled to the possession of said real property.” The real estate is described in the complaint, as follows:

“Mineral Patent, General Land Office No. 22030, Min *613 eral Certificate No. 55 designated by the Surveyor General as Lot No. 37 known as.the Pehd d’Oreille Placer Mining Claim and embracing a portion of' Section three and four (3 & 4), township Fifty-six North, Range One (1) E. B. M.; and a portion of Section Thirty-three and Thirty-four (33 & 34) Township Fifty-seven (57) North, Range One (1) E. B. M., generally known as Warren Island containing 121.68 acres save and except a small tract of land therein containing 6.66 acres and described as follows, to-wit:
“That certain tract of land on the Pend d’Oreille Placer Mining Claim which is Mineral Survey No. 789 in supposed Township Fifty-six (56) North, Range One (1) E. B. M., unsurveyed, and running from said corner No. 1, North 24°09' East 314.2 feet to U. S. Monument No. 1, thence North 61°36' West 1000 feet; thence southerly to corner No. 2, of said Pend d’Oreille Placer Claim; thence South 61°36' East 848.5 feet to point of beginning and containing 6.66 acres more or less.”

The 6.66 acres referred to in the foregoing description is known as the Ormiston Tract and is not involved in this litigation, consequently no further reference will be made to it.

Coming now to “Tax No. 1” or “Warren Residence,” being a small tract of land located in the northwest ■portion of the Island, and described as follows:

“Beginning at Corner No. 22 of said Pend d’Oreille Placeras designated in said United States Patent thereof and running thence South 64°57_ East, 301 feet to a rock monument; thence South 25°03' West 450 feet to a stake marked W, thence West to Corner No. 18 of the exterior boundary of said Pend d’Oreille Placer Mining Claim, thence Northerly and Eastwardly along the exterior boundary of said Pend d’Oreille Placer Mining Claim to the place of beginning, and containing 6.43 acres more or less.”

The court found that by mesne conveyances respondent has succeeded to and has become, and now is, the owner of the full title to “Tax No. 1” or “Warren Residence” and quieted his title thereto.

On July 22, 1890, Alex J. Johnston, sometimes known as Alexander J. Johnston, Joseph J. Clark and Amanda E. Clark, his wife, George H. Pease and Mary A. Pease, his *614 wife, conveyed to Charles L. Warren that part of the Island known as the “Warren Residence” containing 5.88 acres more or less. By the above conveyance to Charles L. Warren, the Warrens being original patentees and owning a two-sevenths interest in the island, there now vested in them complete title and ownership to the 5.88 acres known as “Tax No. 1” or “Warren Residence.” By deed Charles S. Warren (referred to in the above deed as Charles L. Warren, being one and the same person as Charles S. Warren) and Mittie A. Warren, his wife, conveyed to Samuel E. Snow (sometimes referred to as S. E. Snow) the 5.88 acres above mentioned, and thereafter and on March 23, 1909, the heirs at law and next of kin of said Snow conveyed all their right, title and interest in the Island to Mittie A. Warren, who, with her husband, Charles S. Warren, conveyed to Katherine Murphey Brown all their right, title and interest in the above described premises. On April 1, 1940, by tax deed, the County Treasurer conveyed to Bonner County “Tax No. 1” or “Warren Residence.” On June 22, 1940, Katherine M. Brown and D. M. Brown, her husband, by deed, conveyed their interest in said property to James Campbell. On June 24, 1940, by redemption deed, James Campbell redeemed from Bonner County “Tax No. I,” and on September 10, 1940, James Campbell and Mary J. Campbell, his wife, conveyed said premises to respondent, Everett E. Hunt.

There is substantial competent evidence to sustain the ' court’s finding, conclusion and decree quieting title in respondent to “Tax No. 1” or “Warren Residence.”

We have determined, first, that the Ormiston Tract is not involved here, and, second, that respondent, Everett E. Hunt, is the sole owner, in fee, of “Tax No. 1” or “Warren Residence,” and the trial court did not err in quieting his title thereto. There still remains 108.59 acres of the Island in which both appellants and respondent claim ownership.

Appellants base their ownership to the Island upon a certain deed dated November 5, 1890, from George H. Pease and Mary A. Pease, his wife, to Joseph K. Clark; and by reason of a warranty deed, dated February 8, 1897, from Joseph K. Clark and Amanda E. Clark, his wife, and Alex J. Johnston to Peter S. Mussigbrod; and by deed, dated May 21,1921, from Peter S. Mussigbrod, by Ludwig S. Mussigbrod, his attorney-in-fact, to Madilon McDonald.

It will be observed that in all the deeds leading up to *615 the deed of Peter S. Mussigbrod the lands were not conveyed by legal description, but by recital, substantially to the effect, all right, title and interest in and to Pend d’Oreille Placer Mining Claim, and the deed from Peter S. Mussigbrod to Madilon McDonald recites, in substance, that the grantor, Mussigbrod, conveys to Madilon McDonald all his right, title and interest in and to the above mining claim.

It clearly appears from the record that respondent derived his title from Mittie A. Warren and Charles S. Warren, who conveyed to Mary Warren Murphey all their right, title and interest, the deed bearing date September 16, 1920, and Mary Warren Murphey and John M. Murphey, her husband, by deed dated October 27, 1941, conveyed to respondent Hunt their right, title and interest to the Island.

In other words, there were seven original patentees, who were owners in common. Respondent’s title relates back to the right, title and interest of two of the seven original patentees, namely, Charles S. Warren and Mittie A. Warren. It would follow therefore that respondent has an undivided two-sevenths interest in and to the 108.59 acres, which would amount to 81.02-4/7 acres. Appellant, Madilon McDonald’s right, title and interest in and to the Island is predicated upon the interest of five of the original patentees, namely, George H. Pease, Mary A. Pease, Joseph K. Clark, Amanda E. Clark and Alex J. Johnston, and she would therefore be entitled to an undivided five-sevenths interest in the 108.59 acres, which would amount to 77.-63-3/7 acres.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
149 P.2d 792, 65 Idaho 610, 1944 Ida. LEXIS 86, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hunt-v-mcdonald-idaho-1944.