Johnson v. Lane

135 S.W.2d 853, 199 Ark. 740, 1940 Ark. LEXIS 25
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJanuary 22, 1940
Docket4-5711
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 135 S.W.2d 853 (Johnson v. Lane) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Lane, 135 S.W.2d 853, 199 Ark. 740, 1940 Ark. LEXIS 25 (Ark. 1940).

Opinion

Humphreys, J.

Appellant, B. L. Johnson, obtained a judgment against W. T. Lane, Jr., on August 22, 1932, in a foreclosure proceeding in the chancery court • of Craighead county and on August 17, 1937, said judgment was revived in a proceeding for that ■ purpose. Not being able to collect said judgment by execution or otherwise appellant brought this suit in said court against appellees to cancel a deed executed by W. T. Lane, Jr., and Nell Lane, his wife, who died before the institution of this suit, on June 1, 1920, to the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention conveying the following described real estate situated in Craighead county, state of Arkansas, to-wit:

“The southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section nineteen (19), township fourteen (14) north, range four (4) east, containing forty (40) acres. Also the south half of the south half of the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section nineteen (19), township fourteen (14) north, range four. (4) east, (except 2 acres east of Main street), containing ten (10) acres,” and to subject said real estate to the payment of his judgment.

The deed sought to be canceled was made an exhibit to the complaint and is as follows:

“Know all men by these presents:

“That we, W. T. Lane, Jr., and Nell Lane, his wife, for and in consideration of the matters hereinafter set forth, do hereby grant, bargain, sell and convey unto the Home Mission Board of Southern Baptist Convention and unto- its successors and assigns, the following described real property, situated in the Jonesboro district of Craighead county, Arkansas, subject to the reservations and conditions thereinafter set forth, to-wit:

“The southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section nineteen (19) township (14) north, range four (4) east, containing forty (40) acres. Also the south half of the south half of the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section nineteen (19), township fourteen (14) north, range four (4) east, (except 2 acres east of Main street), containing ten (10) acres.

“To Have and to Hold the same unto the said Home Mission Board of Southern Baptist Convention and unto its successors and assigns together with all appurtenances thereunto belonging except such as are hereinafter reserved and excepted.

“And I, Nell Lane, wife of the said W. T. Lane, Jr., for the consideration aforesaid do hereby release and relinquish unto the said Home Mission Board of Southern Baptist Convention all of my right of dower and homestead in and to the said lands.

“The grantor, W. T. Lane, Jr., specially reserves any buildings, fences or other improvements now located upon said property with the right to remove the same at any time within thirty (30) days' after the grantee may give notice of a desire to use said property. In making this conveyance grantors herein transfer this property as being of the value of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) and said property is conveyed as a donation or gift to the Home Mission Board of Southern Baptist Convention as the location for a school or college, which will be erected upon or near the said lands so given and this gift or donation is made with the understanding and agreement that if said school or college be not erected within four (4) years that these lands are to revert to grantor, W. T. Lane, Jr., or to his heirs or assigns.

“It is understood and agreed, however, that as soon as the grantee shall have expended as much as two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in the erection of the contemplated improvements upon said grounds or grounds adjacent thereto, then this deed becomes absolute and unconditional so long as the said lands herein mentioned shall be used for the purpose of the aforesaid school or college. It being the intention of the grantor, W. T. Lane, Jr., herein that the grantee may use said property for school purposes or may sell or transfer or assign same to any other organization to be used for such purposes, and title shall remain in the grantee or its assigns so long as a protestant school or college shall be kept or maintained, but said lands, or any part thereof shall not be sold or transferred for any kind of private or individual use, nor for speculative purposes, but if the same shall be sold, or shall cease to be used for school purposes as aforesaid, then the title shall revert to the said W. T. Lane, Jr., or to his heirs or assigns, hut the grantee or its assigns may take or remove any buildings or improvements placed thereon by it or them.

£ £ Given unto our hands on this 1st day of June, 1920.

££W. T. Lane, Jr.,

££Nell Lane.”

The deed was properly acknowledged, delivered, and recorded in the ex-officio recorder’s office in said county.

It was alleged in the complaint that the grantee, Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, did not at any time undertake to convey said described real estate or to transfer any interest therein, but that for some years an association or group of people having no legal organization or incorporation assumed or exercised under the name of Jonesboro Baptist College some proprietary interest in or possession of said described lands and that Dr. G. C. Jernigan, Landrum Newcom and Alfred Carpenter, holding themselves out as trustees, undertook for and on behalf of said alleged Jonesboro Baptist College to pass back to the original grantee, Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, any and all rights which may have been claimed, exercised or enjoyed by said Jonesboro Baptist College. It was further alleged in the complaint that the conditions and reservations of said original deed were never complied with for the following reasons:

££ First, grantee never has expended as much as $250,000 in the erection of the contemplated improvements on said grounds or grounds adjacent thereto, and therefore, said deed never did become absolute and unconditional so long as said lands were used for school or college.

££ Second,, said land has ceased to be used for school purposes for a period of three years; that there is no intent, purpose or possibility of said property again being used for school and college purposes within the meaning and purpose expressed in said deed of conveyance, and, therefore, under the terms and provisions of said deed, the title shall revert to the said W. T. Lane, Jr., Or his heirs or assigns.

“Third, said described lands have been offered for sale for purposes other than school purposes as specified and intended under the conditions, limitations, and restrictions of said original deed:”

“To this complaint the appellees, W. T. Lane, Jr., and Dr. Gr. O. Jernigan, Landrum Newcom and Alfred Carpenter, as trustees and executive committee of Jonesboro Baptist College, for their demurrer and answer to the complaint herein respectfully state:

“The complaint does not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action against said defendants and appellant has not alleged any ground on which he might exercise any alleged right of re-entry for alleged breach of condition in view of the fact that the complaint does not show that the said W. T.

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Bluebook (online)
135 S.W.2d 853, 199 Ark. 740, 1940 Ark. LEXIS 25, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-lane-ark-1940.