Kerrigan v. Thomas

281 So. 2d 410
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJuly 17, 1973
DocketQ-402
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 281 So. 2d 410 (Kerrigan v. Thomas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kerrigan v. Thomas, 281 So. 2d 410 (Fla. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

281 So.2d 410 (1973)

Robert G. KERRIGAN and Sharon S. Kerrigan, His Wife, Appellants,
v.
Howard THOMAS and Shirley M. Thomas, His Wife, Appellees.

No. Q-402.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.

July 17, 1973.
Rehearing Denied August 31, 1973.

*411 Gene D. Brown, Tallahassee, for appellants.

Thomas J. Kennon, Jr., Airth, Sellers, Lewis & Kennon, Live Oak, for appellees.

POWELL, GILLIS E., Associate Judge.

This appeal involves a title suit to the following described property:

The South 9 1/4 acres of the N 1/2 of Lot 1, Section 34, Township 4 South, Range 12 East, located in Suwannee County, Florida.

Appellants Kerrigans, as plaintiff below, sued in ejectment. Appellees Thomases defended upon adverse possession and title by acquiescence. The parties waived a jury and the trial judge found that the Thomases had established said defenses and entered a judgment vesting title in them. This appeal ensued.

The judgment appealed from recites a number of findings of fact, the following of which have been summarized as material.

1) The fence, on the northern boundary of the 9 1/4 acre parcel since prior to 1946 and continuously until 1967, had been recognized and regarded by the parties and their predecessors in title as the boundary line.
2) In 1965, the Thomases applied for a mortgage loan and an attorney informed them that they did not have a record title to the 9 1/4 acres and advised them to acquire a quit-claim deed from the Kneeshaws, who were predecessors in title of the Kerrigans. The Kneeshaws declined to execute a quit-claim deed and had the land surveyed, a copy of which was received in evidence.
3) Prior to 1965, the Kerrigans' property was assessed as "NE 1/4 of NE 1/4 or *412 North 1/2 of Lot 1," containing 40 acres of land and taxes paid were calculated by multiplying the millage rate for each year by 40 acres.
4) In 1965, Kneeshaw filed a different return, namely, the "NE 1/4 of NE 1/4 and North 9 1/4 acres of SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of North 1/2 of Lot 1, Section 34, Township 4 South, Range 12 East, containing 49 1/4 acres."
5) Since prior to 1946, taxes on other lands of the Thomases and their predecessors in title were calculated by including the 9 1/4 acres in question in their total acreage assessment on which their taxes were computed.
6) Each time the Thomases' property changed hands since prior to 1946, the sellers represented to the buyers that the fence along the north boundary of the land purchased was the boundary line between the land they were acquiring and the land owned by the Kerrigans and their predecessors in title.
7) Since prior to 1946, upon purchasing the land, the Thomases and their predecessors in title went into possession both of the land described in their deed, as well as the disputed strip, and have continuously occupied it under a claim of right from that time.
8) On or about November 27, 1967, Erma Mae Kneeshaw, the widow of Ralph Kneeshaw, conveyed the lands in question and other adjoining lands to the Kerrigans, who filed this ejectment action in August of 1969. The Kneeshaws never asked the Thomases to vacate the 9 1/4 acres in question, never exercised any control over the said land, and never went into possession.
9) Since prior to 1946, the 9 1/4 acres have been enclosed by a substantial fence, which enclosed said land along with adjacent property owned by the Thomases and their predecessors in title, and the Thomases and their predecessors have been in open, actual, notorious, exclusive, uninterrupted, peaceable and adverse possession of the 9 1/4 acres in question, cultivating said land, planting crops, pasture grass, mowing, fertilizing and otherwise caring for the property.

The thrust of the appellants' appeal is that the findings by the trial judge are not supported by the evidence and that the judgment is contrary to the law.

Appellants correctly emphasize that a party claiming title by adverse possession bears a heavy burden of proof and cites Downing v. Bird, 100 So.2d 57, 64 (Fla. 1958), in which the Florida Supreme Court said:

"Further in either prescription or adverse possession, the use or possession is presumed to be in subordination to the title of the true owner, and with his permission and the burden is on the claimant to prove that the use or possession is adverse. This essential element as well as all others must be proved by clear and positive proof, and cannot be established by loose, uncertain testimony which necessitates resort to mere conjecture." (Emphasis supplied.)

Also see, F.S., Sec. 95.13, F.S.A.

Appellants are further correct in enumerating the three essential elements to establish boundary by agreement as set forth by this Court in King v. Carden, 237 So.2d 26 (Fla.App. 1970), namely: uncertainty or dispute as to the true boundary, an agreement between the parties as to a certain line, and subsequent occupation accordingly by the parties, sufficient in time to show a settled recognition of the agreed line as the permanent boundary. The cited opinion further states that "Boundary by acquiescence involves at least two elements: 1. A dispute from which it can be implied that both parties are in doubt as to boundary, and 2. Continued occupation and acquiescence in a line other than true *413 boundary for a period of more than statute of limitations." Also see 4A Fla.Jur. pp. 757-764.

The disputed 9 1/4 acres are part of the North 1/2 of Lot 1, Sec. 34, T4S, R12 East. Lot 1 contains 98 1/2 acres according to the government survey plat in evidence. Obviously, according to the record title, the owner of the North 1/2 of Lot would own 49 1/4 acres and the owner of the South 1/2 of lot would own 49 1/4 acres. The disputed 9 1/2 acres is the South 9 1/4 acres of the North 1/2 of Lot 1. See the following sketch.

Secs. 95.16 and 95.17 of our statutes define adverse possession with color of title and Secs. 95.18 and 95.19 define adverse possession without color of title. One of the basic distinctions, of course, is that under possession without color of title, the adverse owner must return the property to the county tax assessor within one year after entry thereon and pay all taxes thereafter levied and assessed. Adverse *414 possession under color of title must be based upon a written instrument or judgment or decree of a competent court. Sec. 95.16 provides:

"Whenever it appears that the occupant, or those under whom he claims, entered into possession of premises under claim of title exclusive of any other right, founding such claim upon a written instrument as being a conveyance of the premises in question, or upon the decree or judgment of a competent court, and that there has been a continued occupation and possession of the premises included in such instrument, decree, or judgment for seven years, . .."

The key statutory provision in the case at hand is the "exception clause" contained in Sec. 95.17(2), which provides that the color of title requirement may be satisfied:

"Where it has been protected by a substantial enclosure. All contiguous land protected by such substantial enclosure shall be deemed to be premises included within the written instrument, judgment, or decree, within the purview of Sec. 95.16." (Emphasis supplied.)

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Bluebook (online)
281 So. 2d 410, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kerrigan-v-thomas-fladistctapp-1973.