Leggat v. Blomberg

98 P. 723, 15 Idaho 496, 1908 Ida. LEXIS 125
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 5, 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 98 P. 723 (Leggat v. Blomberg) 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
Leggat v. Blomberg, 98 P. 723, 15 Idaho 496, 1908 Ida. LEXIS 125 (Idaho 1908).

Opinion

STEWART, J.

This action is brought under the provisions of sec. 4560, Rev. Stat., for the partition of certain mining claims located in the county of Idaho. The complaint alleges that the plaintiffs and defendant owned and are in possession as tenants in common of certain unpatented mining claims, and prayed for a decree of partition thereof. The defendant answered and denied that the plaintiffs had any title or interest in the claims described in the complaint, and as a further and separate defense alleged that the cause of action set forth in plaintiffs’ complaint arose out of contract made and entered into by the plaintiffs and the defendant, by the terms of which defendant agreed to execute a conveyance to plaintiffs and to place the same in escrow, conveying an undivided three-fourths interest in and to the said mining ground; that in consideration of the execution of such conveyance the plaintiffs agreed to do certain work and expend certain moneys upon said property in the development of the same; that in pursuance of said agreement the defendant executed said conveyance and placed the same in escrow; that the plaintiffs, although requested, refused to perform said work or expend the amount of money, agreed to be by them expended, except the sum of $4,770.65, and that by reason of plaintiffs’ failure to keep and perform their part of said agreement the defendant has been damaged in the sum of $20,529.35, for which judgment was demanded. The defendant also filed a cross-complaint, or what is denominated a cross-[498]*498complaint, consisting of two canses of action. The first alleges that the defendant, or cross-complainant, executed a deed of conveyance to plaintiffs by the terms of which he agreed to convey an undivided three-fourths interest in the property described in the complaint; that said conveyance was executed and placed in escrow in the Traders’ National Bank, Spokane, Washington; that according to the escrow agreement the conveyance was to be delivered to plaintiffs upon the happening of certain conditions precedent to be performed by said plaintiffs; that plaintiffs failed to perform said conditions and, in violation of the escrow agreement, fraudulently and without right or authority secured said deed of conveyance and filed the same for record, and that the same is now a cloud upon the defendant’s title to the said mining claims.

The second cause of action, set forth in the cross-complaint, alleges that the cross-complainant at his own expense performed the annual assessment work on said claims for the year 1905, and expended in so doing the sum of $600, and, in pursuance of the laws of the United States, notice was given for thirteen successive weeks by publication' in the ‘ ‘ Elk City Mining News,” notifying the plaintiffs that if they failed to contribute their respective portion of the expenditure within ninety days after such notice, the interest would be forfeited and should become the property of the cross-complainant; that said plaintiffs failed and refused to contribute their portion of the expenditure for the annual assessment work for the year 1905, and by reason of which cross-plaintiff alleges that he is exclusive' owner of said premises. An answer to the cross-complaint was filed which admits the execution of the deed alleged in the cross-complaint, and its deposit in escrow, denies that the plaintiffs failed to perform their part of said agreement or the agreement upon which said deed was to be held in'escrow; denies that the plaintiffs fraudulently or without right secured said deed of conveyance, but admits that said deed was filed in the recorder’s office. As a further defense to the first cause of action plead in the cross-complaint, the plaintiffs allege that they expended the sum of $7,000 on said property, and have performed each and every [499]*499part of said escrow agreement; for a further answer plaintiffs allege that they performed their share of the annual assessment work on said claims for the year 1905 in the amount of $450 and filed the affidavit proving said work.

The cause was tried to the court and findings of fact were made in substance as follows: That the plaintiffs and defendant are cotenants, and own, hold and are in possession as tenants in common of the property described in th'e complaint; that each of the plaintiffs is the owner and holder of an undivided one-fourth interest, and the defendant is the owner and holder of an undivided one-fourth interest; that it was stipulated and agreed during the trial that the issue made by the affirmative answer, claiming damages, should be tried at some future time by a jury, and that it would not be determined or passed upon by the court; that the cross-plaintiff executed a deed of conveyance by the terms of which he agreed to convey an undivided three-fourths interest in and to said mining claims to said cross-defendants, and according to said agreement said conveyance was placed in escrow in the Traders’ National Bank at Spokane, Washington; that by said agreement the cross-defendants were to furnish money necessary to develop said group of claims, not to exceed the aggregate sum of $10,000, and the cross-plaintiff was to commence and perform certain work; that the cross-plaintiff voluntarily discontinued the work on said claims without the fault of the cross-defendants, and with the consent of said cross-plaintiff said cross-defendants secured said deed from said escrow and placed the same on record; that the cross-defendants performed all of the agreements contained in said escrow agreement to be by them performed in order to entitle them to said deed in escrow; and that said cross-plaintiff received a good and valuable consideration for said conveyance; that for the year 1904 the parties contributed equally their portion for the annual labor necessary and required to be done on said mining claims for said year, and said defendant recognized the right and interest of the plaintiffs to said mining claims at all times after 1903; that during and for the year 1905 the plaintiffs performed annual labor on said min[500]*500ing claims, by performing certain work thereon which was reasonably worth the sum of $450, and said defendant performed certain work which was reasonably worth $150; that the plaintiffs fully performed the amount of annual assessment work upon said mining claims for the year 1905, and that the defendant wrongfully published a notice of alleged failure to perform work, and wrongfully attempted to advertise said plaintiffs out of their rights to said mining claims; that each and every of the allegations contained in the plaintiffs’ complaint and in their answer to said cross-complaint are found to be true and sustained by the evidence. As conclusions of law the court found that the plaintiffs, and each of them, are the owners of an undivided one-fourth interest in and to the mining claims described in the complaint and that the defendant, Alfred Blomberg, is the owner of an undivided one-fourth interest in and to said mining claims, and that said parties are now, and were at the commencement of this action, cotenants and in possession of said mining claims; that the notice published by the defendant, for the purpose of advertising said plaintiffs out of their rights to said mining claims, is, and the same is declared to be, void and of no force or effect; that the mining claims cannot be partitioned, and they are ordered to be sold. Upon these findings the court entered an interlocutory decree in accordance therewith and ordered said property sold. A motion for new trial was made by the defendant, appellant here, and was denied. This appeal is from the interlocutory decree and the order overruling the motion for a new trial.

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

Related

Crenshaw v. Crenshaw
199 P.2d 264 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1948)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
98 P. 723, 15 Idaho 496, 1908 Ida. LEXIS 125, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/leggat-v-blomberg-idaho-1908.