McKinney v. Doane

56 S.W. 304, 155 Mo. 287, 1900 Mo. LEXIS 247
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedMarch 20, 1900
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 56 S.W. 304 (McKinney v. Doane) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McKinney v. Doane, 56 S.W. 304, 155 Mo. 287, 1900 Mo. LEXIS 247 (Mo. 1900).

Opinion

BURGESS, J.

This is an action of ejectment for the possession of the south two feet of the south thirty-three and one-thdrd feet of the east half of lot eight in block one in Marty’s Woodland addition to Kansas City, Missouri. The [291]*291petition is in the usual form, and the answer a general denial.

Both plaintiff and defendant derive title from Nellie and Albert Marty, her husband. In 1879, Nellie Marty and Albert Marty her husband laid off into lots and' blocks an addition to said city which was called Marty’s Woodland addition and which was platted by them on the 23d day of August, 1879. All of this addition was sold out with reference to this recorded plat, and by descriptions referring only to the lot and block numbers as shown by the recorded plat. Lot eight of block one, a part of which is now owned by the plaintiff, was sold by Nellie Marty and Albert Marty, her husband, to William Harris and Sarah Harris, August 25th, 1879, by deed in which the property was described in words and figures as follows, to wit:

“Lots numbers eight and nine, block one, Marty’s Woodland addition, as the same are marked and designated on the recorded plat of said addition, now on file in the recorder’s office of said Jackson county, Missouri.”

Lot number seven, in block one, was sold by Nellie Marty and Albert Marty, her husband to Isabella Danton Cheeseman, the year following, by deed dated April 21st, 1880, the description being:

“All of lot seven, in block one, Marty’s addition to Woodland, as the same is marked and designated on the recorded plat thereof.”

Lot number 7 was conveyed thereafter, successively, until purchased by defendant’s principal, Martha Prescott, August 15, 1895, by the following description:

“All of lot 7, block 1, in Marty’s Woodland addition, an addition to the city of Kansas, now Kansas City, as the same is marked and designated on the recorded plat thereof, save and except portions deducted off the east and west ends respectively for streets.” [292]*292ing to tbe recorded plat of tbe addition, and describing tbe property by the lot and block numbers “as marked and designated on tbe recorded plat of said addition, now on file in tbe recorder’s office of said Jackson county, Missouri.”

[291]*291Lots numbers eight and nine were thereafter conveyed by successive conveyances — some’ twenty-two in number — ref err-

[292]*292At the time of tbe platting o'f said addition, the only street running north and south through tbe addition from Independence avenue was Park avenue, opened forty feet wide for a part of tbe way. About ten years after that, Olive street was opened on tbe east side of tbe addition, after which tbe lots were for the most part cut in two, and the Olive street fronts and the Park avenue fronts conveyed and owned and improved separately. Different conveyance's passed tbe title to the east half of lot eight in question until tbe title became vested in tbe plaintiff in this case.

Defendant’s title was derived by successive conveyances, all by similar description, in which tbe property was described by lot and block, with reference to tbe plat on file in tbe recorder’s office.

There was not, in tbe survey or description upon tbe recorded plait of tbe addition, any reference whatever to any monuments except tbe township line and the section corners, •as established by tbe government surveys and monuments. In none of the deeds by which tbe title was transferred through tbe successive grantees, from Nellie Marlty and Albert Marty, her husband, to tbe plaintiff and defendant’s principal in this case, was there any reference to any monuments or stakes or any other thing than tbe recorded plat of tbe addition, either for location of tbe property conveyed or description of tbe dimensions of tbe lots.

Until October 3, 1896, lot number seven was vacant and unimproved.

Lot eight also remained vacant and unimproved, except as to tbe. Park avenue front, upon which Mr. Harris, -in 1880 or 1881, built a bouse, and also testified that he put a fence around tbe whole lot. Tbe east end of 'the lot, tbe Olive street [293]*293front, which is now owned by plaintiff,was not improved until the year 1889, when it was purchased, together with lot nine, and the east -half of the two lots, comprising one hundred feet, was divided into three tracts of thirty-three and one-third feet each. ' The plaintiff is now the owner of the south thirty-three and one-third feet of the east half of lot eight. The house and improvements were put upon it by S. A. E. Chaney, February 6,1889, who was then the owner of the lot.

Before 'erecting his house, Chaney went to the county surveyor and had the lines of the lot located by actual survey, which survey was made a matter of record in the office of the county surveyor, as required by section 8314 of the Eevised Statutes 1889. The exact boundaries of the lot were located by survey in accordance with the recorded plat as called for by the deed, and a fence erected on both the south lines -and the north line by Chaney.

The improvements thus placed upon the lot in 1889 were used and occupied by Chaney 'and his grantees up to October 3, 1896, during all of which time the fence located by Chaney on the south line, between lote seven and .eight, was undisturbed, and, as shown by the testimony, the fence was upon the lines as indicated by the recorded plat. Chaney also testifies that the line given by him by the county survey or, upon which •he located his fence, correspond with the line upon which the old fence stood, which had been formerly located by Harris.

Defendant Samantha Herring, whose mother owned lot seven prior to conveying it to 'appellant’s principal, Mrs. Prescott, says .that the fence erected by Chaney was about six or eight inches south of ithe one formerly erected by Harris.

Harris testified that the line given by Dan O’Flahertv would save the improvements which he put on lot eight.

Daniel O’Flaherty also, in his testimony, admitted that the line which he gave defendants as the division between lots seven and eight was not the same as that claimed by Harris for [294]*294tlie stakes and the fence which he built in accordance therewith.

“Q. It agrees with the stake that was put there by Mr. Harris at that time as being the line of his fence ?”
“A. Well, it very nearly agrees with where he said the fence was — in a few inches.”

On or about the third of October, 1896, the defendant began excavating upon lot seven for the erection of a house, and in excavating tore down and removed the fence on the south line of lot eight. He was immediately notified upon the following day by plaintiff’s wife, and warned against this encroachment, and from time to time thereafter until the house was completed. The house including the projection of the eaves, which was being erected on the east half of lot seven, extended over to the north upon lot eight, seventen inches.

The case was tried by the court, a jury being waived. Over the objection and 'exception of defendant, the court at the request of plaintiff declared the law to be as follows:

“1.

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Bluebook (online)
56 S.W. 304, 155 Mo. 287, 1900 Mo. LEXIS 247, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mckinney-v-doane-mo-1900.