Milner v. New Edinburg School District

200 S.W.2d 319, 211 Ark. 337, 1947 Ark. LEXIS 538
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedMarch 24, 1947
Docket4-8128
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 200 S.W.2d 319 (Milner v. New Edinburg School District) 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
Milner v. New Edinburg School District, 200 S.W.2d 319, 211 Ark. 337, 1947 Ark. LEXIS 538 (Ark. 1947).

Opinion

Ed. F. MoFaddin, Justice.

This appeal presents for determination: (1) whether land previously deeded to a school district had reverted; and (2) whether the building reverted with the- land. Some of our cases on reversion of school property are: Steele v. Rural Special School District, 180 Ark. 36, 20 S. W. 2d 316; McCullough v. Swifton Consolidated School District, 202 Ark. 1074, 155 S. W. 2d 353; Williams v. Kirby School District, 207 Ark. 458, 181 S. W. 2d 488; Rose v. Marshall School District, 210 Ark. 211, 195 S. W. 2d 49; Vandale Special School District v. Feltner, 210 Ark. 743, 197 S. W. 2d 731.

The factual situation in the case at bar is somewhat different from that existing in any of the adjudicated cases. The facts here are:

A. In 1915, Mr. J. H. Hollis conveyed by warranty deed 2% acres of land to the Hollis Special School District, with this clause of reversion in the deed: ‘ ‘ This deed is made with the understanding that in case the property ever ceases to be used for public school purposes that the land, but not the improvements thereon, is to revert to the grantor herein. ’ ’

B. The Hollis Special School District erected a school building on the 2% acres, and used the same for school purposes. In 1930, the Hollis Special School District was consolidated with the appellee school district (which is hereinafter called the “district”); but the consolidated district continued to have school for the lower grades in the Hollis school building until May, 1940. Since then, there has been no school in the Hollis building. In 1940, the district canceled the fire insurance on the building, and allowed the building to be used as a meeting place for the ladies of the Hollis community. The only school property remaining in the building was a stove, some blackboards, and a few desks; and all of this property was moved on April 26, 1946, when the district sold the building to J. L. Brown, who was to raze it, and remove the materials. Brown agreed to pay the district $1,500 for the materials.

C. When J. H. ITollis executed the deed to the Hollis School District in 1915 as aforesaid, he owned a total of 240 acres, of which the 2% acres was a part. After the death of J. H. Hollis, his heirs conveyed to N. T. Hollis the entire.240 acres by deed dated August 16, 1944. Then, on October 2,1944, N. T. Hollis conveyed to the appellant, Mrs. Milner, the 237% acres by deed, which also contained this language in the granting clause: “Also, the reversion of the J. H. Hollis estate in and to the following parcel of land (but not the buildings thereon) described as follows': . . .” (then follows the description of the 2y2 acres conveyed by J. H. Hollis to the Hollis Special School District in 1915, as aforesaid.)

Mrs. Milner had the 2y2 acres placed on the tax books, and paid taxes thereon. She cnt pnlpwood timber from the 2y2 acres, and exercised other acts of ownership over the land (but not the building) from the date of her deed until the filing of this suit. The school district tried to purchase from Mrs. Milner one acre (where the building was located) out of the 2%-acre tract. One of the school directors testified in this regard: “Q. Did you, after she had bought it, ask her if she would consider selling one acre of the land back to the school district? A. Yes, sir. Q. You had that conversation? A. Yes, sir. Q. At that time you evidently didn’t think you owned the land or the building either, did you? A. I didn’t know about the land. I thought she had the land, but there never was any doubt about the building. Q. Why did you want to buy an acre back? A. So we wouldn’t have to move the building.”

D. Such was the condition of affairs when, on April 26, 1946, the school district sold the building to J. L. Brown as aforesaid. Then, on April 30, 1946, the appellant filed the present action against the appellee school district and J. L. Brown to enjoin the removal of the building: appellant claiming the building to be attached to the real estate, and therefore belonging to her under her deed from N. T. Hollis as aforesaid. Pending the litigation, the parties agreed, by stipulation to avoid prejudice, that the $1,500 might be deposited in court in lieu of the building, and that Brown might (and did) remove the building. As a result of the trial, the chancery court entered a decree holding (1) that the school district was the owner of the building, and (2) that the school district was the owner of the 2y2 acres, and that it had not reverted to Mrs. Milner. To reverse that decree, there is this appeal.

I. The Building. We affirm the decree of the chancery court in finding against Mrs. Milner’s claim to the building or the proceeds thereof. In the deed from J. H. Hollis to Hollis Special School District (predecessor of appellee school district) it was definitely stated that the improvements would not revert with the land. Likewise, in the deed from N. T. Hollis to Mrs. Milner, it was stated that .the building would not revert to Mrs. Milner. The effect of these conveyances was to prevent the building from becoming, or passing as, a part .of the realty. The presumption of a structure becoming realty (as was held in Waldo Fertilizer Works v. Dickens, 206 Ark. 747, 177 S. W. 2d 398) was overcome by the recitals in the said deeds in this case. In 22 Am. Juris. 780 the general rule is stated: “Generally a building erected on the land of another by his consent or license does not become part of the realty, but remains the property of the person annexing it. The same results will be achieved if the owner expressly consents or agrees that the building shall remain personalty; . . . This rule certainly holds when there is an express reservation of a right to remove the building; . . .” See, also, 42 Am. Juris. 199, “Property,” § 18.

We dispose of appellant’s contentions:

(a) Building as a fixture. Appellant cites the majority and concurring opinions in Williams v. Kirby District, supra, wherein were cited statements from 42 Am. Juris. 199 and 22 R. C. L. 59, to the effect that a building permanently fixed to the freehold became a part of the realty, and passed with it. But appellant evidently overlooked that portion of the text in 42 Am. Juris. 199 which, after stating the above rule, adds this significant language, which is applicable to the case at bar, to-wit: ‘ ‘ The general rule is otherwise, .however, where the improvement is made with the consent of the landowner, and pursuant to an understanding, either expressed or implied, that it shall remain personal property. ’ ’

Likewise, appellant evidently overlooked, from 22 E. 0. L. 59, the following portion of the text, which, after stating the general rule urged by the appellant, then states the following as an exception: “. . . but it is otherwise as to a building . . . erected with-the consent of the landowner and with the understanding either expressed or implied that it shall remain personal property.” The building in the case at bar comes within the scope of the quotation just recited. It was excepted from the Hollis conveyances, and did not become a part of the realty. The language in the reverter clause in this case specifically excepts the building from reverting with the land. Such language did not appear in the reverter clause in the case of Williams v. Kirby District, supra.

(b) Limitations. Mrs. Milner’s deed was dated October 2,1944; and on April 26, 1946, the district sold the building to Brown.

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Bluebook (online)
200 S.W.2d 319, 211 Ark. 337, 1947 Ark. LEXIS 538, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/milner-v-new-edinburg-school-district-ark-1947.