Pearson v. Hasty

1943 OK 179, 137 P.2d 545, 192 Okla. 425, 147 A.L.R. 232, 1943 Okla. LEXIS 188
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 11, 1943
DocketNo. 30034.
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 1943 OK 179 (Pearson v. Hasty) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pearson v. Hasty, 1943 OK 179, 137 P.2d 545, 192 Okla. 425, 147 A.L.R. 232, 1943 Okla. LEXIS 188 (Okla. 1943).

Opinions

GIBSON, V. C. J.

This is an action to recover an interest in real estate. Judgment was for defendants, and plaintiffs appeal.

Plaintiffs as pretermitted children claim title to an undivided two-thirds interest in the land as heirs of their father, who died in 1913 after devising all his estate to his widow. The will was admitted to probate and the estate distributed according to the terms thereof in 1915. In 1917 the widow conveyed the land to defendants’ ancestor.

At the time of the distribution aforesaid the plaintiffs were infants of the ages of four and three years, respectively. They charge that the probate proceedings were void as to them.

Defendants assert the validity of the proceedings, and plead the 15-year statute of limitations, alleging that their possession has ripened into a title by prescription.

After an examination of the record we have come to the conclusion that the judgment must be affirmed on. the ground that plaintiffs’ action, if any they had, was barred by the statutes, 12 O. S. 1941 § 93, subd. 4, 12 O. S. 1941 § 94, and that the defendants now hold title by prescription which is good against all. 60 O. S. 1941 § 333.

The action was submitted on an agreed statement of facts wherein it is shown that this suit was commenced 21 years after defendants’ ancestor took possession under his deed above mentioned, and some seven or eight years after plaintiffs had reached their majority. It is further shown by the agreed statement that the possession of defendants and their ancestor during all the succeeding years had been sufficient in character and duration to ripen into title by prescription, if, under the law, the statute commenced to run during the minority of the plaintiffs.

The only question for determination is whether the statute commenced to run or was suspended during the minority of the plaintiffs’

Plaintiffs say the statute remained in abeyance during their minority and attached only when they reached majority and thereby freed from legal disability. Thomas v. Morgan, 113 Okla. 212, 240 P. 735, 43 A. L. R. 934; Channell v. Jones, 184 Okla. 644, 89 P. 2d 769.

Defendants take the position that our statutes of limitation make no exception with reference to minors or others under legal disability, except to grant them a two-year period of grace after majority'or removal of disability within which to commence action. Defendants insist that since their adverse possession had been continuous for more than 15 years and had continued for more than two years after plaintiffs reached majority, the action was barred and their title by prescription had attached. Wirick v. Nance, 178 Okla. 180, 62 P. 2d 997; Ammann v. Foster, 179 Okla. 44, 64 P. 2d 653.

12 O. S. 1941 § 93, subd. 4, provides that actions of this character can only be brought within 15 years after the cause shall have accrued, and 12 O. S. 1941 § 94, provides that any person entitled to bring an action for the recovery of real property, who may be under any legal disability when the cause of action accrues, may bring his action within two years after the disability is removed.

By virtue of the provisions of 60 O. S. 1941 § 333, supra, where land is held adversely for the above period without action for its recovery, the title of the occupant becomes superior to the claims of all others. And the . statutes make no other or further exception in favor of those parties under legal disability. Said section 333 reads as follows:

“Occupancy for the period prescribed by Civil Procedure, or any law of this state as sufficient to bar an action for the recovery of the property, confers a title thereto, denominated a title by *427 prescription, which is sufficient against all.”

In Wirick v. Nance, supra, it was held that lands could be held adversely to a minor owner out of possession so that his deed executed after majority would be void under the champerty statute as against one in adverse possession.

We agree with plaintiffs that no claim of title by adverse possession was involved in that case. But we do not agree that the decision is not in point here. It was held there that lands may> be held adversely to the claims of a minor owner. If they may be so held, it follows that the statute of limitations against actions for their recovery will apply as to the minor, and commence to run at the time the cause of action accrues. Our statutes, above, will permit of no other conclusion. In the Wirick case, by way of analogy, the court said:

“The suspension of the statute of limitations as against an infant where recognized seems not to rest upon a doctrine of common law, but upon express statutory provision, and the elements that constitute the acquisition of title by adverse possession against an infant are generally the same as those applicable in other cases. 31 C. J. 1011, § 49; Vance v. Vance, 108 U. S. 514, 2 S. Ct. 854, 27 L. Ed. 809. Our statute (section 11729, O. S. 1931) recognizing titles acquired by adverse possession saves no class of persons from the operation thereof; and our statute of limitations (section 99, O. S. 1931) fails to exclude infants from its operation. The ouster sets the statute of limitations running in favor of the disseizor, but section 100, O. S. 1931, requires that as against a minor the adverse holding must continue for two years after he reaches majority.”

The case is clearly in point on the question whether lands may be held adversely to an ousted infant.

In Thomas v. Morgan, supra, the holding that the statute does not run against a person under legal disability is founded on the theory that title by adverse possession presumes a grant of some kind to the one in possession, and since the one under legal disability cannot make a grant, and is unable under the law to resist the adverse claims, the one in possession cannot hold adversely to him while he is under such disability. The opinion follows the decisions of other courts.

The holding in Channell v. Jones, supra, was to like effect.

Had it not been for our statutes, supra, the above decisions would not now be subject to serious criticism. But the rule there followed is ordinarily applied only in jurisdictions where the statutes barring actions for the recovery of land makes an exception in favor of persons under disability. Thompson, Real Property, p. 489, § 2664. The following statement is from the text:

“Adverse possession presumes a grant and when no power to grant exists it follows that title by adverse possession cannot be acquired against persons under legal disability and unable to resist the alleged adverse claim if it is not well founded. This rule has been applied in the case of infants, insane persons, married women, and reversioners. Thus possession for the statutory period of limitation has been held to yield no title against infants where no one was charged with the duty of bringing action, even though such possession be under color of title.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1943 OK 179, 137 P.2d 545, 192 Okla. 425, 147 A.L.R. 232, 1943 Okla. LEXIS 188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pearson-v-hasty-okla-1943.