Russell v. Pagan

267 S.W. 573, 167 Ark. 143, 1925 Ark. LEXIS 8
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJanuary 12, 1925
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 267 S.W. 573 (Russell v. Pagan) 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
Russell v. Pagan, 267 S.W. 573, 167 Ark. 143, 1925 Ark. LEXIS 8 (Ark. 1925).

Opinion

McCulloch, C. J.

Appellant instituted this action in the chancery court of Union County to quiet title to a tract of land containing ninety-seven acres, which she acquired by inheritance or gift from her father, L. C. Burgess. 'She also claimed title by adverse possession for the statutory period of limitations. The action was instituted against the other heirs of L. C. Burgess, who are the children of appellant’s deceased sister, Eula Walton, née Burgess, and against the Union Sawmill Company, a corporation which claims to hold a conveyance of the pine timber on a portion of the lands.

It appears from the pleadings and undisputed proof in the case that the land in controversy was originally owned by L. C. Burgess, who was also the owner of other lands in the same immediate locality. L. C. Burgess had three children — appellant, a daughter, and Eula Walton, another daughter, and E. D. Burgess, a son; he also had a brother named B. M. Burgess. L. C. Burgess executed a timber deed to one Starrett, conveying the pine timber on eighty acres of the land in controversy. Starrett subsequently assigned the deed to appellee, Union Sawmill Company. L. C. Burgess conveyed a tract of his land, containing 120 acres, to his daughter, Eula Walton. It appears also from the evidence that he prepared and1 executed a deed for another tract of 120 acres to appellant, his daughter, but there is some conflict in the testimony as to what disposition was made of the deed — whether or not it was delivered. It is undisputed, however, that the deed was either undelivered or was returned to L. C. Burgess, and that he conveyed the land to his brother, D. M. Burgess. Appellant contends that her father agreed to either give her the proceeds of the sale of the land to D. M. Burgess or to convey to her other land. This was not done, however, and there is testimony to the effect that there was an estrangement between appellant and her father.

On June 21, 1913, L. C. Burgess executed to his son, E. D. Burgess, a deed conveying the land in controversy, which said deed reads as follows:

“Know all men by these presents: That I, L. C. Burgess, of New London, Union County, Arkansas, for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar, to me in hand paid by E. D. Burgess, the receipt of which I do hereby acknowledge, and with the further consideration of the care and love I have for the said E. D. Burgess, who is my only son, do hereby grant, bargain, sell and convey unto the said E. D. Burgess, and unto his heirs and assigns forever, the following- lands lying in the county of Union and State of Arkansas, to-wit: (Here follows a description of the land in controversy). Conditioned, that if the said E. D. Burgess remains single and unmarried he shall have the rights, rents and' profits of the said land when single and unmarried; if single and unmarried at death, then the said lands shall revert to the estate of L. C. Burgess. If the said E. D. Burgess marries and has a family, in addition to the rights, rents and profits of the said lands he shall — the further right to sell and convey or dispose of the said lands as he may consider proper and right. On this condition to have and to hold the same unto the said E. D. Burgess and unto his heirs and assigns forever, with all appurtenances thereunto belonging.”

It appears that these several conveyances herein-before mentioned covered all of the lands mentioned by L. C. Burgess. There is no proof in the case that he left any other estate at the time of his death, which occurred on September 23, 1913.

E. D. Burgess took possession of the land in controversy under the deed from his father, and occupied the same until his death, which occurred on November 5, 1920. After his death, appellant took possession of the land, and has occupied the same up to the present time.

Eula Walton died September 5, 1900, leaving appellees, Clyde Pagan, Zella McClendon, Euretta Walton and C. F. Walton as her children and only heirs at law.

The timber deed executed by L. C. Burgess to Starrett was dated February 28, 1903, and it conveyed the pine timber on eighty acres of the land, and specified eleven years from the date of the deed as the period within which the timber should be removed, and provided that the time might be further extended by payment of an annual rental of twenty dollars. E. D. Burgess entered into a contract with the Union Sawmill Company on February 28, 1915, for an extension of the period for removal of the timber during a period of twenty years from the date of the instrument, and there was paid to him by the Union Sawmill Company a consideration of $400. The Union Sawmill Company was joined as defendant in the suit in a prayer that the timber deed be canceled, and the company answered setting up the original deed from L. C. Burgess and the extension deed from E. D. Burgess, claiming title to the timber and the right to remove the same within the period specified in the contract with E. D. Burgess.

The case was submitted to the chancery court on oral testimony as well as the several documents hereinbefore referred to, and the court rendered a final decree, finding that appellant is the owner of an undivided one-half interest in the lands in controversy, and that appellees, children of Eula Walton, are the owners of the other undivided one-half, all subject to the timber rights of the Union 'Sawmill Company, and that the latter is the owner of the pine timber on an undivided one-third of the eighty acres of' land constituting part of the lands in controversy.

Appellant has prosecuted an appeal, and contends that she is entitled to the whole of the tract of land in controversy, free of any claim of the Union Sawmill Company to timber rights, and the Union Sawmill Company has also cross-appealed, claiming that it is entitled to all of the pine timber on the land under the renewal deed from E. D. Burgess.

The first question for determination relates to the ownership of the land. All of the appellees have joined in the brief, and contend that the deed of L. C. Burgess to E. J). Burgess conveyed the title in fee, and that the renewal timber contract executed by E. D. Burgess to the Union Sawmill 'Company was binding on all the parties to this action who inherited the land from him. On the other hand, it is contended on the part of appellant that the deed to E. D. Burgess did not convey the title in fee, but either conveyed a life estate or a conditional fee, which reverted to the heirs of the grantor on failure of the condition. The contention of counsel for appellees that the deed conveyed the absolute fee to E. I). Burgess is that the condition expressed in the deed is in conflict with the granting clause, and is void. They rely upon the decision of this court in the case of Carl Lee v. Ellsberry, 82 Ark. 209, and they cite that case as controlling the present one. We do not agree, however, with counsel that the case referred to is controlling, for the framework and language of the deed are entirely different. In the present case the condition is expressed in the granting clause itself, and not merely in the habendum, and it is also included in the habendum clause. In this respect.the facts of the present case fall squarely-within the rule announced by this court in McDill v. Myer, 94 Ark. 615, where it was held that a condition expressed in a deed was not void unless found to be in conflict with the granting clause.

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Related

Milum v. Milum
385 S.W.2d 658 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1965)
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270 S.W. 88 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1925)

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Bluebook (online)
267 S.W. 573, 167 Ark. 143, 1925 Ark. LEXIS 8, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/russell-v-pagan-ark-1925.