Seddon v. Edmondson

411 So. 2d 995, 1982 Fla. App. LEXIS 19689
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMarch 31, 1982
DocketNo. 78-1874/T2-3
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 411 So. 2d 995 (Seddon v. Edmondson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Seddon v. Edmondson, 411 So. 2d 995, 1982 Fla. App. LEXIS 19689 (Fla. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

COBB, Judge.

The dispute eventuating in the present appeal originated in an ejectment action filed by Fred and Doris Harpster against the appellant, Sarah Jane Seddon, their neighbor to the east, and a consequent cross-claim filed by the latter against Glenn and Helene Edmondson, the neighbors to the east of her property.

The Harpsters claimed that, according to their survey, Seddon was encroaching upon the eastern portion of their property, rural land situate in the northwest quarter of Section 19, Township 17 South, Range 27 East, in Lake County, Florida. The basis of the Harpster argument was that the boundaries of Section 19 were east of the location previously understood by the various landowners in the area. The Harpsters owned only in the northwest quarter section of Section 19 (insofar as the dispute with the parties to this appeal is concerned). Seddon held record title to the west one-half of the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 19, while the Edmondsons held record title to the east half of the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 19. Thus, according to their respective legal descriptions, the north-south midsection line of Section 19 was the common boundary between the Harpster and Seddon properties.

The Harpsters, Edmondsons, and Seddon stipulated that trial of the Seddon cross-claim against the Edmondsons would be deferred until completion of the original ejectment action by the Harpsters against Seddon. Presumably, conclusion of that action in favor of Seddon — i.e., a judicial determination that Section 19 was in fact located as previously assumed — would have rendered moot the cross-claim against the Edmondsons. But that was not the outcome. The trial court held that Seddon was wrongfully occupying land belonging to the plaintiff Harpster, thereby placing the midsection line of Section 19 some 400 feet east of the line Seddon contended was her western boundary. That judgment was affirmed by the Second District Court of Appeal. Seddon v. Harpster, 369 So.2d 662 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979). On certification, the opinion of the district court was approved by the Florida Supreme Court. Seddon v. Harpster, 403 So.2d 409 (Fla. 1981).

Accordingly, the cross-claim by Seddon against the Edmondsons 1 was then tried, and decided by the trial judge adversely to Seddon on defenses raised by the cross-defendants: “Estoppel, acquiescence and boundary by agreement.” The trial court recited in its final judgment that it was relying upon the principles enunciated in King v. Carden, 237 So.2d 26 (Fla. 1st DCA 1970), and Williams v. Johntry, 214 So.2d 62 (Fla. 1st DCA 1968). This appeal by Sarah Jane Seddon ensued.

At trial, the Edmondsons attempted to establish their defenses of boundary by agreement and boundary by acquiescence, each of which requires the existence of a boundary dispute between adjoining owners as a predicate, by the introduction of an exchange of letters between themselves and the cross-claimant’s father, William T. Sed-don, who had originally been the title holder to the Seddon property but was deceased at time of trial. It also should be noted that this trial occurred on September 13, 1978, prior to the effective date of the Florida Evidence Code. In re Florida Evidence Code, 376 So.2d 1161 (Fla.1979). The “dead man’s statute” then in effect, and applicable to these trial proceedings, was section 90.05, Florida Statutes (1977).2

[997]*997The disputed admission of Seddon’s letter is illustrated by the following portion of the trial transcript during the direct examination of Mrs. Edmondson:

Q. At the time the Seddons bought a portion of the property adjacent to your property, did you have occasion to have any correspondence with reference (sic) the boundary line?
A. Yes, sir. We received notification from the Court Clerk that the Seddons had purchased the adjacent property. One of the neighbors told us, in erecting his fence, Mr. Seddon may have gone over our boundary. We wanted to verify who owned the property and whether the boundary was as described.
* * * ^ * *
Q. And you had some doubt as to whether the fence was located on the property line?
A. Right. One of the neighbors told us someone had bought that property and had fenced it in our absence.
Q. Did you have any correspondence with the Seddons?
A. Yes.
Q. I hand you a copy of this letter, which purports to be under your husband’s signature' — can you identify that?
A. I typed it for his signature.
Q. Do you know as a matter of fact that he signed it?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do you know as a matter of fact that it was mailed?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And that’s addressed to Mr. W. T. Seddon?
A. Right.
4c * Ht * * *
(EDMONDSON’S COUNSEL): Would like to offer this as cross defendant’s 3.
(SEDDON’S ATTORNEY): Object to this letter. It doesn’t appear to be an original, which would be the best evidence, and I have another copy of this letter that doesn’t appear to be the same as the letter being introduced. There is a signature on this letter that does not appear on my photocopy of the same letter provided me by [Edmondson’s counsel],
(EDMONDSON’S COUNSEL): Quite obviously we wouldn’t have the original, it was sent to Mr. W. T. Seddon. We allege certain affirmative -defenses, one of which necessitates the demonstration to this court that there was a question of where the property land was when they had communication relating to it, and that’s what this document is for.
THE COURT: Have you questioned your witness as to where the original is?
(EDMONDSON’S COUNSEL), continuing:
Q. Do you know where the original of the letter that I just showed you is?
A. No, I don’t but I got a reply to it.
Q. You know as a matter of fact it was mailed to Mr. W. T. Seddon?
A. Yes, and I did get a reply from him, responding to this letter.
Q. You don’t have the original in your possession?
[998]*998A. It should be in their file.
THE COURT: Objection overruled.
(EDMONDSON’S COUNSEL), continuing:
Q. I hand you a second letter addressed to M/Sgt. Glenn L. Edmondson, can you identify that letter?
A. Yes I can.
Q. You know for a fact it was received? A. Yes, it has been in our file.
Q. You received it, you identified it, you read it?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. This is from William T. Seddon?
A. It is signed by him.

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455 So. 2d 596 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1984)
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438 So. 2d 165 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1983)
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428 So. 2d 388 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1983)

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Bluebook (online)
411 So. 2d 995, 1982 Fla. App. LEXIS 19689, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/seddon-v-edmondson-fladistctapp-1982.