Swanson v. State

358 P.2d 387, 83 Idaho 126
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 23, 1960
Docket8865
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 358 P.2d 387 (Swanson v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Swanson v. State, 358 P.2d 387, 83 Idaho 126 (Idaho 1960).

Opinions

[130]*130KNUDSON, Justice.

Appellants (plaintiffs) seek to quiet title to a strip of land 16 ft. wide and 400 feet long at what is known as Michaud Siding in Power Company described as:

“Beginning at a point south 53 degrees 10 minutes East, 890 feet from the % corner between Sections 15 and 16, Township 6 South, Range 33 East of Boise Meridian, thence North 72 degrees 20 Minutes East 400 feet; thence South 17 degrees 40 minutes East to a point on the Northwesterly right of way line of the Oregon Short Line Railroad Company to the true point of beginning; thence South 72 degrees 20 minutes West along the Northwesterly right of way line of the Oregon Short Line Railroad Company a distance of 400 feet; thence North 17 degrees 40 minutes West 16 feet; thence North 72 degrees 20 minutes East a distance of 400 feet; thence South 17 degrees 40 minutes East 16 feet to the true point of beginning, same being a rectangular tract 16 feet wide and 400 feet long in Section 15, Township 6 South, Range 33 East of the Boise Meridian in Power County, Idaho. ”

The property in controversy borders the northwesterly right of way line of the Oregon Short Line Railroad Company.

In 1926 a warehouse 42 ft. by 280 ft. was moved to Michaud Siding by four persons as joint adventurers. The northerly 16 ft. of the warehouse stands upon a part of the land in controversy and the southerly 26 ft. on land leased from said railroad company. The warehouse was operated under the joint adventurer arrangement until 1927 when it was incorporated as the Michaud Warehouse & Grain Company. On April 6, 1948, W. J. Hubbard and wife purchased all the stock of the corporation and took possession of the warehouse at that time. W. J. Hubbard died April 25, 1956, and appellant Bessie Hubbard succeeded to all property and rights of her deceased husband.

Appellants R. V. Swanson and wife allege that Bessie Hubbard is the owner in fee of the area involved subject to an agreement to purchase (Ex. A.) executed by appellants bearing date of September 1, 1951, which agreement does not describe the property here involved. Under date of March 24, 1959, (being the date of commencement of trial of this action) appellant R. V. Swanson and the said Bessie Hubbard entered into a supplemental agreement (Ex. B.) wherein it is stated- that the [131]*131property in controversy was inadvertently omitted from said purchase agreement and that the terms and conditions of said purchase agreement shall be applicable to and include the property here involved.

In support of appellants’ claim of ownership they allege that they are now in possession of said property by virtue of said purchase agreement; that the vendors under said purchase agreement and their predecessors in interest have been in long continued possession of said property since 1926, coupled with complete dominion over same and open and visible acts of ownership, in that there is, and since 1926 has been located thereon, the northwesterly 16 ft. of a warehouse; that their predecessors in interest were during said period since 1926, in open, notorious and adverse possession of said property and during said period paid all taxes and assessments which were levied against said property.

During thé trial appellants sought to introduce the testimony of two witnesses tending to prove an oral agreement on the part of L. L. Evans (now deceased) a former owner of the land in controversy to the effect that if the warehouse company would build the warehouse in the place where it is located such former owner would give them whatever land was needed for the warehouse site. Appellants’ attempt to prove such oral agreement was by appellant Mrs. .Hubbard who testified:

“I understood at the time that the warehouse was erected on that certain spot because L. L. Evans had told the warehouse company that if they did build it there he would deed them the warehouse site. ”

The witness (Mrs. Hubbard) did not testify that she heard L. L. Evans make any such statement nor did any other witness testify or offer to testify that such a statement was made in his presence.

The other witness (F. M. Bistline) testified:

“A. This was a meeting held approximately in 1934. As I recall it, L. L. Evans, the father of Paul Evans, died, I believe, in April of 1934, and this was a meeting of the board of directors at some time probably later in that year, or early in 1935, and at that time Mr. Davis brought up the matter about the fact that no deed had been executed, and said to Mr. Evans that L. L. Evans, his father, had promised, or had stated that if they put a warehouse up there he would see that they had all the necessary land they needed for it.”

The rulings of the trial court in striking the testimony of Mrs. Hubbard and sustaining objections to the testimony of Mr. Bistline relative to statements of L. L. [132]*132Evans (deceased) are assigned as error. Such assignments are without merit.

In an attempt to establish an oral agreement on the part of J. Paul Evans and the Evans Investment Company (successors in interest to L. L. Evans) said witness F. M. Bistline continued his testimony as follows:

“A. Well, pursuant to the conversation, nevertheless, the deed was made, and, as I recall it, Paul Evans said he would see that a deed was made at that time. It was called to his attention and the deed was asked for, and he said he would see that the deed was made to the warehouse company, and he was asked for a deed for what they needed, and later on, — it wasn’t very long after that that a deed was made. As to what the deed contained, I never did know that until the date in 1953 when Mr. Swanson and I came down to American Falls and talked to Mr. Evans, as I say after Mr. Swanson had received the letter from the State, and at that time we checked it with the belief that this piece of property was included in it, but we found that it was not included in it.”

J. Paul Evans (in referring to the sam' meeting of the board of directors as the witness Bistline referred to in the foregoing excerpt) testified as follows:

“Q. And do you recall what was said in that meeting with regard to that, whether certain property would be deeded over to the warehouse company? A. There was some property on the north side of the highway they wanted a deed to, so I gave them a deed to it. ”

The evidence offered in support of appellants’ said contention is wholly insufficient. The burden is upon appellants to prove by clear, satisfactory, convincing and certain evidence that an oral agreement to convey the real property involved was made and entered into. Johnson v. Albert, 67 Idaho 44, 170 P.2d 403; Prairie Development Co., Ltd. v. Leiberg, 15 Idaho 379, 98 P. 616; Wormward v. Taylor, 70 Idaho 450, 221 P. 2d 686.

Appellants assign as error the action of the trial court in setting aside the default judgment entered on February 13, 1956. The affidavit filed in support of respondent’s motion to set aside said default judgment discloses that the original appearance on behalf of respondent was made by attorneys who were employed by an interested title insurance company.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

In Re Universe Life Ins. Co.
171 P.3d 242 (Idaho Supreme Court, 2007)
Liberty Mutual Insurance v. Land
892 A.2d 1240 (Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2006)
Lindgren v. Martin
949 P.2d 1061 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1997)
Kolouch v. Kramer
813 P.2d 876 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1991)
Gerner v. Sullivan
768 P.2d 701 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1989)
Agrodyne, Inc. v. Beard
757 P.2d 205 (Idaho Court of Appeals, 1988)
French v. Sorensen
751 P.2d 98 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1988)
Shelton v. Boydstun Beach Ass'n
641 P.2d 1005 (Idaho Court of Appeals, 1982)
Kirkham v. 4.60 Acres of Land in Vicinity of Inkom
605 P.2d 959 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1980)
Nesbitt v. Wolfkiel
598 P.2d 1046 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1979)
Marco Distributing, Inc. v. Biehl
555 P.2d 393 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1976)
Flynn v. Allison
549 P.2d 1065 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1976)
Loomis v. Union Pacific Railroad Company
544 P.2d 299 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1975)
Fisher v. Bunker Hill Company
528 P.2d 903 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1974)
Tew v. Manwaring
480 P.2d 896 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1971)
Heckman v. Boise Valley Livestock Commission Co.
452 P.2d 359 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1969)
White v. Boydstun
428 P.2d 747 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1967)
Raverty v. Goetz
143 N.W.2d 859 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1966)
Dalton Highway Dist. of Kootenai County v. Sowder
401 P.2d 813 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1965)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
358 P.2d 387, 83 Idaho 126, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/swanson-v-state-idaho-1960.