Wilson v. Parkinson

247 S.W. 774, 157 Ark. 69, 1923 Ark. LEXIS 121
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedFebruary 5, 1923
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 247 S.W. 774 (Wilson v. Parkinson) 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
Wilson v. Parkinson, 247 S.W. 774, 157 Ark. 69, 1923 Ark. LEXIS 121 (Ark. 1923).

Opinion

Wood, J.

In 1917 a suit was instituted by the State of Arkansas in the Drew Chancery Court against Mrs. Kate C. Parkinson. The object of the suit was to cancel the alleged title of Mrs. Parkinson to numerous tracts of land which she acquired from the State through mesne conveyances. The lands were situated in Drew, Ashley and Union counties. The chancery court entered a decree dismissing the complaint of the State for want of equity, and quieting the title to the lands in Mrs. Parkinson. No appeal was prosecuted from that decree. Some of the lands embraced in the decree Mrs. Parkinson still owns. Some she has sold, executing warranty deeds therefor. The records of the Commissioner of State Lands, Highways and Improvements do not in any manner refer to the decree of the Drew Chancery Court above mentioned. This action was instituted by Mrs. Parkinson in the Drew Chancery Court in November, 1922, against the Commissioner of State Lands, Highways and Improvements. She attached as an exhibit to, and made a part of, her complaint, the decree of the Drew Chancery Court; also certificates of the records of Drew, Ashley and Union counties, respectively, showing that the decree had been recorded in those counties, and also the order of the Drew Chancery Court showing that the appeal prayed therefrom had been dismissed. Mrs Parkinson alleged, among other things, that in spite of the decree and the proceedings had thereunder, as shown by the exhibit attached to the complaint, the Commissioner of State Lands, Highways and Improvements threatened to issue deeds to lands embraced in the decree mentioned, to those who might apply to him for the purchase of the same from, the State. Mrs. Parkinson alleged that the Commissioner was in receipt of applications, accompanied by the purchase price, from persons who,do not claim by, through, or under her, for the purchase of various parcels of land from the State as swamp lands. She alleged that any deeds which he might issue would cloud her title and the title of those to whom she might convey. She prayed that the Commissioner be required to show the decree of the Drew Chancery Court above referred to on the records of his office, and that he be enjoined from issuing deeds to any of the lands embraced in that-decree.

Herbert R. Wilson, Commissioner of State Lands, Highways and Improvements, was made defendant in the action. He, through the Attorney General, entered his appearance and demurred to the complaint, setting up, among other things, that the complaint failed to state a cause of action; that the court was without jurisdiction of the subject-matter. The cause was heard unon the demurrer, and, the defendant refusing to plead further, the court entered a decree perpetually enjoining the defendant from issuing deeds or other instruments of conveyance affecting the lands embraced in the decree' of the Drew Chancery Court entered January 4, 1917, and directing the Commissioner to execute to the plaintiff, Mrs. Parkinson, a deed or other instrument of conveyance in the name of the State of Arkansas, to each and all the tracts and parcels of land to which her title was quieted by the decree of January 4, 1917, and to enter upon the records of his -office a memorandum of the disposition made of such lands by the decree of the Drew Chancery Court of January 4, 1917, to the end that the records of his office might show that the State of Arkansas does not have or claim any right, title or interest in and to any of said tracts of land embraced in that decree. From the decree is this appeal.

This appeal is from the decree of the Drew Chancery Court between the same parties in interest and pertaining to the same subject-matter that was embraced in the original decree of the Drew Chancery Court of January 4, 1917. By this action the appellee seeks to enforce that decree, by enjoining the appellant from selling any of the lands involved in that decree, and by entering upon the records in his office a memorandum or notation showing the effect of the decree of the Drew Chancery Court as to the lands that were the subject-matter of that decree. The allegations of the complaint bring it well within the original and undoubted powers of a- court of chancery to entertain an action ancillary to the original proceeding in the same, or a different, court, and dependent upon such proceeding, and which has for its purpose the enforcement of a judgment or -decree previously rendered, in order that complete justice may be done to the parties in interest, as the exigencies of the case may require. 10 R. C. L. p. 357, § 10»; Coltrane v. Templeton, 106 Fed. 370-74, and cases there cited. 21 C. J., § 867.

“Where a decree is incomplete and ineffective for want of provision of any means for its execution, a bill in equity will lie to supply the imperfection so as to render the decree effective.- For the purpose of determining whether there is ground for equitable interposition, the court may look to the real nature and character of the decree as it may appear in the light of surrounding circumstances.” Gay v. Parpart, 106 U. S. 679-699. The chancery court unquestionably had jurisdiction of the subject-matter - of this action, and it had jurisdiction of the appellant, who was the Commissioner of State Lands, Highways and Improvements. The original action in which the decree of the Drew Chancery Court of January 4, 1917, was rendered, quieting title to the lands embraced and described therein in the appellee, was brought by the State, through her Attorney General and her special counsel, for that purpose. In 15 R. C. L., § 504, p. 1029, it is said: “Although neither the United States nor a State can be sued without its consent, yet if an action is instituted by the State or the United States, or against either, in a case where the law permits it to be sued, the judgment therein rendered will have the same effect as res judicata against it and all its-officers and agencies as would a judgment in an action against a private person in an action brought by or against him.”

The present ancillary action cannot be classed as a suit against the State. The rights of the State were adjudicated in the original chancery action. The decree in that action is now sought to be rendered effective by the present action because of the failure of one of the officers of the State to do certain things in order that the 'beneficiary of the decree in the original action may have that decree completely enforced so as to give her the relief to which she is entitled under it. Should the Commissioner of State Lands execute deeds to lands owned 'by the appellee, and whose title to which was quieted by the original decree, he would be performing an unauthorized and illegal act. The complaint alleges that he threatens, and will do so, because the effect of the original decree is not reflected by the records of his office; that, so far as the records of his office are concerned, title to the lands appears yet to be in the State, notwithstanding the decree; that, should he execute deeds to these lands, it would $:oud title of the appellee. The alleged threatened acts of the Commissioner of State Lands, if done by him, would be in contravention of any authority lodged in him by virtue of his office, and the present action is therefore one against him to prevent him from doing an illegal or unauthorized act, and to require him to make the necessary memorandum or notations of record to preserve the rights of the appellee secured to her by the original decree, and to make those rights effective.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
247 S.W. 774, 157 Ark. 69, 1923 Ark. LEXIS 121, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-parkinson-ark-1923.