IDA CRAWFORD, A WIDOW, PLAINTIFF IN ERROR,
v.
P. L. HINSON, DEFENDANT IN ERROR
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In this ejectment action, the Florida Supreme Court reversed a jury verdict for the defendant and ordered a new trial, finding that the evidence preponderantly supported the plaintiff's superior legal title to the property. The plaintiff, as owner of the property through a chain of warranty deeds, demonstrated both legal title and right of entry superior to the defendant's claim as a former tenant.
The court held that the plaintiff established superior legal title and right of entry as against the defendant. Since legal title and right of entry were shown to co-exist in the plaintiff, she was entitled to recover. The probative force and weight of evidence preponderantly favored the plaintiff, and the trial court erred in denying her motion for a new trial.
“It is apparent from the record in this cause that the plaintiff showed a superior legal title from the common source, E. B. Davis, and the defendant, by his own testimony, showed that he was a tenant of Mr. Davis and that he did not claim the land as his tintil he secured his deed, and it is thereby apparent that the plaintiff also showed a right of entry, and when the legal title and right of entry co-exist plaintiff should recover.”
Establishes the core holding that superior legal title combined with right of entry entitles the plaintiff to prevail in ejectment.
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceE. B. Davis conveyed the property to Anthony J. Steiner by warranty deed dated April 8, 1925. Steiner then conveyed to plaintiff Ida Crawford by warra…
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This is an action in ejectment. The declaration is in the statutory form. The plea is not guilty. Upon a trial of the case the jury returned a verdict for the defendant and plaintiff brings error.
The principal 'question is the sufficiency of the evidence to support the finding of the jury.
It is conceded that E. B. Davis is the common source of title.
To prove her ownership and right of possession plaintiff introduced in evidence, without objection, a warranty deed, dated April 8, 1925, from E. B. Davis and wife to Anthony *631J. Steiner. Also warranty deed, dated January 28, 1927, from Anthony J. Steiner and wife to Ida Crawford. Plaintiff also introduced in evidence Entry No. 21 of an abstract, same being partial release of mortgage from E. B. Davis and wife to Anthony J. Steiner, releasing the property involved in this suit. Anthony J. Steiner testified in behalf of plaintiff that P. L. Hinson was in possession of the property as a tenant of E. B. Davis at the time he purchased from Davis and had remained thereon as tenant of the plaintiff, Ida Crawford.
The defendant, in support of his title, introduced in evidence a final judgment, dated January 14, 1928, obtained in a suit by E. B. Davis versus Anthony J. Steiner, and a portion of the record in said cause; also a deed from Paul C. Bryan, Sheriff of Broward County, dated May 7, 1927, to E. B. Davis; also deed from E. B. Davis to Mattie Mae Davis, his wife, dated May 7, 1928; also deed from Mattie Mae Davis, joined by her husband, E. B. Davis, dated May ............1928, to P. L. Hinson, defendant.
The property involved in this suit is described in the several deeds introduced by plaintiff and defendant.
The defendant, P. L. Hinson, testified in part: “I rented the land from Mr. Davis originally * * * Yes, sir, I went to farming the land under Mr. Davis. When I secured the deed I farmed it as mine.”
As stated in the brief of counsel on behalf of defendant in error, the deed from Anthony J. Steiner and wife to Ida Crawford, plaintiff, was attacked as void for three reasons, viz.:
(a) The said deed was without consideration.
(b) That said deed was in fraud of creditors.
(c) That said deed was delivered when another was in adverse possession of the land.
*632We have carefully considered all the evidence bearing upon these three propositions and find it wholly insufficient to support any or either one of them and feel that a dis'cussion in detail of such evidence as was offered would serve no.useful purpose.
We do not now decide whether under the general issue, without special plea, defendant may show that a deed in plaintiff’s chain of title was without consideration, and in fraud of creditors. :
It is apparent from the record in this cause that the plaintiff showed a superior legal title from the common source, E. B. Davis, and the defendant, by his own testimony, showed that he was a tenant of Mr. Davis and that he did not claim the land as his tintil he secured his deed, and it is thereby apparent that the plaintiff also showed a right of entry, and when the legal title and right of entry co-exist plaintiff should recover.
Burch v. High Springs Bank, 81 Fla. 450, 89 So. 121.
The record discloses that the probative force and weight of the evidence preponderated in favor of the plaintiff, and therefore the motion of the plaintiff to set aside the verdict and grant a new trial should have been granted.
Powell v. English, 97 Fla. 861, 122 So. 217.
Atlantic Coast Line Railway Co. v. Alverson, 95 Fla. 73, 116 So. 30.
B. L. E. Realty Co. v. Parker, 135 So. 8, 20 R. C. L. 273.
The trial court erred in denying the motion for a new trial. It therefore follows that the case should be reversed and a new trial awarded.
Reversed.
Davis, C. J., and Whitfield, Terrell, Brown and Buford, J. J., concur.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
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Cloud v. Fallis, 110 So. 2d 669 (Fla. 1959)…ing a motion for new trial, citing Martin v. Stone, supra, and another, that when the verdict is contrary to the “manifest weight and probative force of the evidence and justice of the cause” a new trial should be granted, citing Crawford v. Hinson, 108 Fla. 630, 146 So. 829, and other cases. The court concluded that the case then under review should be governed by the “rule last cited.” The similarity of the language quoted to that appearing in cases to which we will presently refer is significant. The tas…
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Labruzzo et ux. v. Atl. Dredging & Constr. Co., 73 So. 2d 228 (Fla. 1954)…51 So. 2d 33, it has also been stated many times by this court that where the verdict is contrary to the manifest weight and probative force of the evidence and the. justice of the cause, the trial court should grant a new trial. Crawford v. Hinson, 108 Fla. 630, 146 So. 829, and cases therein cited; W. B. Harbeson Lumber Co. v. Anderson, 102 Fla. 731, 136 So. 557, and cases cited; White v. Hughes, 139 Fla. 54, 190 So. 446. We think that the instant case is governed by the rule last cited. Accordingly, the…
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Gulf Power Co. v. Rigby, 113 Fla. 739 (Fla. 1934)…ative force and [*741] weight of the evidence a new trial should be granted. Powell v. English, 97 Fla. 861, 122 Sou. 217; B. L. E. Realty Corp. v. Parker, 102 Fla. 298, 135 Sou. 811; Crawford v. Hinson, opinion filed March 10, 1933, and reported in 146 Sou. 829. But, where a verdict has been rendered and motion for new trial is made upon the ground that the verdict is contrary to the probative force and weight of the evidence and 'such motion is denied by the trial court, it will he presumed without an af…
Authorities Cited
- Bunch v. High Springs Bank, 81 Fla. 450 (Fla. 1921)
- Atl. Coast Line R.R. Co. v. Lollie V. Alverson, 95 Fla. 73 (Fla. 1928)
- Powell v. English, 97 Fla. 861 (Fla. 1929)