Case Title: Hingle v. Gann

Citation: 368 So. 2d 22

Docket Number: 

State: alabama

Court: Alabama Supreme Court

Date: 1979-03-02T00:00:00Z

Document:
368 So. 2d 22 (1979)
Dovie B. HINGLE
v.
Robert L. GANN and Margaret Gann.
78-16.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
March 2, 1979.
*23 Carolyn D. Gaines of Chestnut, Sanders & Sanders, Selma, for appellant.
Charles E. Robinson of Church, Trussell & Robinson, Pell City, for appellees.
MADDOX, Justice.
This is a boundary line dispute. The appellant frames the issue here as follows:
The court decreed:
The "encroachment fence" referred to in the order is obviously not on the government survey line; therefore, it is quite apparent that the court determined that the "encroachment fence" had been established as the boundary by adverse possession.
When plaintiffs rested, the following colloquy occurred:
There was no specific objection made during plaintiffs' presentation of evidence that there was a variance between the allegations and the proof.
Obviously, this case is an example where a pre-trial conference, with attendant pre-trial order, could have settled the exact issue for trial. We are convinced, however, that the question of plaintiffs' ownership to the "encroachment fence" was presented as an issue, if not by the complaint, then by the parties, at trial.
This method of framing issues is not commended, even with "notice pleading," but we do not reverse. After reviewing the entire record, we think that any error which occurred was harmless. Rule 45, ARAP. We reach this result, in part, because of the rule announced by this Court in Simon v. Snyder, 279 Ala. 70, 181 So. 2d 885 (1966):
We note also that both the plaintiffs and the defendant, in their complaint and counterclaim respectively, asked for damages for "trespass." The final decree of the trial court makes no mention of these claims. Since we accept the decree entered as final, and since there was no Rule 54(b) certification entered, we determine that each claim for money damages has been denied.
AFFIRMED.
TORBERT, C. J., and JONES, SHORES and BEATTY, JJ., concur.