The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-01
SQUATTER'S RIGHTS NO GO.
STARR DOESN'T OWN TWO BLOCKS
ON RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
He'd Been There So Long, Beginning
When II Was a world OF Goats, That
he Thought 4 Few Million Dollars
Worth OF Goat Pasture His for Keeps.


Forty years ago Michael Starr and his
wife, Ann, took possession, as squatters
of small piece of land facing on what Is
now Riverside Drive, between 10th and llSth
streets. Later they laid claim by Squat
ters right" to the entire tract bounded
by the Drive, Claremont avenue and the
two streets. Yesterday Supreme Court
Justice Davis decided after careful
review of all the facts on which the Stairs
based their title, that they have no rights
in the property and that other persons
are the legal owners.
The entire tract claimed by the STAIRS
ia an extensive one, but the actual piece Of
property involved in the action decided
by Justice Davis is legally described as
follows:
beginning at point distant l07 feet
northerlv from the nortreasterly corner
of Riverside Drive and ll9th street thence
northerly along the eastery side Of River
side Drive, 81 feet inches; thence easterly.
narallel with 10th street, l24 feet thence
southery parallel with Riverside Drive,
81 feet 8 inches; thence westerly, parallel
with llBth street, l24 feet TO the beginning.
These premises are merely portion OF
all that the STAIRS laid claim to as squatteTs,
the whole tract DtlnH est ildNFi " 10 w VI
several million dollars. taccording to the
present valuation of Riverside property.
When the couple who are now aged,
settled there and built a hut overlooking
the Hudson furnishing it with few meagre
household utensils, the surrounding Iahd
was a barren waste of rocky ground They
raiaed goats and chickens, and aftdgward
moved into an abandoned tavern hoDre.
There they brought up a family and sup
ported themselves IN more or less mana
to mouth existence
Year by year different persons and cor
porationi appeared, laying claims TO the
land. and gradually the Starr farm was
encroached upon, Notwithstanding the old
farmers bitter protests and 0ctiVe resist
ance. Among the claimants Were the
New York Hospital, Joseph, LARGO que
Inlcius II. Beere and Samuel H. Spingarn.
The last is the defendant in the suit de-
cided by Justice DAVIS.
About a year ago, Starr with his family
was driven away from the farm altogether,
and settled five blocks up, at l2lst street.
The hut which had been his home was
demolished, but he still laid claim TO
the property and constantly guarded II.
Finally he brought an action TO have II
determined that he was the nghtful owner
by what is known in law as adverse pos
session $50
Starr attempted TO prove that he held the
land under deed from one Edward Delany,
but Justice Davis says that he is not salts
fed that any such deed ever existed, II not
being produced at the trial. Furthermore,
Delany was but rent collecting agent for
Powers and White. the former owners
It was admitted that on the occasions OF
the Grant and Dewey parades viewing
stands we're erected on the property without
opposition from Starr, by persona who SAID
they owned the land and signs advertising
the land for sale on behalf Of these persons
were permitted 10 stand on the land Starr,
says Justice Davis, never paid any taxes or
assessments, but he did pay nominal rent
So month, at one time TO Deere. Reasoning
from all the facts, Justice Davis says IL IS
clear that Starr by his own conduct indicated
that he considered himself simply a squatter
OF a temporary tenant as his circumstances
demanded. His complaint Ia therefore dis
missed, and jud gnent directed for Spingarp.