Opinion ID: 2608686
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the quantum of interest conveyed to the board by the deeds under construction

Text: There is a statutory presumption that every estate in land granted by a deed shall be deemed an estate in fee simple unless limited by express words. [11] The purpose of construing an instrument is to divine from its text the intent of the parties. Unless there is an ambiguity, that intent must be gathered solely from the four corners of the instrument. [12] Both deeds here under construction, although not identical, contain similar words by which they grant all of the described property. This is followed by a statement of purpose which is said to be an exchange of one right of way for another. [13] Neither instrument contains any express words that limit the statutorily presumed fee conveyance. Although the purpose of the deeds is disclosed, words by which it is declared will not, without more, suffice to limit the estate granted. [14] In the case at bar, nothing more is revealed. On their face and on the face of the record before us, the deeds in dispute clearly convey to the Board a fee estate  not mere easements. We so hold. Claimants contend much of the authority for this conclusion rests on cases involving railroads. They would have us draw a distinction which we cannot do. Although some of the cases involving railroads address issues peculiar to them, [15] the basic rules for construction of deeds announced in those cases are of universal application and cannot be altered here. Claimants next urge that the trial court correctly applied to this case the rule that written portions of an instrument control over conflicting printed portions. [16] This principle is inapplicable here. In the case at bar there is no variance between any written or typed-in portions and those which are printed. The only written portions possibly in conflict with the printed words are in the statements describing the purpose of the deeds. These, however, for the reasons stated earlier, do not serve to diminish the fee estate conveyed.