Opinion ID: 1753810
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: 1/2 of SW 1/4 of Section 21

Text: This parcel was included in the 1878 tax sale and was leased to Ussery by the county in 1883. As with the Rees lease, the Ussery lease was of no effect since the county had no interest to convey, there having been a presumed grant from the State to a private individual prior to the 1878 tax sale. Jones, supra . In fact, Ussery, the purchaser at the 1878 tax sale, was himself record owner of Parcel B in 1883. Why he would buy a lease to land he already owned in fee simple is but one of the many curiosities of this case. In 1885, Fitts purchased 20 acres of this parcel (S 1/2 of NE 1/4 of SW 1/4) for delinquent taxes. Thus, in 1885 record title to Parcel B was in Ussery (60 acres: N 1/2 of NE 1/4 of SW 1/4 and SE 1/4 of SW 1/4) and Fitts (20 acres: S 1/2 of NE 1/4 of SW 1/4). There is a gap in the chain of title from 1885 to 1892, when Mayfield conveyed all of Parcel B to Booth. Appellees trace their chain of title directly to Mayfield. Under these circumstances, the doctrine presumes grants from Ussery and Fitts to Mayfield sometime between 1885 and 1892. Scarborough, supra. Thus, title to the E 1/2 of the SW 1/4 of Section 21 is perfected in appellees.