Court Opinion

ID: 9809973
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 21:36:08.929575+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:39:16.980886
License: Public Domain

*72WalKER, J.
I concur in tbe conclusion of tbe Court, and also in its opinion, to this extent: It seems to- me that in processioning proceedings, unless perhaps both parties claim under a paper title, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to confine tbe investigation required to tbe mere location of tbe dividing line. When both parties claim by right of possession, or one by a paper title and tbe other by adverse possession, it will become necessary in tbe large majority, if not all, of tbe cases, to ascertain tbe nature and extent of tbe possession and, even in tbe case of a claim under a paper title, tbe true location of corners and of other boundaries, as preliminary to tbe location of the dividing line which is in dispute. So that it may, speaking generally, be safely said that tbe title to tbe land is not involved in such a proceeding, but that means that it is not directly involved, for in many cases, as we have already shown, it may become incidentally one of tbe questions or issues in tbe case, which must be decided before the main issue, as to tbe location of tbe dividing line, can be determined. The illustration p-ut by tbe Chief Justice is an apt one. I refer to tbe case of a partition proceeding. There tbe question of title is not necessarily involved, but it may become necessary upon a plea of sole seisin to determine first bow tbe parties stand with reference to tbe title, before deciding whether they are tenants in common and entitled to partition.' It is a preliminary question which must be settled before tbe relief prayed can be granted. A partition proceeding will very often run into an action of ejectment, and tbe same may be said of a processioning proceeding. In tbe latter case, tbe ownership of tbe land on either side of tbe alleged disputed line, which is a prerequisite to tbe right of having tbe land processioned, cannot always be determined by mere occupancy, but often will require an investigation of tbe title, as in other cases where tbe issue is not primarily involved.