Court Opinion

ID: 9812887
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 22:51:15.258471+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:27:08.162931
License: Public Domain

EaiRouoth, C. J.,
concurring in the result. On April 1, 1879, the plaintiff conveyed by deed a lot of land to the defendant, the Spartanburg and Asheville Railroad Company, in Henderson County, described in these words: “Adjoining the lands of T. G. Barker (the plaintiff), beginning at a stake on the east side of the railroad track and on said track, and runs east 20 south 270 feet to- a stake; thence north 2 west 240 feet to a stake; thence west 20 north 270 feet to a stake in the railroad track; thence south 2 east with the railroad track 240 feet to the beginning, containing 1-J acres * * * for its use as a stockyard and other railroad purposes.”
The plaintiff now sues for the possession of said lot, on the ground that the descriptive words are -insufficient to' convey title.
Tt was proved that, the defendant entered into- immediate possession, with the consent of the plaintiff, and has been in actual possession ever since. The defendant was allowed to prove by parol that the plaintiff, at the time the deed was executed, had a surveyor to run out and locate the land, and that the defendant put a fence on the line established by the surveyor, and that he put tire defendant in possession of the lot, known as the “stock-lot” in the town of Hendersonville. At the close of the evidence his Honor instructed the jury *601•that, if they believed the evidence, they should answer the issue in favor of the plaintiff. Verdict and judgment for the plaintiff. The defendant appealed.
The extrinsic evidence was competent. It does not contradict the deed, but it is the unwritten part of the agreement and was useful to find out the intention of the grantor and grantee. The Court, when it can do so, desires to give effect to the intention of the parties. The descriptive part of the deed is not a blank. It fixes the locality on the east side of the railroad track and on said track. The jury, with these simultaneous acts and declarations of the grantor, would be able to locate the land referred to in the deed. Assuming, however, for the sake of argument that the deed is defective in its descriptive clause, 1 still think it is color of title. Color of title, when the language is plain and unambiguous, is a ■question of law for the Court. Any deed, having a grantor and grantee and containing a description of the land intended to be conveyed, and apt words for its conveyance, is color of title. Color of title is defined to be that which in appearance is title, but which in reality is n.o title. “Color of title may he defined to be a writing upon its face professing to> pass title but which does not do it, either from a want of title in the person making it, or the defective mode of conveyance which is used, and it would seem that it must not be so obviously defective that no man of ordinary capacity could be misled by it.” Tate v. Southard, 10 N. C., 119. “To constitute color of title, there must be some written document of title professing to pass the land, which is not so obviously defective that it could not have; misled a man of ordinary capacity.” Dobson v. Murphy, 18 N. C., 586. A deed then, like the present, regular and complete in all respects, except in the starting point, which would only be detected by the scrutiny of a legal mind, must fall within the above defini-*602ticms, and tbe bona fide possession of tbe defendant for a time far beyond tbe statutory period can not be defeated by tbe grantor or anyone claiming under bim.
Tbe defense may rest upon another ground. Tbe plaintiff, having by bis deed professed to convey tbe land, and having at tbe same time surveyed and located the corners and lines, and put tbe defendant in possession of tbe premises within those lines, and allowed bis possession to remain uninterrupted for a long time, can not now be allowed to' disturb that possession. He is estopped by bis own act and deed.
I think there was error below.