Walker v. Shackelford

• Decision Date: 12 November 1887
• Citation: 5 S.W. 887
• Parties: WALKER <I>v.</I> SHACKELFORD.
• Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

5 S.W. 887

WALKER

v. SHACKELFORD.

Supreme Court of Arkansas.

November 12, 1887.

Appeal from circuit court, Jackson county; R. H. POWELL, Judge.

W. R. Coody, for appellant. The appellee pro se.

SMITH, J.

Mrs. Shackelford had recovered judgment against Walker before a justice of the peace for the use and occupation of her brick wall. The cause having been removed by appeal to the circuit court, she again prevailed, after two successive trials, and judgment was entered in her favor for $199.20. The parties had been proprietors of adjoining lots, and the plaintiff had erected a brick building upon her lot. When the defendant came to build, he proposed to use her south wall as his north wall, thereby saving the expense of one entire wall. This wall stood upon the plaintiff's land, except that at one end it projected slightly over upon the defendant's lot, and it had been constructed at her own expense. For the privilege of resting his joists and beams upon this wall, the parties entered into a parol agreement, whereby the defendant, according to the plaintiff's testimony, was to pay Mrs. Shackelford $250 upon the completion of his house. According to the defendant's version, he was to pay her $225 for a half interest in the wall, when she perfected her title to her lot, by clearing it of a certain cloud or supposed defect. This was in the summer or early fall of 1883. Walker enjoyed the benefit of his contract until November 17, 1884, when the premises were destroyed by fire; but he has paid nothing. Shortly after the date last mentioned, the plaintiff sold and conveyed her lot to one Heller; and the defendant is now the owner of it.

The following direction was given to the jury at the instance of the plaintiff: "While no recovery can be had on a contract for an interest in land, not in writing, still, if the defendant took possession and used and occupied the same under the contract, he would be liable for trespass, and the plaintiff might waive the tort, and sue for use and occupation. And if the jury find that defendant took possession of, and used the wall in controversy, they may find for plaintiff the value of such use and occupation as shown by the proof."

The following prayers of the defendant were denied: "(1) The plaintiff claims $250 for building, use, and occupation of a partition wall, built by her for the use of herself and defendant; and if the jury find that the plaintiff and defendant, by oral agreement, built a partition wall upon the lands of each adjoining, for the use of each, this is an easement of each in the lands of the other, and within the statute of frauds, and the plaintiff cannot recover on such contract, and you will find for the defendant. (2) If you find there was a contract by which the defendant was to pay for the use of a partition wall built by plaintiff on her land, for the support of his joists, and defendant did use the wall for that purpose, they will find for the plaintiff the amount such use was worth for the time occupied, as shown by the proof. (3) If the jury find there was a defect in the title of plaintiff to the lot in question, and it was agreed by the parties that the defendant was not to pay for the use of the wall, until title perfected, they will find for the defendant."

In McLarney v. Pettigrew, 3 E. D. Smith, 111, the common pleas of New York decided that permission to insert beams in a house is nothing more than a license, and hence a promise to pay for such permission need not be in writing. But this is contrary to the weight of authority, both English and American, according to which a right to a permanent occupation of another's land cannot be acquired by a parol agreement. Such a right is an...