Cohn v. Smith

Mar 15, 1909
Reporters:
,
Before:
Smith
Smith, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

The evidence in the ‍‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‍court below discloses a perfect record title in appellant to the land in controversy; but the chancellor held ‍‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‍that appellees were the owners thereof by adverse possession. *521There was evidence of claim of ownership on the part ‍‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‍of appellees, but no evidence amounting to proof of possession. At most it showed nothing more than a ‍‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‍mere “scrambling possession,” which is not sufficient to cause title to vest by adverse possession.

The decree of the ‍‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‍court below is therefore reversed, and the bill dismissed.