135 Ky. 618 | Ky. Ct. App. | 1909
.Reversing.
This is an appeal from a judgment'of the Perry circuit court- overruling a demurrer filed by each of the appellants to appellee’s petition. It therefore presents for our consideration but one, question, namely, whether or not the petition states a cause of áction.
The action was brought in equity by the- appellee, C. J. Little, against the appellants, Continental Realty Company, P. L. Whittaker, and Martin Kelley; it being alleged in the petition that the Continental Realty Company is a corporation, that P. L. Whittaker is its president, ánd Martin Kelly, its secretary. It is not clear from the language of the petition whether the action is one to quiet title-or to recover for slander of title. The petition begins with the averment that appellee “is the owner and in the actual joossession of onedialf of-522 oak trees,” standing upon a tract of land on the waters of Troublesome creek in Perry Gounty; the land being described by metes and bounds, courses and distances. The petition contains the further averment that appellee “has a deed to the said property.’.’ As it does not allege that appellee owns or has either actual or constructive possession of the land upon which the oak trees stand, but does in express terms allege his title to and actual possession of one-half of 522 oak trees standing on the land, we must infer that the deed received by appellee for “the said property”-merely conveyed him one-half of the trees, and that by the words “the said property” is meant one-half of the trees, and nothing more.
The petition does not disclose the name of the owner of the other half of the 522 oak trees, or of the
In view of the fact that the petition does not set up title in appellee to the land on which the trees stood,
It is not charged in the petition that the statements of Whittaker and Kelly complained of were false, or that they were maliciously made; nor is it charged that the market value of appellee’s half of the 522 oak trees was thereby impaired or lessened, or that he was thereby prevented from selling the timber or interfered with in its use. The averment that he was injured and his title slandered by the alleged statements was a mere conclusion, unsupported by any statement of fact showing such injury or any damage. If the action could be treated as one for slander of
The petition being fatally defective, the circuit court erred in overruling appellant’s demurrers.
Wherefore the judgment is reversed, and cause remanded, with direction to sustain each of the demurrers and for further proceedings consistent with the opinion, including leave to appellee, should it be asked, to amend his petition.