Evins v. Sandefur-Julian Co.

Battle, J. After hearing all the evidence in this cause, the court found the facts to be as follows: “That on the 12th day of December, 1902, the defendant, Joseph Evins, in .consideration of the sum of one hundred dollars, sold to one George Julian lot No. 11, in block 56, Mt. Nebo, Yell County, Arkansas; that in the year 1893, by mutual consent of parties (Julian and the defendant), the said lot 11 in block 56 was exchanged for lot 13 in block 55, Mt. Nebo, and that the said George Julian and his father took possession of and made valuable improvements on the said last-mentioned lot; that at the time no deeds were exchanged, but that the defendant had full knowledge of, and allowed the said George Julian and father to proceed with, the improvements under the said verbal agreement to exchange lots, without objection by the said defendant, Joseph Evins; that on the 17th day of June, 1897, the said lot 13 in block 55 was levied upon as the property of Julian by the sheriff of Yell County under an execution issued by the clerk of the circuit court, and the property was purchased by the said plaintiff, Sandefur-Julian Company; that in August, 1894, the plaintiff, E. C. Hall, having purchased the building upon said lot from Sandefur-Julian Company, proceeded to remove the same, and, the defendant, Joseph Evins, resisting the removal, the present suit was brought, praying for a decree that will remove the cloud from the plaintiff’s title, and for a temporary restraining order, which was made, restraining the said defendant, Joseph Evins, from interfering with or preventing the removal of the said building until further orders of the court, and the court doth further find that the plaintiff and those under whom they claim have held the open, notorious, peaceable and adverse possession of lot 13, block 55, under claim of ownership for more than 7 (seven) years before the commencement of this action.” The temporary restraining order was made perpetual. The findings of the court were sustained by the preponderance of the evidence. The two lots, at the time of the exchange, it seems, were vacant. The possession of George Julian and his father of lot 13 in block 55, and improvements made by them on the same, under their contract with Evins, entitled Julian to a specific performance of the contract of exchange. Waterman on Specific Performance of Contracts, § 279, and cases cited. The interest of Julian in the lot acquired by exchange was subject to seizure and sale under execution. Kirby’s Digest, § 3228; Hardy v. Heard, 15 Ark. 184; Young v. Mitchell, 33 Ark. 222. Sandefur-Julian Company acquired such interest at the sale, and plaintiffs were entitled to the relief asked for by them in their complaint. Decree affirmed.