Boland v. Bellis

J. Seaborn Holt, Associate Justice. Appellant, S. O. Boland, brought this suit to cancel an alleged forged mineral deed. Appellees, J. H. Bellis and Heirs of J. H. Bellis, L. H. Owens, Heirs of L. H. Owens, W. E. Witt and Unknown Heirs of W. E. Witt, answered with a denial that the deed was forged. Prom a decree denying appellant the relief prayed is this appeal. The record reflects that on March 1, 1929, E. A. Woods and wife [the record title owners of a tract of land containing 102 acres] purportedly conveyed a one-half undivided interest in and to the minerals under this land to J. H. Bellis. On April 29, 1930, following the death of J. H. Bellis, his heirs conveyed a part of their mineral rights in the above land to the appellees, Owens and Witt. It further appears that on January 2, 1935 [and recorded January 19, 1935] E. A. Woods and wife had executed and delivered a Federal Land Bank mortgage which recited that it was subject to the above mineral conveyance in question. On November 28, 1947, E. A. Woods and wife sold the 102 acre tract of land here involved to S. L. Boland. In the trial, Boland claimed that the deed to Owens and Witt was a forgery and in an effort to prove his claim, produced two witnesses, himself and E. A. Woods. They both testified, in effect, that the deed to Owens and Witt was a forgery. As indicated, the testimony of these two witnesses was all the evidence introduced by appellant, Boland. At this point, appellant offered no further testimony. Appellees filed a demurrer to appellant’s evidence, challenging its sufficiency to grant the relief sought under authority of Act 470 of 1949 [Ark. Stats. (1947) § 27-1729 as amended]. After hearing arguments the trial court sustained the demurrer and dismissed appellant’s complaint and this appeal followed. Appellees argue that, (1) appellant did not produce that quantum of proof required to set aside the mineral deed in question which was acknowledged, recorded, and allowed to remain unchallenged for over thirty years (2) appellant’s proof, even when viewed in its most favorable light, shows that his case is barred by limitations and laches. Here we are confronted with a procedural question, a question of law and not of fact. The present case appears to be practically on all fours with our holding in Werbe v. Holt, 217 Ark. 198, 229 S. W. 2d 225, under a similar fact situation. We there pointed out that it was the duty of the trial court to give the plaintiff’s [appellant] evidence its strongest probative force and to hold against the plaintiff only when after so considering the evidence it should fail to make a prima facie case. “What, then, is the effect of a demurrer to the evidence or a similar pleading in jurisdictions recognizing that practice? The question may arise either in equity cases, where the chancellor is the arbiter of the facts, or in cases tried at law without a jury, where also the trial judge decides all issues of fact. By the overwhelming weight of authority it is the trial court’s duty, in passing upon either a demurrer to the evidence or a motion for judgment in law cases tried without a jury, to give the evidence its strongest probative force in favor of the plaintiff and to rule against the plaintiff only if his evidence when so considered fails to make a prima facie case.” We reaffirmed this holding in the recent case of Weaver v. Weaver, 231 Ark. 341, 329 S. W. 2d 422. On this record, we cannot say that there was no substantial evidence offered by appellant to make a prima facie case in his favor. We are not here deciding as to what the chancery court would hold on final weighing of the evidence. We hold that the court erred in sustaining appellees’ demurrer and motion to dismiss and accordingly, the decree is reversed and the case remanded for further proceedings. Reversed and remanded. Ward and Robinson, JJ., concur.