Chapman v. Barger

DILLON, Circuit Judge. Action of ejectment in state court, and judgment for the plaintiff. Under the Iowa statute relating to occupying claimants, the defendant filed his petition to be allowed for his improvements, in that suit, after judgment in favor of the plaintiff. After the petition of the occupying claimant for improvements was thus filed, the plaintiff in the main action filed his petition for removal of the cause under the act of March 3, 1875. We hold that the petition of the occupying claimant cannot be removed, as it is, under the Iowa statute, and decisions of the supreme court of the state, essentially part of and ancillary to the main suit. The main suit is at an end, and a judgment has been rendered therein in the state court. That judgment must remain in the state court. It cannot be brought here. The petition of the occupying claimant (whose rights are wholly statutory) is a dependence of the main suit, and cannot be separately removed. Under the legislation of Iowa in respect of occupying claimants, as construed by the state supreme court, and in view of the relief to which each party is entitled, it is apparent that the rights of the parties must be adjudicated in one and the same court. Case remanded.