Citation Numbers: 184 Ala. 610, 64 So. 321
Judges: Anderson, De, Dowdell, Mayfield, McClellan, Raffenried, Sayre, Somerville
Filed Date: 12/18/1913
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 7/27/2022
— The general rule is that when things, which in their natural state, form part of the freehold, are severed therefrom, and converted into chattels, they belong to the owner of the land. Mere changes in the form of things, so long as the identity of the material can be traced, will not work a change of ownership. And trover or detinue may be maintained for their conversion or detention, if they are removed from the freehold. The owner of the freehold cannot, however, maintain either of these actions if, at the time of the severance, he had not actual or constructive possession of the land — if the land was then held and occupied adversely to him. — Cooper v. Watson, 73 Ala. 252; Adler v. Prestwood, 122 Ala. 367, 24 South. 999; Brooks v. Rogers, 101 Ala. 111, 13 South. 386.
It is also well settled that, unless it is necessary to prove a constructive possession of land the title thereto cannot be put in issue in these transitory actions. Or, as was said by this court, speaking through Brickell, C. J., in the case of Fielder v. Childs, 73 Ala. 567, and again in the case of Cooper v. Watson, supra, “the law will not permit the title to land to be inquired into directly.”
We find no case, hoAvever, in this state, holding that the title to land cannot be proved for the purpose of shoAving constructive possession other than the opinion upon the former appeal in this case (169 Ala. 161, 52 South. 911, Ann. Cas. 1912B, 288), and which follows a dictum in the Watson Case, supra; but we do find several cases holding that it can be done. — White v. Yawkey, 108 Ala. 270, 19 South. 360, 32 L. R. A. 199, 54 Am. St. Rep. 159, wherein the case of Cooper v. Watson was cited in support of the holding that to maintain trover for the conversion of timber severed from land, legal title in the plaintiff, which draws to it construe
. The former opinion in this case (169 Ala. 161, 52 Ala. 911, Ann. Cas. 1912B, 288), in so far as it holds that a plaintiff cannot show title to the land for the purpose of showing constructive possession, notwithstanding there may be no actual adverse possession by the defendant, is unsound and must be overruled. The opinion seems to be grounded largely upon an expression in the latter part of the opinion in the case of Cooper v. Watson, supra, and which was not decisive of that case, as the proof tbere showed that the defendant was in the adverse possession at the time of the severance, and, that being the case, there was no room for constructive possession. Moreover, the opinion states that a plaintiff can recover if in the actual or constructive possession at the time of the severance, and it is contradictory and inconsistent to hold that he cannot show title to the land which draws with it constructive possession, and which is the only practicable way to establish said constructive possession to the land.
The case of Powers v. Hatter, 152 Ala. 636, 44 South. 859, supports in the conclusion the present holding, but the rule there stated as to the action of trover is incorrect. The writer evidently applied the general rule as to trover, and overlooked the fact that the suit involved chattels severed from the freehold, and so much of the opinion, as states that the plaintiff did not have to show possession, actual or constructive, as to the trover count, or that recovery could only be defeated by showing a divesture of title, is overruled.
As we view this case, the first inquiry to be submitted to the jury was the location of the line. If the coal was not taken from the 40 acres claimed by the plan-tiff in section 10, then the plaintiff could not recover,
The defendant offered evidence tending to show that it was in the adverse possession of the strip when the coal was mined, and if it was, the plaintiff could not recover, for if the defendant had, at the time, the actual adverse possession of the strip, there Avas no room for constructive possession even if the plaintiff had previously acquired title, but this, too, was a question for the jury, as the mere act of the defendant in mining the coal did not give him such an actual adverse possession as would defeat the plaintiff’s constructive pos
Nor are we impressed with the soundness of the suggestion that the arrangement that the plaintiff had with the Nelsons was such as would deprive him of the right to the immediate use or possession of the land so as to bring him within the influence of Garrett v. Sewell, 95 Ala. 456, 10 South. 226. The evidence shows that the Nelsons were not tenants of the land for any fixed period, or at all, but were merely plaintiff’s agents to look after it for him.
The trial court, in giving the general charge for the defendant, followed the former opinion in this case, but, as said opinion is overruled, the general charge was improperly given, and the judgment of the circuit court is reversed and the cause is remanded.
Reversed and remanded.