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10 Kan. 202

O'Brien v. Creitz

Supreme Court of Kansas

Decided July 15, 1872

Supreme Court of Kansas · decided 1872-07-15

Fkror from Jaehson District Court. Action to quiet title. The question here was whether the plaintiff, not being in actual possession, and the land being vacant, could maintain the action. The action was tried at the April Term 1871, and the district court gave judgment for the plaintiff. The defendant below brings the case here on error. 1. The evidence shows that the lot is vacant and unoccupied.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1872-07-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 4 later decisions — most recently April 1937

4 state decisions

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¶1The opinion of the court was delivered by

Brewer, J.:

¶2This was an action brought by defendant in -error to qniet title to a lot in the town of Holton. In his ■petition he alleged that he held the legal title, and was in peaceable possession, and that O’Brien set up an adverse interest. Upon the trial he testified that the lot was entirely vacant and unoccupied, and then offered his deeds, which were objected to on the ground that he had not shown himself in actual possession. The objection was overruled, and this is alleged as error. We see none. It was decided in Eaton v. Giles, 5 Kas., 24, that “ an action to quiet title may be brought by the holder of the legal title when he is not in possession, if the real estate for which he holds the title is vacant.” Where real estate is unoccupied and vacant the holder of the legal title has the constructive possession. It is true, when there is no actual possession the party holding title cannot proceed under § 594 of the civil code. Yet he is *204not therefore without remedy. He can have his title, determined and protected. See case of Eaton v. Giles, just cited. It is further insisiod that the plaintiff did not show a legal title in himself, his chain of title commencing with a deed from C. C. Whiting. It is true only two deeds are preserved in the record, but there is nothing to, show that it contains all the testimony, and we are not at liberty therefore to assume that it does, and that, the plaintiff did not prove title from government by regular chain of conveyances to himself. The judgment will be affirmed.

All the Justices concurring.
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