Crowell & Spencer Lumber Co. v. Lynch

This suit was brought as a petitory action to recover 80 acres of land, alleged to be worth $4,000. One of the defendants, 1-Iamp Lynch, occupied 40 acres of the land, and the other defendant, Jesse Eunderburk, had the other 40 acres. He allowed judgment to go against him by default and has not appealed. Lynch, in his answer to the suit, acknowledged plaintiff’s ownership of the land, but averred that he, Lynch, as a possessor in good faith, had improved the property to the extent of $1,000, for which he claimed reimbursement. That was the only matter at issue — whether the defendant should…