Adams County v. Smith and Dakota Collieries Co.

On March 30, 1942, Adams County, the plaintiff herein, sold a quarter section of land that it had acquired through tax deed proceedings to the defendant LeBoy Smith. On October 16, 1942, the county issued a deed to the purchaser in the form prescribed by § 15, Ch 286, Sess Laws ND 1941. The deed purported to grant, bargain, sell, and convey the property to Smith and contained no reservations of any kind. After acquiring the land the purchaser spent some sixteen to twenty weeks and approximately $1000 in digging test holes and making-explorations to determine the approximate amount of coal on…