ÿWPC¿ /# ¢UN­ %û 0(w@)4i}Œ 0J” 0TÞ 0^2 0h 0rø 0|j 0†æ 0l 1uü 0dqU>ÕB) AQ< Æ 0DS 0@— 0D× DC D/^ B Bª D3Ç AMú U*G ýq v~n vÓì˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLhÎ(ÈhH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡ E F G EH I DJ UK VL DM N Ó€ê‚_#3|xW 2 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman% Line 7 d!"#$&Cþÿ<< CÿÿƒLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3¯$¢¢Ý ƒ!ÝÝ  Ý("ÿÿ$££Ò  ÒÒ  Ò($$””ò òÚ  Ú1Ú  Úó ó7Border 1dd(('÷ÿ dxd düÿP Pd'''''ÿÿdxd!#%Cþÿ << Gÿÿ< Œ 9p`(Arial óÝ ƒ!ÝÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÝ ƒ""ÝÝ  ÝÔ€+ÔÔ€+ÔÓ  Óò òÔ YYY ÔFILEDÔ€+XÔÌÌNovember€19,€1997ÌÌCecil€W.€CrowsonÌAppellate€Court€ClerkÔ  Ôó óPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHØ(d'`Styl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  ion-F Geneva ÒÒ  ion-F Geneva ÒÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÑ\R AØ'\Ñò òÙ€!ÙÓ  ÓÑ\R AØ'\ÑßR€*,%A1-j|` ç `€€@ÿRß›Þ ÞÌà@ àIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEó óÌò òà@ àWESTERN€SECTION€AT€NASHVILLEÌà àà àà àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ÌÌóóÌANDREW€D.€MITCHELL€and€wife,à à)à àÌVIRGINIA€K.€MITCHELL,à àà à)Ìó óà àà àà àà àà àà àò ò)ó óÌà àPlaintiffs/€Appellants,ò òà àà à)à àó óCannon€Circuit€No.€2960Ìò òà àà àà àà àà àà à)ó óà àà àÌò òv.à àà àà àà àà àà à)à à€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)à àó óAppeal€No.€01A01„9605„CV„00226ò òÌMELVIN€C.€RENO€and€wife,€ALTA€M.€à à)ÌRENO,€and€EDDIE€ALFORD,à àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)Ìà àó óDefendants/Appellees,ò òà àà à)Ìà àà àà àà àà àà à)ÌÌÌà@ àó óAPPEAL€FROM€THE€CIRCUIT€COURT€OF€CANNON€COUNTYÌà@ àAT€WOODBURY,€TENNESSEEÌÌÌà@ àTHE€HONORABLE€ROBERT€E.€CORLEW,€III,€JUDGEÌòòÌÌÌFor€the€Plaintiffs/Appellantsóó:òòà àà àà àFor€the€Defendants/Appelleesóó:òòÌóóÌJohn€B.€Melton,€III€à àà àà àà àFrank€Buck€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ÌMurfreesboro,€Tennesseeà àà à€€€€€€€€€€€€Smithville,€Tennessee€€€€€€€€€€€ÌÌÌò òÌà àà àà àà àà àà àAFFIRMED€ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àó óHOLLY€KIRBY€LILLARD,€J.ÌÌÌÌCONCURS:ÌòòÌóóW.€FRANK€CRAWFORD,€P.J.,€W.S.ÌÌÌœDAVID€R.€FARMER,›€J.ÌÌÇØØÙ  ÙÓÓÑ7€ÌþXdðXXdð7ÑÑ  Ñà@ àò òOPINIONó óÌà àThis€is€a€boundary€line€case.€€The€litigants€are€adjacent€landowners.€€Appellants€initiatedÏproceedings€against€Appellees€for€the€wrongful€cutting€of€timber.€€Appellees€then€filed€a€counter„claim€asking€the€trial€court€to€establish€the€boundary€between€the€adjacent€tracts€of€land.€€The€trialÏcourt€established€the€boundary€line€in€favor€of€Appellees€but€found€that€Appellants€were€entitled€toÏdamages€for€timber€cut€from€their€property.€€We€affirm.€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ìà àIn€1995,€Appellants€Andrew€D.€and€Virginia€K.€Mitchell€œ(ð ðMr.›€and€Mrs.€Mitchellðð),Ïpurchased€a€tract€of€land€in€Cannon€County,€Tennessee.€€In€1988,€Appellees€Melvin€and€AltaÏPerkins€Reno€œ(›€ð ðMr.€and€Mrs.€Renoðð)€purchased€an€adjacent€tract€of€land€from€Mrs.€RenoððsÏmother,€Pearl€Perkins.€€Defendant€Eddie€Alford€is€the€timber€cutter€the€Renos€hired€to€cut€timberÏon€the€land€in€dispute.€€€Ìà àBoth€the€Renos€and€the€Mitchells€claim€ownership€of€a€23€acre€tract€of€land€along€theÏborder€of€their€properties.€€The€land€in€dispute€is€extremely€steep€and€uneven€and€cannot€beÏcultivated.€€The€only€economic€use€for€the€land€appears€to€be€for€timber€cutting.€€Near€the€southernÏboundary€of€the€property€in€dispute€is€a€unique€geological€formation€known€as€a€ð ðwindcaveðð€orÏœð ðblowhole.ðð€€During€winter,€water€flowing€from€the€windcave€unites€with€the€cool€air,€forming€aÏthick€bank€of€fog€which€rises€into€the€air€above€the€blow€hole.€€This€creates€the€effect€of€smokeÏrising.€€ÌThe›€initial€deeds€covering€the€property€in€question€date€back€over€100€years€and€provide€forÏspecific€distances€and€courses€in€the€description€of€the€real€estate.€€However,€these€descriptionsÏdisappear€in€deeds€executed€after€in€1911.€€More€recent€deeds€describe€the€land€by€reference€toÏadjacent€tracts€of€land.€€Ìà àTwo€fences€are€located€on€the€disputed€tract,€and€those€two€fences€form€the€northern€andÏsouthern€boundaries€of€the€disputed€territory.€€Generally,€the€œMitchells›ðð€land€lies€to€the€south€of€theÏland€owned€by€the€Renos.€€The€Mitchells€contend€that€the€northern€fence€is€the€correct€boundaryÏline;€the€Renos€claim€the€southern€fence€as€the€correct€boundary.€€It€is€undisputed€that€an€accurateÏsurvey€of€the€land,€following€only€the€courses€and€distances€referred€to€in€the€old€deeds,Íestablishes€the€boundary€along€the€northern€fence€row€and€in€favor€of€the€Mitchellsðð€claim.€€Ìà àThe€Perkins,€Mrs.€Renoððs€parents,€owned€the€property€from€1922€until€it€was€sold€to€theÏRenos€in€1988.€€For€a€period€of€over€30€years,€from€the€1940's€to€the€early€1970's,€the€PerkinsÏoccupied€and€used€the€disputed€land€and€operated€as€though€the€boundary€was€the€southern€fenceÏline.€€During€that€time,€Mr.€Perkins€cut€timber€on€the€land€and€parceled€out€the€land€forÏsharecropping.€€Melvin€Reno€testified€that,€during€that€period,€he€had€cut€timber€on€the€property€atÏthe€direction€of€Mr.€Perkins€and€had€also€made€repairs€to€the€southern€fence€row.€€From€the€earlyÏ1970'€s€until€December,€1993,€the€disputed€land€was€not€used€for€grazing,€cultivation€orÏharvesting€of€crops€or€for€any€other€purpose€that€would€indicate€a€possessory€interest€by€any€party.Ìà àHarold€Foster€was€reared€on€the€Mitchell€property,€and€he€testified€that€the€windcave€wasÏlocated€on€the€tract€now€owned€by€the€Renos.€€Other€witnesses€testified€that€it€was€generallyÏbelieved€€in€the€community€that€the€windcave€was€located€on€land€belonging€to€the€Renos€and€theirÏpredecessors€in€title.€€Ìà àIn€1966,€O.B.€Harper€bought€from€a€Mr.€Duke€the€tract€of€land€now€owned€by€theÏMitchells.€€Duke€did€not€know€the€location€of€the€boundary;€therefore,€prior€to€the€sale,€Duke,ÏO.B.€Harper,€Jim€Perkins,€Mr.€Stacey,€who€was€Perkinsðð€sharecropper,€and€Norris€Perry€wentÏonto€the€property.€€At€that€time,€Duke€and€Perkins,€the€property€owners,€ascertained€and€agreedÏupon€the€boundary€line.€€The€men€set€an€iron€pin€in€the€ground€near€a€maple€tree€and€set€theÏboundary€as€an€imaginary€line€running€from€the€maple€tree€to€the€fence,€along€the€southern€fenceÏrow€to€the€western€side€of€the€disputed€land€to€a€point€where€the€Underwood,€Duke€and€PerkinsÏproperties€met.€€The€pin€is€still€in€place,€and€a€photograph€of€the€pin€was€introduced€at€trial.€€AllÏthose€present€at€the€time€the€boundary€was€established€in€1966€have€died€except€for€Norris€Perry.€ÏAt€trial,€Mr.€Perry€testified€as€to€the€existence€of€the€1966€agreement€among€the€landowners.€€€€Ìà àAfter€considering€the€evidence,€the€trial€court€determined€that€the€evidence€of€both€the€1966Ïagreement€and€the€possession€and€use€of€the€land€by€prior€owners€preponderated€over€the€coursesÏand€distances€descriptions€contained€in€the€older€deeds.€€Therefore,€the€trial€court€determined€thatÍthe€boundary€line€between€the€Mitchell€and€Reno€tracts€was€that€asserted€by€the€Renos.€ÏNonetheless,€the€trial€court€found€that€Alford€and€Reno€had€cut€some€timber€belonging€to€theÏMitchells€and€awarded€the€Mitchells€a€judgment€against€Alford€and€the€Renos€for€$4,800.00.€€TheÏMitchells€now€appeal€the€decision€of€the€trial€court.€€Ìà àOn€appeal,€the€Mitchells€argue€that€the€decision€of€the€trial€court€is€contrary€to€theÏpreponderance€of€the€œevidence.€€Our›€review€of€this€case€is€ò òòòde€novoó óóó€upon€the€record€with€aÏpresumption€of€correctness€of€the€findings€of€fact€by€the€trial€court.€€Absent€error€of€law,€the€trial€œÌÌÌcourtððs›€decision€will€be€affirmed,€unless€the€evidence€preponderates€against€the€factual€findings.€ÏTenn.€R.€App.€P.€13(d).€€No€presumption€of€correctness€attaches€to€the€trial€courtððs€conclusions€ofÏlaw.€€€òòò òSee€Carvell€v.€Bottomsó óóó,€900€S.W.2d€23,€26€(Tenn.€1995).€€€€Ìò òà àó óThe€Mitchells€argue€that€the€trial€court€erred€in€recognizing€the€boundary€line€established€inÏthe€1966€agreement.€€They€maintain€that€a€boundary€was€established€by€a€deed€dated€in€1878€andÏrecorded€in€1881.€€They€argue€further€that€the€same€boundary€was€established€by€a€court€sale€inÏ1905€and€set€forth€in€a€deed€recorded€in€1908.€€Therefore,€the€Mitchells€assert€that€the€Renos€hadÏnotice€of€the€correct€boundary€line.€€In€Tennessee,€adjacent€property€owners€may€establish€theirÏboundary€lines€by€agreement€when€there€is€no€certain€and€established€line€known€to€them.òòò ò€€KingÏv.€Mabryó óóó,€71€Tenn.€(3€Lea)€237,€245€(1879);òòò ò€Franks€v.€Burksó óóó,€688€S.W.2d€435,€438€(Tenn.ÏApp.€1984);òòò ò€Winborn€v.€Alexanderó óóó,€279€S.W.2d€718,€726€(Tenn.€App.€1954).€€The€MitchellsÏcontend€that€since€there€was€an€established€boundary€line,€the€previous€landowners€could€notÏestablish€a€different€boundary€line€by€oral€agreement€in€1966.€€However,€even€if€the€previousÏlandowners€could€have€easily€ascertained€the€correct€boundary,€œthe›€testimony€at€trial€establishedÏthat€they€in€fact€did€not€know€the€boundary,€and€entered€into€the€1966€agreement€in€order€toÏresolve€the€dispute.€€Such€an€agreement€may€be€enforced€where€there€was€an€ð ðhonest€ignoranceððÏamong€the€landowners€regarding€the€location€of€the€boundary.€€ò òòòGalbraith€v.€Lunsfordóóó ó,€87ÍTenn.€œ89,›€œ98„99,›€9€S.W.€365,€368€(1888).€Ìà àGenerally,€contracts€and€agreements€concerning€real€estate€are€governed€by€the€Statute€ofÏFrauds€and€must€be€reduced€to€writing.€€However,€oral€agreements€governing€disputed€boundaryÏlines€are€not€subject€to€the€Statute€of€Frauds,€and€such€agreements€are€binding€upon€the€parties€andÏtheir€successors€in€ownership.€€ò òòòFranks€v.€Burksóóó ó,€688€S.W.2d€at€438;€ò òòòThornburg€v.€Chaseóóó ó,Ï606€S.W.2d€672,€674€(Tenn.€App.€1980);€ò òòòWebb€v.€Harrisóóó ó,€315€S.W.2d€274,€277€(Tenn.€App.Ï1958).€€The€oral€agreements€need€not€be€reduced€to€writing€in€order€to€be€binding.€òòò ò€Webbó óóó,€315ÏS.W.2d€at€277.€€Parties€to€oral€agreements€establishing€property€lines€and€their€successors€areÏestopped€to€question€the€line€so€established€even€if€it€is€œdetermined›€afterward€that€the€line€wasÏerroneously€fixed.€€òòò òGalbraithó óóó,€87€Tenn.€at€99,€9€S.W.€at€368;€òòò òHendrix€v.€Yancyó óóó,€355ÏS.W.2d€453,€460€(Tenn.€App.€1960);€òòò òRogers€v.€œS.W.€Taylor›€&€œCo.ó óóó,›€2€Tenn.€App.€445Ï(1926).€€Parties€are€bound€by€the€acts€and€œÇdeclarations›€of€their€predecessors€in€title.€€As€the€Tennessee€Supreme€Court€stated€in€òòò òDavis€v.ÏJonesó óóó,€40€Tenn.€(3€Head)€602,€606€(1859):ÌÓÓà8 àà8 àWe€understand,€that€for€purposes€of€ascertaining€the€true€line€of€aÏdisputed€and€uncertain€boundary€between€adjacent€tracts,€the€actsÏand€declarations€of€the€former€owners€and€proprietors,€which€tookÏplace€and€were€made€during€such€ownership,€especially€ifÏaccompanied€with€possession,€conducing€to€establish€the€commonÏline,€are€admissible€as€original€evidence.€[Citations€omitted.]€This€isÏso,€whether€they€be€dead€or€alive,€admissible€or€inadmissible€asÏwitnesses€in€the€controversy.€€They€do€not€stand€upon€the€sameÏfooting€as€the€declarations€of€third€persons.€[Citations€omitted.]€€€€€ÌœÌÓÓòòò òId.ó óóó›€at€606;€òòò òSee€alsoó óóó,€òòò òNorman€v.€Hoytó óóó,€667€S.W.2d€88,€90€(Tenn.€App.€1983).€à à€€€Ìà àIn€this€case,€Norris€Perry€testified€that€he€was€present€in€1966€when€the€previous€propertyÏowners,€Mr.€Duke€and€Jim€Perkins,€in€the€presence€of€Harper,€Stacey€and€Perry,€ascertained€andÏagreed€upon€the€boundary€line.€€To€memorialize€their€agreement,€the€men€planted€an€iron€stake€inÏthe€ground€at€the€base€of€a€maple€tree€and€declared€that€the€boundary€line€between€their€propertyÏshould€run€from€that€pin€to€the€southern€fence,€along€the€fence€row€above€the€windcave€and€backÏto€the€western€side€of€the€disputed€property€to€the€corner€where€the€Underwood,€Duke€and€PerkinsÏproperties€met.€€Ìà àDeclarations€of€former€owners€which€took€place€during€their€œownership,›€especially€whenÏaccompanied€with€œpossession,›€are€admissible€to€establish€boundary€lines.€€Such€declarations€mayÏbe€testified€to€by€third€parties€who€heard€the€declarations.€€òòò òDavis€v.€Jonesó óóó,€40€Tenn.€(3€Head)€atÏ606;€òòò òNorman€v.€Hoytó óóó,€667€S.W.2d€at€90.€€In€this€case,€Mr.€Perry€was€competent€to€testify€as€toÏthe€existence€of€the€oral€agreement€regarding€the€ownership€of€the€disputed€property.€€Therefore,Ïthe€agreement€between€Perkins€and€Duke€is€binding€on€their€successors€in€title.€€œòòò òSee€Winborn›€vÏAlexanderó óóó,€279€S.W.2d€at€727.€€Consequently,€the€trial€court€did€not€err€in€finding€the€1966Ïagreement€binding€upon€the€Mitchells€and€the€Renos€as€successors€in€title€to€Duke€œand€the›€Perkins.€€€€€€€€€€Ïœ›à àThe€testimony€of€residents€œin›€the€surrounding€community€further€supports€theÏdetermination€of€the€trial€court.€€Harold€Foster,€a€previous€resident€of€the€Mitchellsðð€tract,€and€otherÏmembers€of€the€surrounding€community€testified€that€the€windcave€was€located€on€the€tract€nowÍowned€by€the€Renos.€€Norris€Perry,€who€worked€on€the€land€for€O.B.€Harper,€the€MitchellsððÏpredecessor€in€title,€testified€that€the€windcave€was€located€on€the€tract€formerly€owned€by€theÏPerkins€and€œnow€owned€by›€the€Renos.€€Ìà àUpon€review€of€the€record,€we€cannot€find€that€the€evidence€preponderates€against€theÏdetermination€of€the€trial€court.€€Despite€the€courses€and€distances€set€forth€in€the€old€deeds,€as€wellÏas€the€more€recent€boundary€deeds,€the€undisputed€testimony€at€trial€established€that€the€partiesððÏpredecessors€in€title€were€uncertain€as€to€the€boundary€between€the€properties€and€resolved€theÏdispute€by€agreement.€€Further€testimony€established€that€the€boundary€in€the€1966€agreement€wasÏregarded€as€the€boundary€by€the€parties€and€the€surrounding€community.€€Under€theseÏcircumstances,€we€find€that€the€evidence€does€not€preponderate€against€the€decision€of€the€trialÏcourt.Ìà àThe€decision€of€the€trial€court€is€affirmed.€€Costs€should€be€taxed€against€the€Appellants,Ïfor€which€execution€may€issue€if€necessary.€ÌÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àòò€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€Ìà àà àà àà àà àò òóóHOLLY€KIRBY€LILLARD,€J.ÌÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌòòÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€ÌóóW.€FRANK€CRAWFORD,€P.J.,W.S.ÌÌÌòòÌ€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€óóÌœDAVID€R.€FARMER,›€J.ó ó