WPC  :ܜ  Eh'w!/ OGX@kk 2OgL\]6 IB^+ =-U6ke30BNh}ߟ쌣g_/H񇂧=[W0|ToFfOV5B^q)XOKj'ddt__Enj@q PEO`C̀g{S+WBF+i3h]m5|3vtŁ_KYȢ;~! =#ޤRD^/:n5iBӱPLi7{9[E9~TQ#կl>{!1{':;eON:naM½h<Ұ=@x>iĠR?hE'JZNxh&%j;Rӱ^(Ip;ij2\b#ssVd_vTNAC1.p8*# LU:W % 0(b w@4 .6U:999999999999999999999 AQs 0D 0D 0D  D/V B B D3 HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh,  AZ"Arial RegularX($- - EPDDӀօ#%3|x ""   X?XXX #vX X?   Ad FILED X?X #v  October14,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh ,cAZ"Arial Regular!"#$&C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ((' dxd dP Pd'''''dxd !  TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T7?XXdd7    nXX  r )<,(j 8` `@E ` 8ttxP,  r@  INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@(ATNASHVILLE X?XnԈ  PHILIPPELTZ,     8   )     0      8   ) Plaintiff/Appellant,   8   )     0      8   )  AppealNo.    0      8   )  01A019711CH00659 zr  t )>.*jx` `@E` 8ttxP ` tߛVS.  0      8   ) `X    0      8   )  WilliamsonChancery F>    0      8   )  No.22868 ,$  SARAHV.PELTZ,     8   )   JESSEV.NICHOLS,and   8   )   NANCYS.NICHOLS,   8   )   @      H!  #      0      8   ) Defendants/Appellees. 8   )  @APPEALEDFROMTHECHANCERYCOURTOFWILLIAMSONCOUNTY@#ATFRANKLIN,TENNESSEE@j j THEHONORABLEHENRYDENMARKBELL,JUDGEJEFFREYRAPPUHNA.RUSSELLWILLIS215SecondAvenue,NorthNashville,Tennessee37201 AttorneysforPlaintiff/AppellantWILLIAMCARTERCONWAY236CourtSquare,Suite205Franklin,Tennessee37064 AttorneyforDefendant/AppelleeSarahV.PeltzR.E.LEEDAVIESH.MARKHARTZOG123FifthAvenueNorthFranklin,Tennessee37064 AttorneysforDefendants/AppelleesJesseV.Nicholsand NancyS.Nichols@||$REVERSEDANDREMANDED  0      8     BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:KOCH,J.CAIN,J.  8179  XX?@tt(OPINION X?XԈ    0 Thiscaseinvolvesaquestionofadversepossessionbetweentenantsincommonofrealestate.TheChanceryCourtofWilliamsonCountyheldthatthesevenyearstatuteoflimitationsinTenn.CodeAnn.282103barredtheappellantsremedyagainsttheappellees.Becausewefindthattherehadbeennoousteroftheappellant,wereverse.@- I.  d\   0 In1974,PhilipandSarahPeltzandMrs.Peltzsparents,JesseandNancyNichols,purchasedafortyeightacreparcelofpropertyinWilliamsonCounty.Mr.Nichols,aretiredAirForceserviceman,startedalmostimmediatelytobuildahouseontheproperty.Heandhiswifelivedonthepropertyandheworkedonthehouseforthenextfourteenyears.  0 Mr.PeltzwasaNewYorkLawyer.Hevisitedthepropertyafewtimesbefore1983,butafterthattimehedidnotreturntoTennessee.HesubsequentlylosthislicensetopracticelawandmovedtoCalifornia.In1985,Mrs.Peltzsignedawarrantydeedconveyingthepropertytoherparents.ShehadherbrotherforgeMr.Peltzssignatureonthedeed.TheyhadthedeednotarizedandMrs.Peltzthendeliveredthedeedtoherfather.Mr.Nicholshadthedeedrecorded.ThereisnoevidenceintherecordthatMr.NicholskneworsuspectedthatMr.Peltzssignatureonthedeedhadbeenforged.  0 Mr.PeltzdidnotlearnoftheforgeryuntilitcameoutinaCalifornia divorcefiledbyMrs.Peltzin1994.Heimmediatelyfiledthisactiontocancelthedeed 6/4 andtorecoverdamagesfromhiswife,herparents,thenotary,andthenotarysemployer.   0 ThechancellordismissedMr.andMrs.NicholsonthegroundthattheactionwasbarredbyTenn.CodeAnn.282103.ThecourtheldthatMrs.PeltzforgedorcausedtobeforgedMr.Peltzssignaturetothedeedcausingadiminutionintheircombinedinterestsof$7500.ConsequentlyMr.PeltzobtainedajudgmentagainstMrs.Peltzfor$7500plusprejudgmentinterestateightpercentperyearfromApril1,1979.Thejudgmentwas,however,madesubjecttoadivisionbytheCaliforniadivorcecourt.Mr.Peltzvoluntarilydismissedthenotaryandheremployer.@- II.     0 Tenn.CodeAnn.282103(a)providesthat nopersonoranyoneclaimingunderhimshallhaveanyaction,eitheratlaworinequity,fortherecoveryofanylands,tenementsorhereditaments,butwithinseven(7)yearsaftertherightofactionaccrued.Underthissection,arecoveryisbarredbysevenyearsofadverse %  possession.Teeplesv.Key,500S.W.2d452(Tenn.App.1973).Butpossessionby &" onetenantincommonisnotadversetoanothercotenantuntiladisseisinoftheothersbyactualouster.Woodsv.Richardson,231S.W.2d340(Tenn.1950).Silent *#& soleoccupationbyonecotenantisnotsufficienttoestablishadversepossession. ,%( Moorev.Cole,289S.W.2d695(Tenn.1956).Sincethereisnoevidenceofanouster h.`'* inthisrecord,Mr.andMrs.NicholswerenotholdingthepropertyadverselytoMr.Peltz.ThereforethestatuteoflimitationsinTenn.CodeAnn.282103(a)didnotbegintorun.Mr.andMrs.NicholsciteValleyv.Lambuth,1Tenn.App.547(1925) 4-0 insupportoftheirstatuteoflimitationsdefense,butthatcaseinvolvedanactualouster,asthecourtheld. 926   0 WearealsoconvinctedthatMr.andMrs.Nicholscannotclaimthattheywereholdingunderanassuranceoftitle.SeeTenn.CodeAnn.282101,102.The  chancellorfoundthatMr.Peltzssignaturehadbeenforgedonthedeed.AstoMr.Peltzthedeedwasanabsolutenullity.SeeBoonev.CitizenBank&TrustCo.,290   МS.W.39(Tenn.1927);Cowanv.Thompson,152S.W.2d1036(Tenn.App.1941).  Althoughthesecasesdealwithnegotiableinstruments,wearesatisfiedthataforgedsignaturecannotbeusedasthebasisforanylegalclaimunlessithasbeenratifiedbythepersonidentifiedbythesignature.Inaddition,adeediswithinthestatuteoffrauds,andaforgedsignaturedoesnotsatisfytherequirementofawritingsignedbythepartytobecharged.Beazleyv.Turgeon,772S.W.2d53(Tenn.App.1989).  Therefore,thedeedcannotprejudiceMr.Peltzsrights.  0 WereversethejudgmentbelowandremandthecauseforaretrialonMr.Peltzsprayerforpartition.Inthatproceedingthecourtmayadjusttheinterestsofthepartiesaccordingtotheirrespectivecontributions.  0 ThejudgmentofthecourtbelowisreversedandthecauseisremandedtotheChanceryCourtofWilliamsonCountyforfurtherproceedingsinaccordancewiththisopinion.Taxthecostsonappealequallytotheappellees.  0      8     ____________________________  0      8     BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:_____________________________WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE_____________________________WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE 926 Л  926 Л 926  926   gXXyB @.INTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @(ATNASHVILLE XyBXgԈ  PHILIPPELTZ,     8   )     0      8   ) Plaintiff/Appellant,   8   )    0      8   )  AppealNo.     0      8   )  01A019711CH00659   VS.  0      8   )     0      8   )  WilliamsonChancery     0      8   )  No.22868 |  SARAHV.PELTZ,     8   ) tl  JESSEV.NICHOLS,and   8   )  Reverrsedsedand d\ NANCYS.NICHOLS,   8   )  Remanded     H!  #    TL   0      8   ) Defendants/Appellees. 8   ) 4, gXXyB @uu'JUDGMENT    XyBXg  0 Thiscausecameontobeheardupontherecordonappealfromthe @8 ChanceryCourtofWilliamsonCounty,briefsandargumentofcounsel;uponconsiderationwhereof,thisCourtisoftheopinionthatinthedecreeoftheChancellorthereisreversibleerror.  0 InaccordancewiththeopinionoftheCourtfiledherein,itis,therefore,orderedanddecreedbythisCourtthatthedecreeisreversed.ThecauseisremandedtotheChanceryCourtofWilliamsonCountyforfurtherproceedingsinaccordancewiththeopinionfiledhereinandforthecollectionofthecostsaccruedbelow.  0 CostsofthisappealaretaxedequallyagainstSarahV.Peltz,JesseV.NicholsandNancyS.Nichols,forwhichexecutionmayissueifnecessary.  0      8   ________________________________  0      8   BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGE  0      8   ________________________________  0      8   WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE  0      8   ________________________________  0      8   WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE