O'Connor v. Larocque: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "{{Infobox Case Brief |court=Connecticut Supreme Court |citation=302 Conn. 562, 31 A.3d 1 |date=November 1, 2011 |subject=Property |case_text_links={{Infobox Case Brief/Case Text Link |link=https://www.quimbee.com/cases/o-connor-v-larocque |source_type=Video summary |case_text_source=Quimbee }} }}")
 
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|date=November 1, 2011
|date=November 1, 2011
|subject=Property
|subject=Property
|facts=*In 1971, Mr. Perkowski died intestate.
*At the time, Perkowski owned a vacant lot in Connecticut.
*A 1/3 interest in the lot went to Perkowski's widow while a 1/6 interest went to each of the 4 children
*However, the widow mistakenly believed that she had inherited everything (i.e., the whole lot)
*Based on the said assumption, the widow conveyed the entire lot to her daughter & son-in-law (the daughter's husband) "O'Connor" in 1980
*Later in 1987, the daughter O'Connor realized that her mother had only a 1/3 interest (2/6) in the lot
*'''Larocque = a sister of O'Connor'''
*O'Connor wanted to convince Larocque to hand over her share of the land to O'Connor
*Another sister & the surviving spouse of another conveyed their interests to O'Connor; in other words, 2 siblings handed over 2 * (1/6) interests to O'Connor
*However, Larocque refused to hand over her interest to her sister O'Connor & husband
*Consequently, O'Connor had a 5/6 interest in the lot while Larocque had a 1/6 interest in the lot
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
|procedural_history=*O'Connor sued Larocque in state superior court to quiet title.
*Larocque counter-claimed against adverse possession by means of a [https://www.quimbee.com/keyterms/tenancy-in-common tenancy in common]
*O'Connor won in the bench trial
*
*
|issues=Must a [https://www.quimbee.com/keyterms/cotenancy co-tenant] in a tenancy in common prove that she ousted the other co-tenants from the land to obtain sole ownership by adverse possession?
|arguments=O'Connor contended that she had acquire Larocque's interest by adverse possession.
|holding=In a tenancy in common, a co-tenant must prove that she ousted the other co-tenants from the land to obtain sole ownership by land.
|judgment=Reversed
|reasons=Judge Zarella: There's a strong presumption against adverse possession of a tenancy in common.
|case_text_links={{Infobox Case Brief/Case Text Link
|case_text_links={{Infobox Case Brief/Case Text Link
|link=https://www.quimbee.com/cases/o-connor-v-larocque
|link=https://www.quimbee.com/cases/o-connor-v-larocque
|source_type=Video summary
|source_type=Video summary
|case_text_source=Quimbee
|case_text_source=Quimbee
}}{{Infobox Case Brief/Case Text Link
|link=https://law.justia.com/cases/connecticut/supreme-court/2011/sc18648.html
|case_text_source=Justia
}}{{Infobox Case Brief/Case Text Link
|link=https://casetext.com/case/oconnor-v-larocque-2
|case_text_source=CaseText
}}
|case_videos={{Infobox Case Brief/Case Video
|service=YouTube
|id=fFlUG-0khjY
}}
}}
}}
}}

Latest revision as of 19:33, April 16, 2024

O'Connor v. Larocque
Court Connecticut Supreme Court
Citation 302 Conn. 562, 31 A.3d 1
Date decided November 1, 2011

Facts

  • In 1971, Mr. Perkowski died intestate.
  • At the time, Perkowski owned a vacant lot in Connecticut.
  • A 1/3 interest in the lot went to Perkowski's widow while a 1/6 interest went to each of the 4 children
  • However, the widow mistakenly believed that she had inherited everything (i.e., the whole lot)
  • Based on the said assumption, the widow conveyed the entire lot to her daughter & son-in-law (the daughter's husband) "O'Connor" in 1980
  • Later in 1987, the daughter O'Connor realized that her mother had only a 1/3 interest (2/6) in the lot
  • Larocque = a sister of O'Connor
  • O'Connor wanted to convince Larocque to hand over her share of the land to O'Connor
  • Another sister & the surviving spouse of another conveyed their interests to O'Connor; in other words, 2 siblings handed over 2 * (1/6) interests to O'Connor
  • However, Larocque refused to hand over her interest to her sister O'Connor & husband
  • Consequently, O'Connor had a 5/6 interest in the lot while Larocque had a 1/6 interest in the lot

Procedural History

  • O'Connor sued Larocque in state superior court to quiet title.
  • Larocque counter-claimed against adverse possession by means of a tenancy in common
  • O'Connor won in the bench trial

Issues

Must a co-tenant in a tenancy in common prove that she ousted the other co-tenants from the land to obtain sole ownership by adverse possession?

Arguments

O'Connor contended that she had acquire Larocque's interest by adverse possession.

Holding

In a tenancy in common, a co-tenant must prove that she ousted the other co-tenants from the land to obtain sole ownership by land.

Judgment

Reversed

Reasons

Judge Zarella: There's a strong presumption against adverse possession of a tenancy in common.

Resources