Chandler v. French
Virginia Supreme Court
81 S.E. 825 (1914)
- Written by Miller Jozwiak, JD
Facts
A group of landowners (plaintiffs) claimed to have the right to minerals underlying a large tract of land. The landowners’ claim was based on a deed that conveyed title to the land in 1885. Lowry (defendant) also claimed to have a right to the minerals underlying the land. Lowry, however, made his claim based on a lease executed in 1881 for a 99-year term. Under the terms of the lease, Lowry had a right to access the land and extract all coal and minerals from underneath the tract in exchange for a rate for the coal extracted of three cents per ton removed. The landowners sued Lowry, claiming that the lease was at most a mining lease and that it had been forfeited. The landowners therefore sought to have the lease declared void. The trial court agreed with the landowners, and Lowry appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Williams, J.)
What to do next…
Here's why 832,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,500 briefs, keyed to 994 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.
