Mullis v. Winchester

After a chain of conveyances following E.C. Winchester's original 1931 conveyance and subsequent death, a tax sale eventually passed the property to Carl Mullis (plaintiff) in 1943, who used the land for his timber business, cutting trees infrequently since best forestry practice called for harvesting only larger, mature trees; his deed was later found invalid. Mullis sued in 1957 to quiet title by adverse possession, and neighboring landowners testified they believed him to be the property's owner; the defendants, heirs and devisees of the original owners, argued his possession wasn't continuous because he rarely visited or lived on the land. The trial court ruled for Mullis, and the defendants appealed.