Snodgrass

Respondent, as plaintiff in the court below, obtained judgment against defendants, including appellant herein, quieting her title to an acreage of land in Los Angeles County. Appellant’s answer denied respondent’s title and asserted title to a strip of land along respondent’s southern boundary. This strip is about 36 feet wide and contains about 1.10 acres. Appellant’s claim of title is based upon a tax deed. Respondent claims title by adverse possession.

The original source of respondent’s title, as well as of the title of whoever owned the property immediately to the south of her land, was a decree of partition of the Rancho Tajauta, by which respondent’s land was allotted to Ascención Valenzuela and the land to the south of her was allotted to Felipe Valenzuela. The deeds of respondent’s predecessors up until the years 1882-1885 contain descriptions which fix the southern boundary as the northern boundary of the Felipe Valenzuela allotment. At that time George Reed and wife acquired the land. Reed and wife, by deeds in 1888, 1890, and 1891, conveyed to C. Snodgrass, the immediate predecessor of respondent, all the land described in the complaint, using descriptions which did…