Hackin v. Gaynes

This action concerns an accounting and ownership of certain real property. The property over which the dispute occurred consisted of 160 acres situated near Laveen, Arizona. The appellants were the plaintiffs below, and alleged that they are owners of an undivided one-half interest in the property with the other undivided one-half interest being owned by the appellees. The record title is in the appellees alone. The appellants based their claim to the property upon the alleged existence of an informal agreement between themselves and the appellees, the essence of which was that appellant H. S. Hackin would purchase the disputed property as an agent for the appellees, but in the appellees names only, "for business reasons known only to the defendants", and that the appellees would shortly thereafter convey to the appellants their respective one-half interest. The appellees denied the existence of any such agreement.