Find Court Cases > Go Back to List > Smith v. Malone

Smith v. Malone

Case Date: 12/18/2000
Court: 4th District Appellate
Docket No: 4-00-0369 Rel

NO. 4-00-0369

18 December 2000

IN THE APPELLATE COURT

OF ILLINOIS

FOURTH DISTRICT



KENNETH W. SMITH; PATRICIA ANN SMITH;
HELEN GILLILAND HUGHES, Trustee of
the HELEN GILLILAND HUGHES Trust,
dated November 10, 1993; and ANN I. 
GILLILAND,

         Plaintiffs-Appellants,

         v.

LAVERNE MALONE; SHARON MALONE;
WILLIAM C. EDWARDS, Trustee Under
Declaration of Trust of WILLIAM C.
EDWARDS, dated January 25, 1994; and
BERTHA A. EDWARDS, Trustee Under
Declaration of Trust of BERTHA A.
EDWARDS, dated January 25, 1994,

         Defendants-Appellees.

)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)

Appeal from
Circuit Court of
De Witt County
No. 94MR16









Honorable
John P. Shonkwiler,
Judge Presiding.

_________________________________________________________________

JUSTICE KNECHT delivered the opinion of the court:

In July 1994, plaintiffs, Kenneth W. Smith, PatriciaAnn Smith, Helen Gilliland Hughes, as trustee of the HelenGilliland Hughes trust dated November 10, 1993, and AnnGilliland, filed a complaint against defendants, Laverne Malone,Sharon Malone, William C. Edwards, as trustee under declarationof trust of William C. Edwards dated January 25, 1994, and BerthaA. Edwards, as trustee under declaration of trust of Bertha A.Edwards dated January 25, 1994, for ejectment and quiet titleregarding a strip of former Illinois Central Railroad (Railroad)right-of-way property. In March 2000, the trial court granteddefendants' motion to dismiss plaintiffs' complaint without leaveto file an amended complaint. Plaintiffs appeal, arguing thetrial court erred in interpreting section 912 of Title 43 of theUnited States Code (43 U.S.C.