Josephine Phelps v. Vern Benke, Jr.
This case involves an appeal concerning a real property dispute over a "Barn Property" in Davidson County, Tennessee. Appellants Josephine Phelps and Roy Smith sought to establish ownership through adverse possession, claiming they had possessed the property for over seven years and that appellee Vern Benke, Jr.'s, counterclaim for ejectment was untimely. The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court's decision, concluding that the Appellants had not met the seven-year statutory requirement for adverse possession when they initiated their lawsuit. The court also held that Benke's ejectment counterclaim was timely due to the relation-back doctrine under Tennessee Code Annotated section 28-1-114, and rejected the laches defense as it was not properly raised.