The Decision
The essential issue before the court was one of when the claim was properly made. By the time the Supreme Court heard the case, the land was no longer in Virginia, but was now part of Kentucky. Also, the statutes at issue were passed by the Virginia Legislature prior to the ratification of the United States Constitution. Nevertheless, the court felt bound to interpret the law as it was in 1780. The time-line was thus as follows:
- Mason makes claim to land
- Wilson makes claim to land
- Mason surveys land and in so doing may have changed the original claim
The court ruled that it was the claim and not the survey that was dispositive. Thus, Mason's claim should have been the valid one. However, the Court concluded that the Mason's survey was performed contrary to the claim. Therefore, for Mason's title to be valid, the survey and not the claim must be dispositive.
The Court ruled for Wilson and gave him title over the land in question.
Read more about this topic: Wilson V. Mason
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