Judge Reaches Decision In 10-Year-Old Cattle Dispute

RISON - In a court case that seems more suited for the 19th century rather than the 21st, a Cleveland County Circuit Court judge recently rendered a decision regarding the ownership of a herd of cattle located in the Rye community that has been in limbo for nearly 10 years. Circuit Judge Spencer Singleton ruled on Nov. 6 that Keeton Hudson of Banks, who was both a plaintiff and cross-defendant in the case, pay $109,584 to the estate of the late Henry Eugene Young of Rye for 49 head of cattle that he claimed was sold to him before Young's death in 2013. Both Hudson, who was Henry Young's nephew, and Katie Sue Reep, who was Henry Young's sister, claimed ownership of the cattle with both presenting handwritten bill of sales as their evidence. In the judgment, Judge Singleton awarded the Henry Young estate the estimated value of the cattle as of the date of the hearing, which was Aug. 10, 2023. The amount awarded, according to court records, was based on the "expert testimony" of Wayne Beatty and James Ray Young as to the number of cattle involved and their value. The court denied the Henry Young estate's request for damages concerning the care of the cattle prior to Hudson taking possession of them. It also denied damages for losses to the family homeplace, attorney's fees and punitive damages. Singleton's judgment came nearly nine years after Hudson filed the original complaint against Katie Sue Reep and the Henry Young estate on Nov. 25, 2014, claiming that he was the owner of the cattle. In the original complaint filed by attorney David Harrod, who was Hudson's legal counsel at the time, Hudson asked for judgment against the estate for ownership of 32 cows, 16 calves and one bull. Hudson claimed in the lawsuit that his uncle had sold him the cattle before his death. Hudson presented a hand-written bill of sale dated Dec. 9, 2013, that stated Henry Young had sold all interest in his cattle to Hudson for $...