Reuben L. Long, John S. Penrise, Amelia Penrise (his wife), and Alice Penrise (by her guardian) were the complainants and appellants in this case against John O'Fallon. The dispute was over a tract of land located in St Louis County, Missouri that had been granted to Reuben by the United States government for his service as an officer during the War of 1812. In 1845, he sold it to O'Fallon with a warranty deed but failed to obtain clear title from prior owners who held mortgages on it at the time of sale; thus making them still liable for payment even after they transferred ownership rights to O’Fallon. The Supreme Court ruled that since Reuben did not have full legal authority over the property when he sold it due to existing liens on it, then any subsequent purchasers would also be subject those same liabilities until such time as all debts associated with said property were paid off or otherwise satisfied according

In the dissenting opinion of Reuben L. Long, John S. Penrise, and Amelia Penrose v. John O'Fallon, Justice McLean argued that the lower court's decision should be reversed because it was based on an erroneous interpretation of a deed from 1820 which granted rights to certain lands in Missouri to the complainants and their heirs forever. He argued that this language did not grant absolute ownership but rather gave them a right to use or occupy those lands for as long as they wished without interference from others; thus, he concluded that O'Fallon had no legal basis for his claim against them since he could not prove any title or interest in the land himself. Furthermore, Justice McLean noted that even if there were some ambiguity in interpreting the deed itself, it would have been better practice for both parties to seek clarification through negotiation before resorting to litigation over such matters - something which neither party had done here.