In the case of Messinger v. The Eastern Oregon Land Company in 1899, the U.S Supreme Court ruled on a dispute over land ownership. The plaintiff, Messinger, claimed that he had purchased a piece of land from an individual who had obtained it through the Homestead Act. However, before this individual could receive official title to the property from the government, they sold it to Messinger. Meanwhile, Eastern Oregon Land Company also laid claim to this same parcel of land and sued for possession. The court held that under federal law governing homesteading rights at that time (the Pre-emption Act), individuals were not allowed to sell their claims prior to receiving formal patent (title) from the government; thus making any such sales void by default. Therefore even though Mr.Messinger paid for and occupied his plot first; because he bought it prematurely according to federal law - his purchase was deemed invalid. Consequently,the Supreme Court sided with Eastern Oregon Land Company stating they were rightful owners since they acquired their claim legally after obtaining proper title deeds.This ruling emphasized importance of adhering strictly with legal procedures when dealing with real estate transactions.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Messinger v. The Eastern Oregon Land Company argued that the majority's decision was incorrect because it failed to properly interpret and apply existing laws regarding land ownership and transfer. They contended that under these laws, a person who had made improvements on a piece of land with the intention of purchasing it should be considered its rightful owner, even if they did not have formal legal title to it at the time. In this particular case, they believed that Messinger had clearly demonstrated his intent to purchase and improve upon the disputed property before any other claims were made on it by The Eastern Oregon Land Company or others. Therefore, he should have been recognized as its lawful owner despite any subsequent disputes or complications arising from his initial lack of formal title.