Shearman v. Irvine's Lessee was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1807. The dispute arose when John Shearman, who had purchased land from Robert Irvine, sued for possession of the property after it had been leased to another party without his knowledge or consent. The court held that Shearman was entitled to immediate possession of the land and that he could not be deprived of his right as owner unless there were some legal proceedings against him which would have allowed such deprivation. Furthermore, they ruled that any lease made without Shearman’s knowledge or consent was voidable at law and did not bind him as an owner since he never consented to its terms nor received any benefit from it. This decision established important principles regarding ownership rights over real estate in America and set a precedent for future cases involving similar disputes between landowners and tenants.

In Shearman v. Irvine's Lessee, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a tenant in common could bring an ejectment action against another tenant in common for possession of land. The majority opinion held that such an action was not allowed under Virginia law and thus dismissed the case. However, Justice Chase dissented from this ruling and argued that tenants in common should be able to sue each other for possession of land because it is necessary to protect their rights as co-owners of property. He reasoned that if one tenant were allowed exclusive use or control over the shared property without any accountability or responsibility towards his fellow tenants then they would have no way to enforce their ownership rights over the land. Therefore, he concluded that allowing tenants in common to sue each other for possession would ensure fairness between them and prevent unjust enrichment by one party at the expense of another’s rightful share of ownership.