Baker v. Vining

30 Me. 121
CourtSupreme Judicial Court of Maine
DecidedJuly 1, 1849
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 30 Me. 121 (Baker v. Vining) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Judicial Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baker v. Vining, 30 Me. 121 (Me. 1849).

Opinion

Tenney, J.

— The deed under which the plaintiff claims purports to convey the right, which the assignee of Jonathan Vining had in the premises ; but the notice given by the as[125]*125signee prior to the sale was, that he should dispose of the right which the bankrupt had in the land at the time of his bankruptcy. The plaintiff’ seeks a decree as a purchaser of the right which Jonathan Vining had to the land in controversy in law and in equity. He does not claim as a creditor of Jonathan Vining, and does not state in his bill that he ever held that relation to him. Neither does he bring the bill as representative of any creditor or creditors of the bankrupt, by assignment or otherwise; but the foundation of his alleged right to prevail in the suit is, that by the purchase he stands in the place of the bankrupt at the time of his bankruptcy; and the claim asserted is in no respect to be regarded as superior to the right, which he represents. Whatever may have been the rights of Jonathan Vining’s creditors, or the right of his assignee touching the property, as distinguished from the rights of the debtor, in a controversy with Daniel Vining or his grantee, they are not in litigation in this suit.

The conveyances to Stevens and Jewett, and to Lord, are treated by the plaintiff as bona fide on the part of the grantees respectively. It is not denied, that the quitclaim deed of Jonathan Vining, of his interest in the premises, to James Child and others, on the 26th of March, 1831, in consideration, that he was discharged from imprisonment on executions in favor of the grantees, was also a bona fide and valid transaction. After this release Jonathan Vining had no further interest in the land. The legal title was in Lord, and if Vining had any equitable interest, it passed to his creditors by that deed.

2. But it is insisted, that after the conveyance made by Lord to Daniel Vining, on August 23, 1833, Jonathan Vining had a resulting trust in the premises, by virtue of having paid to Lord the full consideration.

It is a well settled principle, if one purchases an estate with his own money, and the deed be taken in the name of another, a trust results by presumption of law, to the one who pays the money. “ This is a well known and universally admitted rule in equity.” Boyd v. McLean, 1 Johns. Ch. 586; Buck [126]*126v. Pike, 2 Fairf. 9. It is now regarded as also settled by the weight of authority, that where a trust is claimed as arising by operation of law, in consequence of the consideration having been paid by the one asserting the claim, for the conveyance made to the alleged trustee, this payment may be proved by parol; that such evidence is admissible not only against the face of the deed, but in opposition to the answer of the supposed trustee, denying the trust. This proposition, however, has been denied, as being in violation of the statute of frauds. Roberts on Statute of Frauds, 99. But the question has been considered at rest since the time of Lord Hardwicke generally, in chancery practice, rather by the force of authority, which had long prevailed, than by any reasonable basis, on whieh the doctrine can be supported. Sir Thomas' Clarke is reported to have said, in Lane v. Dighton, 1 Amb. 409, that if it was res integra he should have thought parol evidence ought not to be admitted, yet he conceived himself bound by the determinations of Lord Hardwicke to receive and act upon such evidence, notwithstanding such evidence is too dangerous in its consequences. The same view was taken by Sir William Grant, Master of the Rolls, in Linch v. Linch, 10 Vesey, 511, and by Chancellor Kent, in Boyd v. McLean, 1 Johns. 582, where he says, the cases uniformly show that the courts have been deeply impressed with the danger of this kind of proof as tending to perjury and the insecurity of paper title, and they have required^ the payment by the cestui que trust to be clearly proved. This court have manifested a regret that long practice had established the doctrine, and have felt the necessity of requiring full and convincing proof of payment, as the basis of a resulting trust, in favor of the one making it against the person having the legal title. Buck v. Pike, 2 Fairf. 9. And so cautious have courts been in the reception of such evidence, although the proofs have been allowed to be read ; yet if there was any secret in the cause not understood, the relief sought has been denied. Gascoigne v. Theving, 1 Verm. 366; Kirk v. Webb, Prec. in Ch. 84; Linch v. Linch, before cited.

[127]*127A doubt was formerly suggested, whether a resulting trust could be sustained, when only a part of the consideration was paid by the party claiming to be the cestui qxie trust. Lord Hardwicke is represented to have said, in Cross v. Norton, 9 Mod. 233, that “ the resulting trust, arose to the one who paid the whole consideration, but he never knew it when the consideration moved from several persons ; for this would introduce all the mischiefs, which the statute of frauds was intended to prevent. Suppose several persons agree to purchase an estate in the name of one, and the purchase money appears by the deed to be paid by him only, I do not know any case, where such persons shall come into the Court and say, they paid the purchase money, but it is expected there should be a declaration of trust. But in Wray v. Steele, 2 Ves. and Beame, 389, the Vice-Chancellor says, “Lord Hardwicke could not have used the language ascribed to him. What is there applicable to an advance by a single individual, that is not equally applicable to a joint advance, under similar circumstances?” Chancellor Kent thinks the doctrine in Cross v. Norton incorrect, and says the cases recognize the trust, when the money of A formed only a part of the consideration of the land purchased in the name of B. The land in such case is to be charged pro tanto. Botsford v. Burr, 2 Johns. Chan. 405. Judge Story adopts the principle of the later cases. Powell v. Mon. and Br. Man. Co. 3 Mason, 347.

But these cases all show manifestly, a determination in Courts, not to enlarge by construction or analogy, the doctrine, in allowing the introduction of parol evidence, to contradict the language of the deed, and the answer of the alleged trustee, in order to raise a resulting trust; but to confine the party presenting such a claim rigidly within the limits which practice has established. And no case has been found where a resulting trust has been held to arise upon payments made in common, by the one asserting his claim and the grantee in the deed, wherein the grantor acknowledges the receipt of the consideration from him alone, when the amount belonging to one and the other is uncertain, and unknown even to those [128]*128who make the payments; and no satisfactory evidence is offered exhibiting the portion, which was really the property of each. The trust springs from a presumption of law, because the alleged cestui que trust has paid the money. Such presumption must be attended with no uncertainty. The whole foundation is the payment, and this must be clearly established. The principle has its origin in the natural presumption, in the absence of all rebutting circumstances, that he who supplies the money

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Bluebook (online)
30 Me. 121, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baker-v-vining-me-1849.