Beidelman v. Foulk

5 Watts 308
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania·Decided June 15, 1836·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

Kennedy, J.

The first error assigned is an exception to the opinion of tbe court, admitting the evidence of Lawrence Miller. This evidence was offered by the defendant below, who is also the defendant here, after that he had read in evidence a deed of conveyance, as part of his title to the land in dispute, from Peter Vanetta, the elder, to Lawrence Miller, the father of the witness under whom [309] the defendant claimed the land. It was admitted, that anterior to the execution of this deed Peter Vanetta was vested with the legal title to the land, and was .originally the owner of it; and from him both parties professed to derive their respective claims to it. The deed from Vanetta to Miller appears to have been executed on the 25th of May 1S02, a year after the time at which L. Miller, the witness, testified that the conversation took place with his father, in the presence and hearing, as -he thinks, of Peter Vanetta; in the course of which his father mentioned his wish to build a mill near the land in question, and pointed out the line of the land which it was understood he had then purchased or agreed to purchase of Vanetta, which line, as the father thought, would afford him a suitable site for the mill of which he spoke. But it is evident, and is established by all the evidence without contradiction, that the land in dispute is not embraced by the boundaries set forth in the deed. The testimony of Lawrence Miller, therefore, went to show that his father had contracted with Vanetta for the purchase of land not included within the deed of conveyance subsequently made to him. The deed, however, must be taken as the final accomplishment and consummation of all previous stipulations;” Lighty v. Shorb, 3 Penns. Rep. 450; and, hence, the inevitable conclusion is, that the father finally did not buy the land by the line then shown or pointed out. The deed must be considered as conclusive on this point between the parties to it, and those claiming under them; and cannot be contradicted by parol evidence, except it were to prove, that, either through mistake or fraud, land actually purchased was excluded from it; but the testimony of Lawrence Miller or that of any other witness has not the slightest bearing in this way. In the close of the defendant’s offer, however, under which the testimony of Lawrence Miller was admitted, it is true, that the defendant proposes to prove, among other things therein specified, that he, and those under whom he claimed, had had possession, including the premises in question, for nearly thirty years; and that Elias Dietrick, from whom the defendant bought, built the dam thereon in 1814, with Peter Valletta’s assentand assistance. To this part of the offer there was no objection made by the plaintiff; and had the defendant given evidence to this effect first, the other evidence might have been admissible in order to show that such possession was originally obtained by and with the assent of Vanetta. But this was not done ; and upon recurrence to all the evidence given on the trial of the cause, it does not appear that a tittle was given from first to last tending to show that Lawrence Miller, the elder, ever had possession of the land in dispute, or that possession was had of it by any other than Peter Vanetta until after Lawrence Miller, the elder, sold to Elias Dietrick the land embraced within his deed from Vanetta; when it appears that in 1814, Dietrick being about to erect the dam, he took possession of it from Vanetta not only against his'will and express prohibition, but, when the latter told him he would stop him from [310] joining his dam to the bank of the creek, he, in reply, let him know that nothing except a force which he could not overcome should prevent him from doing so. As the evidence of Lawrence Miller could not control or extend the operation of the deed from Vanetta to his father, so as to pass land not included in the description of the land conveyed by it, it is therefore clear that it could not be admitted for that purpose. And as evidence of a distinct and different contract for the purchase of other land than that included in the deed, and for the purpose of passing an interest in it, it is equally clear that it could not be received ; because, as evidence of a contract, it was altogether defective; it did not go to show what the terms of the contract were; nor that any possession of the land was given and taken under it, nor that any money or other thing of value was paid upon it; and, being by parol, it was wholly insufficient to pass a right to land even had the terms of the contract been distinctly and clearly proved, because contrary to the statute against frauds and perjuries. In every point of view then that can be taken of this evidence we think it was inadmissible, and that the court erred in receiving it.

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Beidelman v. Foulk, 5 Watts 308 (Pa. 1836).

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