Bowers v. Cottrell

96 P. 936, 15 Idaho 221, 1908 Ida. LEXIS 95
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJune 29, 1908
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 96 P. 936 (Bowers v. Cottrell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bowers v. Cottrell, 96 P. 936, 15 Idaho 221, 1908 Ida. LEXIS 95 (Idaho 1908).

Opinions

STEWART, J.

This is. an action to quiet title. The cause of action, as disclosed by the complaint, is, in substance, that the plaintiffs, on June 16, 1905, executed their certain deeds purporting to convey the property described in the complaint to the defendant, then May Belle Coghlan, her daughter; that such deeds were never delivered to May Belle Coghlan and never intended to pass title to said defendant, and were retained in the possession of this plaintiff until on or about September 4, 1906, when they were surreptitiously, secretly and without.the knowledge or consent of the plaintiffs, procured and placed upon record by the defendant, or some one at her instance or request; that no consideration was paid therefor, and said deeds were never intended to vest title in the defendant; that on the same day on which said instruments were executed, and at the same time and place, the defendant, May Belle Cottrell, executed to plaintiff her certain deeds purporting to convey to plaintiff said premises; that said deeds were taken into the possession of the plaintiff, Sarah A. Bowers, and were retained in her possession, with the deeds executed by Sarah A. Bowers, to May Belle Coghlan, but were never delivered and were retained by plaintiff, Sarah A. Bowers, until on or about September 4, 1906, when they were surreptitiously, secretly and without the knowledge or consent of plaintiffs, procured by the defendant May Belle Cottrell, or by some person at her instance and request, and retained by said defendant without being recorded.

To the complaint the defendant filed an answer specifically denying the allegations of the complaint, and alleged as an affirmative defense that on or about June 16, 1905, the plaintiff, Sarah A. Bowers, was indebted to various persons and [225]*225corporations in a large sum of money, and had signed obligations as surety for which she and her estate had become, or was to become, liable, and for the purpose of defrauding her said creditors, and particularly the Bank of Commerce, a banking corporation engaged in general banking business at Boise, Idaho, and that on or about June 16,' 1905, an action had been commenced, or was to be commenced, against this plaintiff, Sarah A. Bowers, and one George Baldwin, to recover on a promissory note made by said plaintiff and said Baldwin in the sum of $8,000, and for the purpose of defrauding said Bank of Commerce and placing her said property beyond the reach of any process of court to subject the same to the payment of any judgment of the said Bank of Commerce, she voluntarily, together with her husband, made, executed and delivered all of said deeds mentioned in said plaintiff’s complaint to the defendant, May Belle Cottrell, and for no other reason or purpose.

Upon the issues thus presented, the court made its findings and entered judgment in favor- of the plaintiff. This appeal is from the judgment. The court found' that the plaintiff, Sarah A. Bowers, was, on June 16, 1905, the owner in fee simple in her own right, and as her own separate property, of the real estate described in the complaint; that on said day she and her husband, Jacob R. Bowers, executed and acknowledged three several warranty deeds, bearing date April 28, 1905, purporting to convey to one May Belle Coghlan, now May Belle Cottrell, certain real property described in the complaint; that one of said deeds omitted in the description the block in which said lots were situated; that said deeds were without any actual consideration; that May Belle Coghlan, now, Cottrell, is the daughter of the plaintiff; that at the time of the execution of said deeds the same were delivered into the possession of the plaintiff, Sarah A. Bowers, and were not delivered to May Belle Coghlan, nor to anyone in her behalf, but were retained in the possession of Sarah A. Bowers until on or about September 1, 1906, at which time they were surreptitiously, secretly and ■without the knowledge or consent of the plaintiffs, or either [226]*226of them, procured by said May Belle Cottrell, or by some one at her instance and for her benefit,- and on September 4, 1906, caused to be filed for record in the office of the recorder of said Ada county; that the filing of the said instruments for record was without the knowledge, consent or acquiescence of this plaintiff; that on September 5, 1906, at the instance and request of W. L. Cuddy, county recorder, the plaintiffs executed a warranty deed purporting to convey to the defendant, May Belle Coghlan, a portion of the lands described in the complaint; that said deed recited the fact that the same was given to correct an error in the description of a certain other deed made between the same parties, dated April 28, 1905, and executed and acknowledged on June 16, 1905; that the deed bearing date September 5, 1906, was filed for record on the date the same was executed; that said deed was procured by said W. L. Cuddy, county recorder, to be executed and recorded at his own sole instance and request and without the knowledge or consent of the defendant, May Belle Cottrell, and in so acting said recorder was not the agent of the defendant, and that said May Belle Cottrell knew nothing of the execution of said deed, nor did she authorize its execution or its acceptance or the recording thereof, and that the same was never delivered to her nor to any person, for her, and was wholly without consideration.

As conclusions of law from these findings, the court found that the four several deeds described in the complaint and in the findings, and each of them, were void and of no effect, and that the defendant, May Belle Cottrell, acquired no right thereunder, and that the plaintiffs were entitled to> a decree declaring each of said deeds void and of no effect, and to have the title to said property quieted in Sarah A. Bowers.

This appeal presents two questions for consideration: First r Were the deeds executed by plaintiff on June 16, 1905, delivered to the defendant, and did they pass title to the property therein described to the party named therein as grantee, to wit, May Belle Coghlan, now May Belle Cottrell? [227]*227Second: Did the court err in not finding upon the issue tendered by the defendant in her answer, to the effect that said deeds were made, executed and delivered by the plaintiff, •Sarah A. Bowers, for the purpose of defrauding her creditors, and particularly the Bank of Commerce ?

The trial court evidently made its findings and rendered judgment for the plaintiff upon the theory that the deeds, purporting to convey the property described in the complaint from plaintiff xo defendant, were never delivered and therefore no title passed, for, if said deeds were delivered, and the title did pass by reason of the execution and delivery of said deeds, the plaintiff in this case cannot recover if such conveyances were made and received for the purpose of defrauding the creditors of the plaintiff, as a court of equity will not interfere or give relief to a debtor who has transferred his property for the purpose of defrauding his creditors in an action against the grantee to recover such property.

Counsel for appellant argues that the findings of the court to the effect, first, that the deeds were not delivered; second, that they were procured surreptitiously, secretly and without the knowledge or consent of plaintiffs by the defendant May Belle Cottrell; third, that they were filed for record without the knowledge, consent or acquiescence of plaintiffs or either of them, and fourth, that the deed dated September 5, 1906, was procured to be executed and recorded by W. L.

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Bluebook (online)
96 P. 936, 15 Idaho 221, 1908 Ida. LEXIS 95, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bowers-v-cottrell-idaho-1908.