Brockenbrough v. Blythe's ex'ors

3 Va. 619
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedMarch 15, 1832
StatusPublished

This text of 3 Va. 619 (Brockenbrough v. Blythe's ex'ors) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brockenbrough v. Blythe's ex'ors, 3 Va. 619 (Va. 1832).

Opinion

Carr, J.

In the examination of this case, as between Blythe and his vendees, Broclcenbrough and Taylor, I shall put out of view their contract with Rogers, and shall consider it, as if they had continued to hold the lands, and had exhibited the bill in the first suit, and prosecuted it to a decree : I shall so consider the case, in order to simplify it, and because it can do no injustice to Broclcenbrough and Taylor; since their contract with Rogers could no wise vary Blythe's rights; and, as to him, they must be considered as having exhibited the bill that was filed in th.eir names, and as having prosecuted that suit. From the date of Blythe's sale, in September 1813, he took no step to perform his contract in respect of Miss Young's moiety; made no conveyance thereof to the vendees, with warranty; gave no security that her title should be conveyed when she should attain her full age. The subpoena against him was sued out in July 1815. The bill was filed in 1819. It made Blythe's representatives and Miss Young parties defendants: it contained an earnest call for a specific execution of Blythe's contract, as to Miss Young's moiety; and it was only in case Blythe should be unable to execute it specifically, that it asked damages for his breach of contract. Miss Young came of age in 1823, and put in her answer in 1824; in which, while she denied her obligation to do so, she consented to convey her title, upon receiving the purchase money with interest, which by the contract of September 1813, was to be paid to Blythe; and she filed a conveyance in court, to be delivered to the vendees, upon their paying the purchase money with interest. The chancellor’s interlocutory decree in that suit, pronounced in July 1825, was a decree for specific execution.

[637]*637The principal objection to that decree, was, that interest; , , • t.7 7 / . . . . , . . was thereby given to Blythe (or, which is the same thing in effect, to Miss Young,) from the dates from which the instalments were to bear interest by the contract of September 1813, though Blythe had made no conveyance of Miss Young’s moiety with warranty, nor given security that the title should be conveyed, nor procured Miss Young’s title till 1824, but had in these particulars, broken his contract, to the serious injury of the vendees. It is true that Blythe’s contract binds him to make a deed to the vendees, with general warranty, for Miss Young’s part of the land : but it names no time for doing this. It was well known, that the title was in her, and that she was an infant: it could not be the meaning of the parties, that Blythe should make the deed before he got the title; this was not the security the parties contemplated; that was, to hold the purchase money until the deed should be made, or until Blythe should give sufficient security for a good title, when Miss Young attained her age. The vendees took possession of the property under the contract, and have never been disturbed in it. They say, indeed, that they have suffered damages, by being prevented by the uncertainty of the title, from making the various improvements necessary for a watering place, and reaping the golden harvest, which would have followed: but we have no evidence upon this point; and these speculative damages are the most difficult of all things to be estimated. Perhaps, they might have made thousands; perhaps, they might have sunk every thing. But this is certain, they have had possession of more than 900 acres of land; some of it among the most fertile I have ever seen. The record tells us, this land adjoined the Sweet Springs, a long established watering place; which, we may fairly presume, would furnish a ready market for the products of the soil. Be all this as it may, the vendees have not brought an action for damages: they have filed their bill for a specific execution, praying that the title, if it can possibly be had, may be decreed to them; and it [638]*638is only in case they cannot get this, that damages are asked for. This suit they prosecute in such a lingering way, as not to bring it to hearing till 1824; waiting (it would seem) till Miss Young (whom, without legal or equitable cla*m uPon her, they had made a party) should come of age. She attained her age in the latter part of 1823, and before the hearing, her answer is filed agreeing to ratify the contract, and tendering a deed, to be delivered, on receiving her purchase money and interest. To this deed there is no exception taken, no reference asked as to title : and the question is, was the chancellor wrong, under these circumstances, to decree interest on the purchase money ? It is most clear, that against Miss Young, he could make no decree, except such as she assented to; and the plaintiffs knowing this, and still making her a party, and praying for her title, must be considered, as consenting to take it, on such terms as she should prescribe. But independently of all this, it is the settled rule, that a vendee, in possession of both land and purchase money, coming for a specific execution, shall pay interest, even though the vendor has been in default, unless he has not only kept the purchase money idle, but has given the vendee notice that it was so. I think the rule a sound one, and applicable to this case. There was no error then in decreeing interest.

But it was objected, that the decree directs the sale of the whole of the land, unless the purchase money should be paid within a given time. This objection would seem to come with a bad grace from vendees, who have insisted on the specific execution of the cpntract. They could only expect to get the title which they have prayed for on paying for it. The purchase money was a lien upon the whole land.

Thus I am of opinion, that, as this case appeared upon the record in the first suit before the chancellor, his decree was right.

But, before the institution of that suit, other circumstances had occurred, other transactions had taken place; [639]*639and these have been made the subject of the new bill filed by Brockenbrough and Taylor, seeking to suspend the decree in the first suit, and, so far as it affects them, to set it aside. And we are now to consider the case in this new aspect.

In this bill of Brockenbrough and Taylor,—after setting forth their contract with Rogers of May 1815, and the proceedings and decree in the first suit, and alleging that that suit was brought and prosecuted by Rogers, in their names, without their knowledge or consent,—-they charge Rogers with misconduct in several respects : 1. in bringing the suit in their names alone, concealing from the court every trace of his contract with them, his possession of the property, and enjoyment of all its profits, making himself no party, and so stating the case, as to make them appear still the owners and possessors of the property: 2. in making Miss Young a party, against whom they pretended no claim whatever: and 3. in procuring a decree for her title, and putting upon them the burden of paying the purchase money of her moiety with interest, whereas Rogers was the person bound to pay both, and the person against whom the court would have decreed such payment, if he had made himself a party and fairly stated the whole case.

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Bluebook (online)
3 Va. 619, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brockenbrough-v-blythes-exors-va-1832.