Chicago Lumbering Co. v. Powell

78 N.W. 1022, 120 Mich. 51, 1899 Mich. LEXIS 886
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedApril 25, 1899
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 78 N.W. 1022 (Chicago Lumbering Co. v. Powell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Chicago Lumbering Co. v. Powell, 78 N.W. 1022, 120 Mich. 51, 1899 Mich. LEXIS 886 (Mich. 1899).

Opinion

Hooker, J.

The bill of complaint was filed to restrain the defendants from cutting timber upon premises which the complainant claimed to own. The pleadings raise a question .of ownership between the parties, and the defendants appeal from an adverse decree.

A stipulation shows that Jonathan Nield was the owner of the land on May 22, 1879, and the proof discloses that upon that day Nield and wife made a deed of the land [53]*53to Adam Murray, of Manchester, England. The deed recites that:

Whereas, at a meeting of the creditors of the said Jonathan Nield, duly convened and holden on the twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine, the said Adam Murray was chosen to be trustee of the separate estate of the said Jonathan Nield;
And tohereas, the said Adam Murray, -as such trustee, has requested the said Jonathan Nield to execute a conveyance to him, the said Adam Murray, as such trustee as aforesaid, of the lands hereinafter described or intended so to be, with their appurtenances, and the said Jonathan Nield has agreed to make the said conveyance:
“Koto, therefore, these presents witness that in pursuance of the said agreement, and in consideration of the sum of one dollar, lawful money of the United States of America, to them in hand paid at or before the sealing and delivery of these presents, receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged; the said parties of the first part have granted, bargained, sold, conveyed, and confirmed, and do hereby grant, bargain, sell, convey, and confirm, unto the said Adam Murray, party of the second part, as trustee for the benefit and security of the creditors of the aforesaid Jonathan Nield, his heirs, successors, and assigns, all of the following pieces or parcels of land situate in the State of Michigan, to wit.”

It was recorded in the register’s office for the county of Schoolcraft on July 24, 1879.

A power of attorney from Adam Murray to Reginald William-Petre, executed August 8, 1879, and recorded in said office April 14, 1881, was introduced. It authorized Petre to sell all lands deeded to Murray by Nield, to lease the same, and to sell and dispose of timber growing thereon. Both instruments were executed in England. Petre, as attorney for Murray, on June 8, 1882, sold the timber on the land to Ross & Co. by an instrument in writing, reading as follows:'

“In consideration of the sum of $2,340, to be paid in. form of a draft on Ross & Co., of Quebec, Canada, I hereby sell the pine timber standing, lying, and being on [54]*54the following-described lands in the county of Schoolcraft, State of Michigan, to the said Ross & Co., being on an estimate of 200 ft. B. M. to the acre.”
It described the land, and was signed:
“Adam Murray, Trustee, per Reginald W. Petre Attorney in Fact.”

It was neither witnessed nor acknowledged, and was not, therefore, entitled to record.

On March 10, 1893, Adam Murray conveyed the land to the North of England Trustee Debenture & Assets Corporation, and its deed was recorded on April 17, 1894. This conveyance was “subject to all existing * * * timber contracts.” On December 20, 1894, the North of England Trustee Debenture & Assets Corporation deeded the land to the Lac la Belle Company, “subject to all existing * * * timber contracts of record.” The complainant acquired the interest of Ross, while the defendants have succeeded to the interest of the Lac la Belle Company.'

The defendants oppose the relief sought upon the following grounds:

1. That Petre had no authority to make the timber contract.

2. That, if he had, the instrument was insufficient to convey an interest in land.

3. That, under the recording laws, the defendants were bona fide purchasers, and took the land discharged from the timber contract.

The record shows 'that Nield and his associates in business, all residents of England, being insolvent, instituted proceedings upon their own behalf, for a composition with their creditors, by filing a petition in the county court of Lancashire, under the English bankruptcy act, and Adam Murray was appointed trustee. The bankruptcy act was introduced for the purpose of showing what powers are given to a trustee by that act; and it seems to be conceded that the power to convey, directly or through attorney, is [55]*55among them. The conveyance to Murray was voluntary, and the deed, taken in connection with the proceedings under which the trust was assumed, shows that it was the intention that he should dispose of the property for the benefit of Nield’s creditors. The.deed has referred to these proceedings, and they may be considered in the attempt to ascertain what interest Murray obtained by the deed. It is urged that these proceedings have no extraterritorial force, and that the complainant cannot assert a claim under the foreign bankruptcy proceedings. We understand that the title claimed is not a judicial title. The evidence shows, on the contrary, that the deed was given to the trustee in pursuance of an amicable arrangement between Nield and some persons professing to be his creditors, whereby it was mutually agreed that Murray should take the title, of the land, as trustee, for the purpose of the liquidation of the affairs of Nield by arrangement, and not in bankruptcy. The title was accordingly conveyed to Murray by Nield.

In Graydon v. Church, 7 Mich. 51, it was said that the courts of one State have no power to make their judgments and decrees operate directly upon property in another; and in that case, if the receiver’s rights in real property had been left to depend upon the decree of the New York court, they could not be recognized in this State. But an assignment had been made to the receiver, and this was respected.

In Wood v. Parsons, 27 Mich. 163, the court recognized the rule that laws enacted by one sovereignty can have no force within the territory of another, but added:

■ “ Had the insolvent in this case, with or without the intervention or order of the court, made an assignment of this property to Wood, the plaintiff, we see no reason to doubt that such assignment would have operated as a conveyance of the title to any property of the insolvent here, except possibly, in some cases, as against the claims of creditors here. ”

Again, in Burrows v. Keays, 37 Mich. 435, this court said:

[56]*56“A reference to the assignment shows that ‘the said party of the first part [Burrows], being insolvent, has voluntarily assigned, and hereby doth voluntarily assign, to the said party of the second part [Keays], all of his estate and effects, real and personal, of every nature and kind whatsoever.’ This, we think, is sufficiently full and complete to transfer and pass the title to the plaintiff to the property in question, and gives him a right to come into court and enforce and protect such title, as against the claims of the assignor.

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Bluebook (online)
78 N.W. 1022, 120 Mich. 51, 1899 Mich. LEXIS 886, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chicago-lumbering-co-v-powell-mich-1899.