Colby v. Cato's Adm'r

47 Ala. 247
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedJanuary 15, 1872
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 47 Ala. 247 (Colby v. Cato's Adm'r) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Colby v. Cato's Adm'r, 47 Ala. 247 (Ala. 1872).

Opinion

PETERS, J.

In 1859, Edward B. Young accepted or indorsed a draft for John C. Cook for the sum of $2,587.50, which fell due on the 1st of February, 1860. Cook was [251]*251also indebted to John Colby at tbe same time by two promissory note's; the one for $5,000 and the other for $2,207.25. These notes bore date about the 10th day of March, 1858, but it does not appear when they became due. Eor the purpose of securing these debts, Cook conveyed to Young certain lots of land lying in the city of Eufaula in Barbour county in this State, which are particularly described in the conveyance. This conveyance bears date May 21, 1859. It was made in the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, and it was there properly acknowledged before the commissioner of deeds for this State on the day of its date. And on the 21st day of July, 1859, it was “ received and recorded ” in the proper office in the said county of Barbour in this State, as required by law. By this conveyance Young was empowered to sell the property therein named to pay the debts intended to be secured, if Cook made default in their payment.

Afterwards, on January 28th, 1860, Cook sold to Lewis L. Cato, for the sum of $3,000, a portion of the lots of land conveyed to Young as aforesaid. This sale was made in the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, and the deed for said lots, thus sold, was there made and acknowledged before the commissioner of deeds for this State, and brought to this State and properly recorded in said county of Barbour, on February 6th, 1860. The debt on which Young was bound was fully paid, and some payments were made upon the debts to Colby. And among the payments made on the Colby debts were several which were made upon a promissory note for $3,000 made by Cato and payable to Cook, and by the latter transferred to Mrs. Colby, as the executrix of her husband’s will. All this note seems to have been paid to her, except the sum of #685.00, the amount of a judgment in a garnishment suit in favor of one Burras, which was paid to Burras. After this, Mrs. Colby, by her attorneys-at-law, caused Young to advertise the lands named in the conveyance to him as above said, for sale under said conveyance in the city of Eufaula aforesaid, on the 4th day of May, 1867, for the payment of the Colby debts, or so much thereof as re[252]*252mainecl unpaid. In this advertisement of sale the lots sold by Cook to Cato were included, along with the other lands conveyed to Young to secure the payment of the debts to Mrs. Colby and to Young. Cato filed the present bill to enjoin this sale, and for general relief. And in addition to the facts already above shown, the bill and amended bill state the facts of Cook’s insolvency, and his non-residence, and that the note given by Cato to .Cook for $3,000' was for the purchase-money of the lots sold to Cato, and that Mrs. Colby must have known this fact, and if she did not, then Young, her trustee, did at the time the note was transferred to her. And also that the complainant knew nothing of the mortgage until the sale was advertised in 1868; and if said lots are sold to paj the mortgage debt, “ said lots will be made to pay it twice.” Mrs. Colby and Young and Cook are made defendants to the bill and amended bill. The two former answer, and judgment pro confesso is taken as to Cook. Mrs. Colby admits the several conveyances above stated, and sets up the mortgage in her defense. She also shows that her debts are not paid, but that there remains a balance thereon of $8,918.15, after giving credit for all she received on the note for $3,OOOafore-said, and demurs. Young also answers and admits the full payment of the debt on which he was hable, and that a sale of all the property conveyed to him had been advertised, as stated by the complainant. The mortgage is made an exhibit to Mrs. Colby’s answer, and is referred to as such by Young. The preponderance of the proof is in favor of Mrs. Colby’s answer. No notice seems to have been taken of the demurrer, and the cause was heard upon the bill as amended, the answers, exhibits and proofs. The learned chancellor directed an account to be taken to ascertain what sum of money had been collected by Mrs. Colby on the note of Cato to Cook, which had been transferred to her. This was ascertained to be $779.30, and so reported, and the report confirmed. And the court further decreed “ that upon the payment by defendants to complainant of the said sum of $779.30, with interest from this date, and the costs of this suit and the filing of receipts therefor with [253]*253the register of this court, which receipts shall be made a part of the record in this cause,” that then the injunction heretofore granted “ shall be deemed and held of no effect and dissolved.” And in default of the payment of said sum of money and costs within six months after the date of the decree, then said injunction is “ declared to be perpetual.” The defendants were also taxed with the costs. From this decree the defendants appeal to this court, and here assign the decree for error.

The conveyance from Cook to Young to secure the payment of his acceptance for Cook, and Cook’s promissory notes to Colby, was in effect but a mortgage. — Mussena v Bartlett, 8 Port. 277; 7 Bac. Abr. Bouv. p. 27, et seq; 4 Kent, p. 134 (marg.); Cunard v. The Atlantic Insurance Company, 1 Pet. 386; 1 Hilliard Real Prop. 371, chap. XXIX. ‘This instrument holds all the lands and other property mentioned therein subject to the trusts created by its stipulations. And among these are the payment of all the debts intended to be secured, and the interest theron, and all damages that Young might sustain on. account of his acceptance or indorsement of Cook’s draft. The recital in the mortgage, on this point, is in these words: <£ This grant is intended as a security for the payment of the draft and notes herein described. If not paid, then the said Edward B. Young has power to sell for cash or on time as he1 may think best, upon giving ten days notice by a notice put up at the post-office in the city of Eufaula, and the proceeds to be applied to the payment of said draft and notes, and to reimburse him fully for all damages he may sustain on account of said indorsement.” This language is too plain for misconception. It very clearly subjects all the lands named in the conveyance to sale for the purpose of the payment of all the debts intended to be secured — the entire debt to Colby, as well as the full amount of Young’s liability on his acceptance. After this conveyance, Cook had no estate, that he could pass to Cato, except his right of redemption, and possibly his possession until the law day had arrived. — 1 Ala. 23, 708; 2 Ala. 553; 19 Ala. 753; 21 Ala. 288; Rev. Code, § 2871, cl. 3. The estate thus [254]*254acquired could not be allowed to impede Mrs. Colby’s right, as the representative of her husband, to insist on a foreclosure. — 2 Ala. 331. It does not appear from the allegations of the bill or amended bill that she had relinquished this right, or forfeited it, or that her debt had been paid, or that the mortgagee or beneficiary had been barred by the statute of limitations. The proof shows that neither Mrs. Colby nor Young knew of the consideration of Cato’s note. The bill admits that Mrs. Colby’s debt had not been paid.

The conveyance to Young was dated on the 21st day of May, 1859, and it was recorded after being properly acknowledged before a commissioner of this State in Washington city, in the District of Columbia, in the proper office of the county, in which the lands therein conveyed were situated, on the 21st day of July, 1859.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Merrimon v. Parkey
136 Tenn. 645 (Tennessee Supreme Court, 1916)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
47 Ala. 247, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/colby-v-catos-admr-ala-1872.