Copeland v. Copeland

89 Ind. 29
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1883
DocketNo. 8670
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 89 Ind. 29 (Copeland v. Copeland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Copeland v. Copeland, 89 Ind. 29 (Ind. 1883).

Opinion

Hammond, J.

The appellee brought this action against the appellant to' recover for one-half of the value of her support and maintenance, growing out of a conveyance of real estate, on July 6th, 1875, by John Copeland and the appellee,, then the grantor’s wife, to the appellant and two others, who were children of said John Copeland by a former wife. A copy of the deed is filed with the appellee’s complaint. In this deed separate tracts of land are conveyed to each grantee. So much of the deed, omitting descriptions of land, as relates, to the appellant, is as follows:

This indenture witnesseth, that John Copeland and Sarah Copeland, his wife, of Henry county, in the State of Indiana, convey and warrant to my.children, hereinafter named, of Henry county, in the State of Indiana, for the consideration hereinafter mentioned, the several tracts of real estate herein described, respectively, in Henry county, in the State of In[31]*31diana, namely: First. To my son Needham W. Copeland, for and in consideration of natural To've and affection, 47-^¡- acres,” (here follows description), “ which I hereby encumber with .one-fourth the expenses of the full and entire maintenance of myself and wife during each of our lives; also, I convey to my son Needham W. Copeland, for and in consideration of $1,200, which I propose to give to the children of my daughter Anna Bieknell, deceased,” (here follows description of three tracts of land). “ These three last described tracts-I also encumber with one-fourth' the expense of the full and entire maintenance of myself and wife during our lives.”
“The maintenance referred to in this deed is to be suchascomports with my station and walk in life and former mode of living, and to include all the care, necessaries and expenses-in all sickness, together with' the last sickness, and to pay all funeral expenses, and this to include myself and wife during-each of our lives, and also care, home and home necessaries, and expenses during health as well as sickness. In case any one or all the above grantees failing to discharge their part or-parts as above stated and respectively required, the title hereby conveyed shall revert back to me and become null and void as to the person or persons so' failing. In witness whereof the grantors have hereunto set their hands and seals, this 6th day of July, 1875.” ■ .
his
[Signed] “ «John X Copeland. [Seal.] mark “.Sarah Copeland. [Seal.] ”

This deed was duly acknowledged and recorded.

The appellee avers in her complaint that at the time of the-above conveyance John Copeland owned the land therein described; that she was then his wife, and as such joined with him in the conveyance; that the only consideration-for the deed was the encumbrance placed upon the real estate therein for the support and maintenance of the grantors as therein. [32]*32provided ;that the appellant accepted the deed and entered into the possession of the real estate conveyed to him, and has since occupied and enjoyed the rents and profits thereof; that since the execution of the deed a divorce by the Henry Circuit Court has been decreed, dissolving the marriage then existing between John Copeland and herself; that one-half the expense of her support and maintenance as provided in the deed has been of the value of $50 per annum, since the making of the deed; that the appellant has wholly failed and refused to furnish her such support, to her damage in the sum of $250, which she avers to be due and unpaid, and for which she prays judgment and other proper relief.

The appellant demurred to the complaint for want of facts to constitute a cause of action. His demurrer was overruled. Ho then answered, first, by the general denial; secondly, as follows:

“Second. He says the lands described in the complaint, at the date of said conveyance, were the property in fee simple of said John Copeland, in which the plaintiff had and held only an inchoate interest as the wife of said John Copeland; that she was his second wife, by whom he had no children; that this defendant fully performed the conditions of said deed and kept and maintained said plaintiff as long as she remained and cohabited with said John, and has at all times performed the same as to said John Copeland, and he has been at all times ready and willing to perform the conditions of said deed and keep, maintain and support the plaintiff, such as comports with her station and walk in life and former mode of living, including all the necessaries and expenses in all sickness, together with the last sickness and funeral expenses, and to include home and home necessaries, and expenses during health as well as sickness, during her natural life, at the said home of the said John Copeland; but on the —day of-, 1875, she, without cause, abandoned the home of her said husband, and has continued to live separate and apart from him, and on the — day of November, 1878, he recovered judgment [33]*33against her in this court, that the bonds of matrimony theretofore existing between them be dissolved, and that he be divorced on account of said abandonment; said court at the time of the rendition of said judgment having full and complete jurisdiction of the subject-matter of the action in which said judgment was rendered, and of the parties thereto.”

The appellee’s demurrer, alleging want of facts to constitute a defence, was sustained to the above second paragraph of the answer. The ease was tried by a jury, who returned a verdict for the appellee for $183, and, over the appellant’s motion for a new trial, a personal judgment was rendered against him on the verdict. He excepted to the rulings of the court in overruling his demurrer to the complaint, in sustaining the appellee’s demurrer to the second paragraph of his answer, in overruling his motion for a new trial, and in rendering a personal judgment against him; and these several rulings he has properly assigned as error in this court. We will notice such objections as the appellant has made to these rulings and as are necessary to be referred to for a proper decision of the case. The first objection made to the complaint is that it seeks to recover a personal judgment against the appellant, which, it is claimed, is not authorized by a breach in the conditions of the deed, to support the appellee, etc.

We concur with the appellant that a personal judgment is not warranted, a point that will be again adverted to in this opinion; but still, we think, the complaint is sufficient to authorize a judgment in rem. In the deed set out in the appellee’s complaint, one-half of her support and maintenance was made a charge upon the lands convoyed to the appellant, and the facts stated in the complaint are sufficient to enforce the lien thus created. It is true, the relief asked in the appellee’s complaint is for a personal judgment, but where, as in this case, the defendant answers, the court may grant the plaintiff any relief consistent with the case made by the complaint and embraced within the issue.” Section 385, R. [34]*34S. 1881. It is also objected to the complaint that the appellee has not chosen the proper remedy. It is insisted that there was but one remedy, namely, the right of re-entry for condition broken as provided in the deed.

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Bluebook (online)
89 Ind. 29, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/copeland-v-copeland-ind-1883.