Cory v. Cory

86 Ind. 567
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1882
DocketNo. 9992
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 86 Ind. 567 (Cory v. Cory) 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
Cory v. Cory, 86 Ind. 567 (Ind. 1882).

Opinion

Bicknell, C. C.

Jeremiah Cory devised one hundred acres of land to his son Moses W. Cory, on condition that he should make ample provision for the comfort and maintenance of his sister Catherine during her natural life.

The appellants, who are the heirs of said testator, brought this suit against the appellee on the 23d of November, 1880, alleging that they are the owners as tenants in common of said land, except an undivided twelfth part thereof owned by defendant; that the land was devised as aforesaid to Moses W» Cory; that ever since March 12th, 1879, he has failed and refused to support and maintain said Catherine, although often requested thereto by plaintiffs on her behalf; that plaintiffs, as such heirs at law, upon such failure, became the owners of said land, and as such owners have entered upon and taken possession of it; that defendant claims title thereto under a sheriff’s deed, made upon the foreclosure of a mortgage executed by said Moses to one Johnson, but that said condition was broken before the date of said deed. The plaintiffs demanded that said undivided eleven-twelfths be set off to them in a body, and that their title thereto be quieted, etc. Copies of the will and probate were annexed to the complaint.

The defendant answered each of the two paragraphs of the complaint by a general denial. He also filed a counter-claim to the entire complaint in two paragraphs:

1. That defendant owns all of said land, subject to a claim in favor of said Catherine thereon, for her comfortable sustenance and support during life, and praying that his title be quieted as against all the plaintiffs except said Catherine, and that she be declared without interest in the land, except a lien thereon for her comfortable sustenance and support during life.

2. Admitting the seizin of Jeremiah Cory, and the devise to Moses on condition, and the heirship of the plaintiffs and Moses Cory, as stated in the complaint, and alleging that, on October 1st, 1875, said Moses, under said devise, was the owner of said land in possession, and on that day borrowed [569]*569from one Johnson $3,000, and to secure the same mortgaged to him the land, representing it to be free from encumbrances, said Johnson having .then no knowledge of said condition, all of which was well known to said Catherine; that said $3,000 was not paid, and Johnson thereupon foreclosed his mortgage, said Catherine being a party to the foreclosure suit, and her interest being protected by the judgment therein; that at the foreclosure sale, on February 15th, 1879, Johnson bought the land for $4,094.55, the amount due on the mortgage, which was much more than the value of the land, subject to the aforesaid condition; that said Moses Cory was then insolvent, and had made an assignment in bankruptcy, and had no other property subject to execution; that Johnson, on November 18th, 1879, assigned the sheriff’s certificate of sale to the defendant, who, the land not having been redeemed, received .from the sheriff, on February 23d, 1880,a deed therefor; that under said deed the defendant owns the land in fee simple, and is entitled to the possession thereof; that, if there has been any breach of said condition, it was without the consent or connivance of this defendant or of said Johnson; that defendant holds the land subject to said condition; that said Catherine had knowledge of said Johnson’s claim long before the foreclosure of said mortgage; that defendant is now and always has been ready to perform said condition, and has offered to support said Catherine according to said devise, but she has refused to permit him to do so; that any breach of said condition by said Moses was made for the fraudulent purpose of defeating said Johnson’s claim and this defendant’s title, by the consent and connivance of said Catherine and her co-plaintiffs; that any such default of said Moses, in the year 1879, was waived by said Catherine, who was again supported by him until the — day of-, 1880, after the defendant had received said sheriff’s deed, when said Moses abandoned the land and left Catherine in possession of it, who has ever since made her home upon it, this defendant having permitted her to be undisturbed in said possession, and to en[570]*570joy thereon a bountiful support therefrom; that before and since said foreclosure. said Catherine has resided near said Johnson and this defendant, but neither of them has been notified of any breach of said condition by said Moses, and that no demand for the performance of said condition was ever made upon either of them; that said Moses has substantially complied with said condition; that the plaintiffs’ claim is a cloud upon the defendant’s title. The prayer of this counter-claim is, that the defendant may be decreed to be the owner of the land, and entitled to the possession thereof, subject to the condition aforesaid, and that his title be quieted, etc.

The plaintiffs filed an answer in denial of each paragraph of the counter-claim. The issues were tried by the court upon “ an agreed statement of facts in writing.”

The court found for the defendant upon the complaint and upon the counter-claim, and that he is the owner in fee simple of .the land, and has been such owner since February 23d, 1880, the same being subject in his hands to a claim in favor of the plaintiff Catherine Cory, for her support, as provided in the last will of Jeremiah Cory, deceased.

The record here states “ to all of which finding and conclusions of law plaintiffs except and object.” The finding was made at October term, 1881. At January term, 1882, the plaintiffs moved for a new trial, alleging the following reasons therefor:

1. The findings are contrary to law.

2. The findings are contrary to the evidence.

3. The findings are contrary to law and the evidence.

4. There was not a proper submission of said cause.

This motion was overruled; judgment was rendered pursuant to the findings. The record here states, “to all of which judgment the plaintiffs object and except.” The plaintiffs appealed; they assign errors:

1. In the conclusions of law upon the facts found.

[571]*5712. In the conclusions of law upon the facts set forth in the agreed statement of facts.

3. In overruling the motion for a new trial.
4. In finding against Catherine Cory.

5. In rendering judgment against the plaintiffs, quieting the appellee’s title.

It appears, by the bill of exceptions, that the evidence consisted of an agreed statement of facts. It was not a trial upon •an agreed case under section 386 of the code of 1852, which is section 553 of R. S. 1881 ; there was no affidavit. The Endings were not special under section 341 of the code of 1852, which is section 551 of R. S. 1881, because neither party requested a special finding. The findings were general, involving conclusions of law and fact. There were, therefore, no conclusions of law to be excepted to, and the first and ■second specifications in the assignment of errors present no question. Smith v. Johnson, 69 Ind. 55; Martin v. Martin, 74 Ind. 207; Downey v. Washburn, 79 Ind. 242. In such a case, in order to bring up the question whether the decision was contrary to the law and the evidence, a motion for a new trial is the only proper proceeding. Slessman

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Bluebook (online)
86 Ind. 567, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cory-v-cory-ind-1882.