Crans v. Board of Commissioners

87 Ind. 162
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1882
DocketNo. 9536
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 87 Ind. 162 (Crans v. Board of Commissioners) 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
Crans v. Board of Commissioners, 87 Ind. 162 (Ind. 1882).

Opinion

Howk, J.

This was a suit by the appellants Ellen and James T. Crans, against the appellees, ninety in number, for' [163]*163the enforcement of an alleged vendor’s lien on certain real estate in Hamilton county. Afterwards, the appellants Oliver I. Conner and Elizabeth Bosley, on their own motion, were made parties plaintiffs in the action, and joined with the original plaintiffs in their complaint. The appellees demurred to the complaint upon the ground that it did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action, which demurrers were sustained by the court. The appellants excepted to this ruling, and, failing to amend or plead further, judgment was rendered against them for appellees’ costs.

The only error assigned by appellants is the decision of the court in sustaining the demurrers to their complaint. The appellants alleged, in substance, in their complaint, that on the 12th day of March, 1855, William Conner died intestate, owning large tracts of land in Hamilton county, and leaving as his heirs at law a widow and several named children, and among them the appellant Ellen, then an infant aged ten years, who afterwards, in 1870, intermarried with her co-appellant James T. Crans; that, in 1856, some of the heirs of William Conner,.deceased, commenced-a suit against the appellant Ellen, and others of said heirs, in the court of common pleas of Hamilton county, for the partition of the real estate which had descended to them at the death of such decedent; that such proceedings were had in such suit as that commissioners were appointed to make such partition,, who, on August 7th, 1856, made a report to the court of such, partition, which was confirmed by the court; that, in such report, certain lands were assigned in severalty to the appellants, and that certain other lands described in the complaint,, near Noblesville, and two lots adjoining such town, were set off to Alexander H. Conner in severalty; that the commissioners found that the lands and lots so set off to Alexander H. Conner were more valuable than the lands set off to appellant Ellen, and “for the purpose of securing unto her the balance of the purehasc-monoy owing her for her interest in. the lands and lots so set off to Alexander H. Conner in sev[164]*164eralty, report that he should pay said Ellen said difference, viz., $400, nine years after date; ” that Alexander H. Conner, in open court, asked that this report of the commissioners be confirmed, which the court did, and rendered judgment that he should pay the said Ellen, then called Margaret E., the said sum of $400, in nine years after that date, with three per cent, interest until due; arid that the said judgment in favor of said Ellen, and the interest thereon, were still due and unpaid. It was alleged that the appellant Ellen had a vendor’s lien on the lands and lots set off to Alexander H. Con-nor in severalty, to secure the payment of her said judgment against him, and interest thereon, and that the appellees were the present owners and in possession of such lands and lots and parcels thereof, claiming through and under Alexander H. Conner by virtue of divers mesne conveyances; that each of the appellees acquired and purchased his parcel of such lands and lots, with notice of the lien of appellant Ellen thereon; and that, for many years past, Alexander II. Conner had been a non-resident of the State of Indiana, was insolvent, and had no property subject to execution in this State. Wherefore, etc.

The appellants Oliver I. Conner and Elizabeth Boxley alleged in their complaint substantially the same facts as were stated in the complaint of the original plaintiffs, differing therefrom chiefly in this, that the said Oliver I. Conner and Elizabeth Boxley each alleged that, in the same partition suit of the real estate of William Conner, deceased, it was adjudged that Alexander H. Conner should pay them the sum of $300, in nine years after that date, with three per cent, interest; and they claimed as a security for the payment of their respective judgments and interest, which they averred to be due and unpaid, a vendor’s lien on the lands and lots, so set off as aforesaid in severalty to Alexander H. Conner, which lion they severally sought to enforce.

In the record of the partition suit, set out in the complaints, the report of the commissioners appointed by the court to [165]*165make the partition, among other matters, contained the following statement: “And we do further find and show to the court now here that said lands could not be equally divided amongst the said heirs, in value, without injury to all, and we have proposed that the following sums of money be paid by each of said heirs as follows, to wit: * * * * * * * “ That the said Alexander H. Conner pay to the said heirs (Oliver, Herbert and Elizabeth Conner) $300, nine years from date, with three per cent, interest, and that he pay to Ellen Conner $400, nine years after date, with three per cent, interest.”

It appears, also, that when the commissioners presented to the court their report of their proceedings in the partition suit the parties appeared and filed “ the following agreement and consent to the foregoing award of partition:

“ Richard J. Conner et al. vs. Elisha II. Conner et al.
“ We, the undersigned, agree to the partition made by the commissioners in this case, and ask the court to confirm the same, and the payments in said' report required.”

This agreement was signed, among others, by Alexander H. Conner, by the guardian of Margaret Ellen Conner, and by the guardian of Oliver, Herbert and Elizabeth Conner. Upon the commissioners’ report, and the written agreement and consent of the parties in relation thereto, the court rendered final judgment, confirming the partition made; that the said Alexander H. Conner pay to said Oliver, Herbert and Elizabeth Conner the sum of $300, and that he pay to Ellen Conner the sum of $400, “nine years after this date ” (August 7th, 1856), with three per cent, interest.

In Applegate v. Edwards, 45 Ind. 329, the proceedings and judgments in the partition suit, which are set out in the appellants’ complaints in the case at bar, were considered at some length by this court. It was there said : “A proceeding for the partition of lands is a proceeding in rem, and ordinarily [166]*166no personal judgment can be rendered, except for costs. The commissioners appointed to make partition found that a just and equitable partition, in value, could not be made without injury to all. The parties, therefore, agreed that the commissioners might equalize the partition, by requiring those who had received more than their just and equitable share to pay to such as had received less than their equitable share certain sums of money. The commissioners agreed upon the sums to be paid. All the parties then signed a. written agreement, consenting to the partition, and that judgments should be rendered for the sums named against the persons required to pay, and .in favor of those who wei’e to receive. The court thereupon, with the consent and by the express agreement of all the parties in interest, all of whom were before the court, rendered the judgments. * * * * We are of opinion that the court, under the facts and circumstances stated, possessed the power to render a judgment against the persons consenting thereto. We think the judgment rendered was not void.”

In section 527 of the civil code of 1852, in force at the time (sec. 608, R. S.

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Bluebook (online)
87 Ind. 162, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/crans-v-board-of-commissioners-ind-1882.