Crompton v. Vasser

19 Ala. 259
Supreme Court of Alabama·Decided January 15, 1851·Published·Cited by 8 cases

Opinion

PARSONS, J.

The complainants in the bill are John Cromp-ton, (who died pending the suit,) Griffin M. Bender and Henry T. Crompton and his wife, and the bill having been dismissed by the Chancellor, the complainants are now plaintiffs in error. We will speak first of the lands in Wilcox, as to which the bill alleges that there was an agreement between the complainants and Dr. John E. Yasser, pursuant to which these lands were purchased by him, partly with his own and partly with John Crompton’s money, for the purposes mentioned in the bill, and sold by him to Maxwell, by consent of the complainants, in ful-filment of the objects of the purchase. This trust is alleged to have grown out of an agreement between or among all the parties. A distinct agreement is stated, and out of this, if true, the trust arose, and the rights of the several parties are to be ascertained by the agreement, and also the duties and obligations of the trustee. The bill clearly puts the claim of the complainants upon this foundation and no other. But is the bill sustained by the evidence 7 The allegation of the agreement between or among Dr. Vasser and all the complainants is neither admitted by the answer, nor proved. We know that some parts of the evidence tend to prove such an agreement, but in oar judgment, they are not sufficient to establish it. It is, for instance, by no means satisfactorily proved that Mr. Bender was a party to any actual contract or agreement of the kind. It may be said that there was some such an rgrcement between Dr. Vasser [265] and John Crompton, by which Bender was -secured as onevof the securities of Henry Ti. Crompton- But if, it were so,.the allegation of the bill, according to which Bender: was a contracting party, is not, proved to-be true.. The agreement, therefore, not being such as is alleged,- can be no ground for a; décree in favor of Bender, nor, indeed,., in favor of, any of the parties. For it is indisputable that an agreement alleged, upon -which relief is prayed,.must be admitted orproved,. substantially, as alleged.—Mason’s Adm’rs. v. Maury’s Adm’r., 8 Port. 211.

2. Bender, therefore,.not being entitled to relief upon any contract alleged in the bill and admitted by the defendant or proved, it becomes necessary to¡ inquire ’whether he can be relieved upon the fact of his relation,as co-surety. Putting the agreement,. whatever it may have been, out of the way, and the additional facts are, that Dr. Vasser purchased the lands in Wilcox at a sale made by the sheriff-under an execution in favor of another person against Henry T.". Crompton,,and that the purchase money was paid in part out..of his own and. in part out of John Crompton’s money,, according to some of the evidence. Upon those lands the sureties had no previous lien or claim, whatever. The right of Dr. Vasser and John Crompton thereto is the same as if they had belonged to,.and bean.soldas the property of a stranger to all the transactions; in which case it is evident, Bender could not claim to participate in the benefit of them as an indemnity against his liability as co-surety with Dr. Vasser and John Crompton for Henry T'. Crompton.. It would have been-.otherwise if Vasser and John Crompton-had. obtained an .indemnity from Henry T. Crompton, their principal in .the debts, by an arrangement with him.

3.. It is alleged in the hill that Dr. Vasser acted upon the trusts, but the allegation is in reference to the trusts that were created and defined by: the supposed agreement with all the complainants, by which,..consequently, his liabilities and duties are to be ascertained, but as the agreement was not proved, the Chancellor could not proceed-, upon it.. If he assumed, or was bound for any other -trust duties, it is not stated in the bill, unless so much of the bill as relates to the certificate marked A, and exhibited with the bill, ..is an exception to this, and of that we will speak in another part of this opinion..

4.. But if it were -conceded that the bill is so drawn as not to [266] be liable to the observations just made, tben the question is, can Bender recover upon the facts admitted or proved 1 He is a mere volunteer; he was a party to no agreement, and advanced no consideration. If a trust for his benefit had been declared, and that fact accordingly alleged in the bill, we would consider his case upon that ground ; but there is no allegation of the sort in the bill, for we will show in another place, that the paper marked A, which is stated in the bill, can avail nothing in this suit. A declaration of trust should be stated in the bill.—McFadden v. Tuskyus, 1 Phillips R. 153; 1 How. 458; 1 Keene 558, notes.

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Crompton v. Vasser, 19 Ala. 259 (Ala. 1851).

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