Dudley v. Perrin

2 Va. Col. Dec. 317
CourtGeneral Court of Virginia
DecidedApril 15, 1741
StatusPublished

This text of 2 Va. Col. Dec. 317 (Dudley v. Perrin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering General Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dudley v. Perrin, 2 Va. Col. Dec. 317 (Va. Super. Ct. 1741).

Opinion

In Ejectm’t upon a special Verdict the Case was Eliz Ransone seised in Fee tail of the Premes in Question marr’d Rob’t Dudley They had Issue the Lessor their Son & Heir born in 1692 — Dudley died in Oct’r 1701 — In Sept. 1710. Eliz. marr’d one Elliot who died in Nov. 1716 — She died in Dec. 1718 — In Oct. 1726. the Lessor bro’t an Ejectm’t In w’ch Suit Judgm’t was given ag’t him in Oct. 1729. And this Suit was brought in Apr. 1739.

Dudley his Wife by Lease & Rel. both dated 16. Oct. 1694 ackn’d but Feme not exam’d sell & convey for val. Cons, to Jas. Ransone In the Deed of Rel. is this Clause “ And lastly “ the s’d R. D. & E. his Wife do by these Presents firmly oblige “ themselves their Heirs Ex’rs & Adm’rs the s’d Land Tenem’ts “ Hered’ts with all & singular its Rights Members Jurisdictions “ & appert’s & every Part & Parcel thereof as is bef. expressed “ unto the s’d Jas. Ransone his Heirs & Ass. to warrant & ever defend ”

Ja’s Ransone by his Will devised to his Sons Geo. Robert & Peter in Fee And they for val. Cons, sell & convey to Tho. Booth who by his Will devises to his Ex’rs (the Defts.) to be sold

[B344]*B344The Defts. & those they claim tinder have been in quiet Possession ever since the Deed to Ransone in 1694. Save when the Ej. was bro’t in 1726.

The Lessor had Lands in Fee simple by Descent from his Fa’r to the Value of 288 — 15. & the Prém are of the Value of 323 — 15

The Lessor being Issue in tail of his Mother it must be admitted that he has a good Title unless'he is barred by the Act of Lim or by the Warr of his Fa’r in the Deed of Conv. to Ransone

These then are the 2 Points in the Case

And 1. I conceive the Lessor is barred of his Entry by the Act of Lim. 9. Ann. 13.

The Case as to this Point is shortly thus

Dudley & his Wife in 1694. sell to Ranson Dudley died in 1701. The Wife in 1710. marr’d one Elliot who died in Nov. 1716. She died in Dec. 1718. The Lessor bro’t an Ej. in Oct. 1726. judgm’t was given ag’t him in Oct. 1729. And this Suit was bro’t in Apr. 1739. The Defts. have been in Possion under the Conv. in 1694. ever since the mak’g of it

This Conv. in 1694. from Dudley & his Wife (she not being ex’d) must be considered meerly as the Act of the Husb’d And as such at the Com. Law would have made a Discontinuance & taken away the Wifes Entry but that is saved by the 32 H. 8. 28. to her & her Heirs who by that Stat. may enter after the Husbands Death.

A Right of Entry then in this Case accrued to the Lessors Moth’r upon the Death of her Husband Dudley in 1701. At this Time there was an Act of Ass. subsisting made in. 1662 whereby 5 Years Possion was a Bar

[318] But that Act being rep’d by the 9. Ann. I shall not pretend to say the Court can take any Notice of it

In Oct. 1710. the Act of 9. Ann. was made w’ch enacts to this Purpose “ that no pson or psons that now hath or have or w’ch “ hereafter may have any Right or Title of Entry into any Lands “ &c. 'shall at any Time hereafter make any Entry but within “ 20 Years next after his or their Title hath heretofore descended “ or accrued or hereafter shall descend or accrue And in Default “ thereof they & their Heirs shall be utterly excluded & disabled “ from such Entry Provided that if any Person that hath or “ shall have such Right or Title of Entry be or shall be at the ‘ ‘ Time of such Entry first accrued within Age Feme Covert &c. [B345]*B345“ such Person may notwithst’a the 20 years are exp. make his “ Entry so as such Person within ten Years next after the “ Disability removed take Benefit of & sue for the same & at no “ Time after s’d ten Years ”

This Act repealing that of 1662 revived the Right of Entry of the Lessors Mother w’ch was barr’d by the old Act But then this Act has a Retrospect with Regard to Titles accrued before the making of it Psons then having a Right must enter within 20 Years from the Time his Right first accrued The Words of the Act are express & plain to this Purpose.

Now the Pson having a Right of Entry in this Case when the Act was made -was the Lessors Mother whose Right first accrued upon the Death of her Husband Dudley in 1701. as has been observed

By the Enacting Part of this Act She & her Heirs ought to have entred within 20 Years from the Time her Right first accrued Now no Ej. was bro’t till 1726. But luckily for the Lessor his Mother was marr’d just a Month before the Act was made And so being under Coverture by the Proviso or Saving Clause She & her Heirs had ten years to enter from her Discoverture w’ch happened in Nov’r 1716. And the Lessor bro’t the Ej. in Oct. 1726. just a Month within Time If he had stayed a Month longer he wo’d have been barr’d of that Ejectm’t

Now he brings another Ej. at the Distance of 12 years & from the first 9}4 years after Judgm’t was given ag’t him & more than 12 years after the Time allowed by the Act for him to make his Entry is exp.

And the Question is Whether the bringing of that Ej. in 1726 has taken the Case out of the Act of Lim for if it has not the Time allowed by that Act is elapsed & the Lessor is clearly barr’d

I shall be glad to hear for I must own I am at a Loss to guess what Reasons can be offered for the Affirmative Sure I am there is no Authority but I think there is an Authority in Point on [319] the other Side of the Question if there was not I take it to be clear upon the Words of the Act of Ass. Upon the Reason of the Thing & the manifest Inconvenience that would follow if the Law was otherwise that the bringing of an Ej. is not making an Entry so as to take a Case out of the Act of Lim.

1. As to Authority By the 4. H. 7. Fines levied as there mentioned are declared to conclude both Strangers & Privies but there is a Saving to all psons other than the parties “ So that [B346]*B346“ they pursue their Title Claim or Int by Way of Action or lawful “ Entry w’thin five years ”

One having a Title bro’t an Ej. within 5 years after his Title accrued And the Question was Whether this was an Entry or Claim so as to avoid the Bar of the Fine And resolved that it was not And that the Confession of Lease Entry & Ouster sho’d not prejudice the Deft. 1 Vent. 42. Clark a Phillips.

By our Act psons must make their Entry within 20 years after their Title accrues or in Default thereof to be barr’d But there is a Saving to psons under Incapacity who may enter after the 20 Years “ So as such pson within ten Years after the Incapacity “ removed take Benefit of & sue for the same.”

The Words of our Act & those of the Stat, are the same in Substance And if the bringing an Ej. is not making an Entry in the one Case Neither can it in the other The Cases are parrallel both in Law & Reason.

As to the Confession of Lease Entry &c. that is a Rule a Deft, is forced into by the Court And it would be very strange if that sho’d turn to his Prejudice But in Reality it is not the Entry of the Lessor that is confessed but of the nominal Pit. The Rule only confesses that a Lease was made by the Lessor that the Lessee (the nominal Pit.) entered that the Deft, ousted him Certainly then where an Entry is necessary to make a Title this Rule can signfy nothing 1 Sal. 259. 1 Vent. 382. Sed, vid. 248. Hales Opin. con. Court takes Notice that Ej. is fictitious & Entry not real 1 Sal.

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Bluebook (online)
2 Va. Col. Dec. 317, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dudley-v-perrin-vagensess-1741.