Fagan v. Hook

134 Iowa 381
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedNovember 18, 1905
StatusPublished
Cited by69 cases

This text of 134 Iowa 381 (Fagan v. Hook) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fagan v. Hook, 134 Iowa 381 (iowa 1905).

Opinion

Ladd, J.

The defendant was owner of 116.46 acres of land, and on November 7, 1902, agreed to convey the same to the plaintiff “ by warranty deed, with abstract showing good title,” on or before March 1, 1903, in consideration of $70. per acre, to be paid second party as follows: $2,500. in fixtures, tools, and utensils, meat market on Second street, Webster City, Iowa, sold this day to first party by second party, and tools, fixtures, and utensils used in slaughter house, iy% miles north of Webster City, and three head of horses, three colts, harness, four wagons, more particularly described in bill of sale from second party of even date herewith; and $500. as follows: Stock of meats in meat market, as shown by invoice to be taken Nov. 15th, and cash sufficient thereto to make up the $500.; and $300. Dec. 15, 1902; $2,500. by assuming a mortgage for that amount now against said premises; and the balance on March 1, 1903.” All payments were made in conformity with the contract, save the last, which amounted to $2,352.20. This was tendered in writing March 24, 1903, and a warranty deed, with an abstract showing good title, demanded. An abstract had been sent to a bank at Emmetsburg for plaintiff’s examination prior to March 1st, but it was so dilapidated that a new one was required. This reached plaintiff’s attorney March 18, 1903, and upon examination he was able to discover nineteen defects in that to one tract and thirteen in that to the other, and his letter to this effect was returned to defendant, who submitted it to his legal advisor. With reference to the ■ requisitions so made he declared the title marketable, and, with other suggestions, said as to the abstract of the first tract: The school fund mortgage cuts off subsequent grantees of mortgagor, if made parties to the proceedings. They were all before the court, but John Stahl. By an affidavit it appears that John Stahl made no claim and occupied no part of the land, and that William H. Hook and his grantees had adverse possession for more than twenty years. This would cut off any equity of re[384]*384demption existing at time of foreclosure in John 'Stahl, in my opinion.” And to that of the other: “ It appears at No. 8 that at time of foreclosure of mortgage referred to above the legal title to a part of the land appeared of record to be in the name of Henry Yegons. He should have been made a party to the foreclosure proceedings. However, as the grantors of Emory W. Hook have had adverse possession for over twenty years, any right of redemption he might have had would probably be cut off. I would suggest that, if he was not made a party to the foreclosure proceedings, an affidavit be procured showing the adverse possession of William M. Hook and his grantors, and that the said Henry Yegons made no claim and occupied no part of said premises since said foreclosure proceedings.” Thereupon the defendant instructed the abstractor to correct the record and abstracts in accordance with his opinions. This had been done at the time of the trial, but he had not tendered them prior-thereto.

1. Abstract of title: showing of good title. We need do no more than refer to the requisitions mentioned in the above extracts. Land including a part of the first tract had been patented by the State of Iowa to Isaac Hook September 25, 1854. No conveyance from the general government to the State appears. Hook conveyed 37 acres, one-half of which was of the land so patented to him, to one Mutter in 1856, and the latter deeded it to McNeeley in 1857, and McNeeley to John Stahl October 2, 1860. The abstract does not indicate that -Stahl had ever parted with title. Prior to these conveyances, in October, 1853, Hook had executed a mortgage covering this land to the school fund commissioner, and this mortgage was foreclosed in 1864, and the land conveyed by sheriff’s deed to Hamilton county February 1, 1865. But Stahl was not made a party to these proceedings, arid so far as the abstract discloses is still owner of the fee, with right of redemption. As to him the decree of foreclosure was not effective and did not divest him of title. [385]*385Landon v. Townsend, 112 N. Y. 93 (19 N. E. 424, 8 Am. St. Rep, 712); Fowler v. Lilly, 122 Ind. 297 (23 N. E. 767); Hays v. Tilson (Tex. Civ. App.), 35 S. W. 515.

A like defect appears in the abstract to the other tract. It had been patented to Isaac Hook in 1854 and mortgaged to the school fund commissioner the same year. Henry Yegons acquired title to seventeen and one-half acres of the tract, through mesne conveyances under Hook, in 1857. The mortgage was foreclosed in 1864, and a sheriff’s deed executed to Hamilton county the year after. The abstract fails to show that Vegons was made party to the foreclosure proceedings or has since parted with title. With these outstanding titles in Stahl and Yegons, it is manifest that the abstract did not show good title in the defendant.

2. Same: good title. By good title is meant nothing less than an estate in fee simple. Gilespie v. Broas, 23 Barb. (N. Y.) 370, 381. And though a good title has been held by some decisions to 0n6 not absolutely bad, the great weight of authority is to the effect that the expression means a marketable title, one which can again be sold to a reasonable purchaser or mortgaged to a person of reasonable prudence as security for a loan of money. Moore v. Williams, 115 N. Y. 586 (22 N. E. 233, 5 L. R. A. 654, 12 Am. St. Rep. 844); Harrass v. Edwards, 94 Wis. 459 (69 N. W. 69); McCroskey v. Ladd (Cal.), 28 Pac. 216; Smith v. Turner, 50 Ind. 367; Ladd v. Weiskopf, 62 Minn. 29 (64 N. W. 99); Herman v. Somers, 158 Pa. 424 (27 Atl. 1050, 38 Am. St. Rep. 851); Allen v. Atkinson, 21 Mich. 351, 361.

3. Same. But according to the abstracts defendant had no title at all to these tracts. The attorney reading the abstract for defendant seemed to be of the opinion that these defects might be obviated by the fact, if such it was, that the land had been occupied by defendant’s grantors adversely for the statutory period of limitation, and this might bé made to appear by making affidavits thereof, having them recorded, and noted on the abstract. [386]*386But tbe plaintiff was not excepting to his ability to convey a' good title, nor questioning the contention that such a title may be acquired by adverse possession. By the contract defendant was “ to convey unto the second party by warranty deed, with abstract showing good title.” This had reference to the record title, which might be epitomized in the abstract and was a condition precedent to his right to demand the deferred payment. Lessenich v. Sellers, 119 Iowa, 314; Martin v. Roberts, 127 Iowa, 218; Spooner v. Cross, 127 Iowa, 259; Brown v. Widen (Iowa), 103 N. W. 158. Nor was it enough that the title was in fact good. It should have so appeared on the abstract. Lessenich v. Sellers, supra; Brown v. Widen, supra; Spooner v. Cross, supra; Boas v. Farrington, 85 Cal. 535 (24 Pac. 787); Noyes v. Johnson (Mass.), 31 N. E. 767; Sheehy v. Miles, 93 Cal. 288 (28 Pac. 1046); Zunker v. Kuehn, 113 Wis. 421 (88 N. W. 605); Heller v. Cohen, 155 N. Y. 625; Howe v. Hutchinson, 105 Ill. 501; Gwin v. Calegaris, 139 Cal. 384 (73 Pac. 851); Bruce v. Wolfe, 102 Mo. App. 384 (76 S. W. 723). As said in Brown v. Widen: “

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