Foster v. Trustees of the Athenæum

3 Ala. 302
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedJanuary 15, 1842
StatusPublished
Cited by48 cases

This text of 3 Ala. 302 (Foster v. Trustees of the Athenæum) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Foster v. Trustees of the Athenæum, 3 Ala. 302 (Ala. 1842).

Opinion

ORMOND, J.

The question to be determined in this case, • is, what facts and circumstances will give the vendor of land a lien, in equity, for the purchase money unpaid.

It is well settled, both in England and the United States, that the vendor, in the absence of any agreement to the contrary, retains a lien on the land he has sold and conveyed for the unpaid purchase money, and that this lien will be enforced against a subsequent purchaser, with notice. It is also the law of both countries, that merely taking a bond or note for the purchase money, will be no waiver of the lien. How far the taking by the vendor of an independent security for the purchase money • will have the effect of discharging the lien, is more a matter of doubt.

In Nairns v. Prowse, 6 Vesey, jr. 752, the Master of the Rolls held, that a mortgage of other property, or a pledge of stock, would be a substitution of the lien. But in Grant v. Mills, 2 Ves. & Beame, 308, Sir William Grant declared, “that the effect of the security of a third person properly so denominated, had never been determined,” but he agreed that the opinion ex[306]*306pressed by Lord Redesdale, in Hughes v. Kearney, 1 Scho. &, Lefroy, that accepted bills of exchange were not sufficient to destroy the lien, was correct, and so decided. The same decision was made by the Vice Chancellor, in Exparte, Peake, 1 Madd. 196.

In the case of Macreth v. Simmons, 15 Vesey, jr. 329, Lord Eldon held, after an elaborate examination of all the cases, that no certain rule was deducible from them, but that each case must rest on its own circumstances, for the evidence of an intention on the part of the vendor, topart with his lien. His language is, “ The more modern authorities upon this subject, have-brought it to this inconvenient state; that the question is not a dry question upon the fact, whether a security was taken; but it depends upon the circumstances of each case, whether the Court is to infer, that the lien was intended to be reserved; or that credit was given, and exclusively given to the person from whom the other security was taken.” See also, Saunders v. Leslie, 2 Ball & Beatie, 264.

On this side of the Atlantic, by a strong and decisive current of authorities, it appears to be settled, that where the vendor takes a distinct and independent security of property, or the responsibility of third persons, the lien on the land is waived. At an early period of our history, the rule is thus explicitly stated by President Pendleton, in Cole v. Scott, 2 Wash. Rep. 141. So also, in Wilson and others v. Graham and others, 5 Munford, 297, it was held, that where a vendor of land, executed a conveyance, and took from the purchaser a bond with surety, the equitable lien was gone, even while the land continued the property of the purchaser. To the same effect, are the cases of Fish v. Howland and others, 1 Paige, 20; Cox v. Fenwick, 3 Bibb, 183; and Gilman v. Brown, 1 Mason, 191; afterwards affirmed in the Suprme Court of the U. States, 4 Wheaton, 290.

The last cited case was discussed at great length by Mr. Justice Story, who examines the leading English cases, and successfully combats the opinions advanced by Lord Redes-dale and Sir William Grant, that the receipt by the vendor of bills of exchange, accepted by a third person, was not a security, but merely a mode of payment, in cases where land was sold on a credit; but admits that the presumption of a waiver of the lien might not arise where the payment was to be in cash, [307]*307and bills of exchange afterwards taken, which prove unproductive.

It cannot therefore, we think, admit of serious doubt, that the law on this interesting subject ought to be considered as settled, at least in the United States; that where a vendor of land executes a conveyance, and takes personal collateral security, binding others as well as the vendee, asa note with surety; or a collateral security, as a pledge or mortgage, that no lien exists on the land itself. So far as the presumed lien on the land for the purchase money, rests for support, on the supposed intention of the parties, it may be- confidently stated that in this State, it rarely, if ever exists, in the contemplation of the parties, where a conveyance of the land is made. A much more just and rational foundation for it, appears to be the principle of equity and natural justice, which forbids one to enjoy the property of another,- without compensation, where it can be accomplished without injury to third persons.

We come now to consider the case made by the bill. A number of gentlemen associated themselves together to establish a female school, of which one Alva Woods was the nominal head; a purchase was made of a house for the contemplated school, of John R. Drish, at six thousand dollars, of which sum, two thousand dollars was paid down, in the funds of the company, and the residue secured, to be paid by two bills of exchange, falling due at different times, drawn by one Joseph Lacy, on Woods, and by him accepted. The bills were payable to, and indorsed by one Hester, to the complainant, by him to one Robert S. Foster, and by him to Drish, the vendor, who conveyed the premises to Woods. The company were afterwards incorporated, and the first bill which became due, was paid with the funds of the corporation. On the 1st May, 1837, Woods conveyed the property to the corporation, taking from four persons, the complainant being one, who describe themselves as trustees of the corporation, a covenant, to indemnify him from-liability on his acceptance of the last bill of exchange. On this bill, the complainant was sued as indorser, and compelled to pay the amount due thereon, and now by his bill, asserts a lien on the house and lot purchased from Dr. Drish, to the extent of the amount paid by him, in preference to eertain creditors who have obtained a deed of trust [308]*308from the corporation, on the premises, to secure their debts, with notice, as he alleges, of his lien.

This lien, the counsel for the plaintiff in error maintains, can be supported, •

1. On the implied lien of Drish upon the house and lot, for the purchase money, to which right, he insists, the plaintiff, by the actual payment of the money, is substituted.

2. On the equity, which Woods had to retain the title until the bill he had accepted was paid, to which right, by the payment of the money, the complaint is substituted.

3. That the covenant entered into with Woods, guaranteeing the payment of his acceptance, by the corporation, will enure, in equity, to the complainant.

1. The sale made by Dr Drish to the company, was on time. One third part of the purchase money being paid down, and the residue secured by two bills of exchange, having about one. and two years to run to maturity, and indorsed by two persons, Lacy and Robert S. Foster, who are not shown to have been members of the corporation, and it is admitted, they were not. It was, therefore, the security of a third person, in addition to that of the vendees, and falls expressly within the principle deduced from the cases in the former part of this opinion, and considered as the settled law of the U. States. This was, on the part of Drish, a waiver of the implied lien, and it will necessarily follow, that the complainant could not, by the payment of the purchase' money, be substituted to a lien, which did not exist in the vendor, if it were conceded that the complainant occupied an attitude which, if the lien existed, would enable him to exert it.'

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Bluebook (online)
3 Ala. 302, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foster-v-trustees-of-the-athenum-ala-1842.