Gaddes v. Pawtucket Institution for Savings

80 A. 415, 33 R.I. 177, 1911 R.I. LEXIS 120
CourtSupreme Court of Rhode Island
DecidedJuly 7, 1911
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 80 A. 415 (Gaddes v. Pawtucket Institution for Savings) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gaddes v. Pawtucket Institution for Savings, 80 A. 415, 33 R.I. 177, 1911 R.I. LEXIS 120 (R.I. 1911).

Opinion

Parkhurst, J.

This cause is a suit in equity to restrain the foreclosure by the defendant of a mortgage of real estate situated in Providence, which was given to the defendant by the complainant’s father. It was heard in the Superior Court upon bill, answer, replication and oral testimony, and a final decree was entered in accordance with a rescript of Tanner, P. J., dismissing the bill of complaint.

The cause is now before this court upon the complainant’s appeal from this decree.

*179 The vital questions at issue are:

(1) Whether the mortgagor, who is now dead, had more than a life estate in the property mortgaged; and

(2) If the mortgagor had only a life estate, whether the complainant is estopped by . his conduct to deny that the mortgage covers the fee in the property.

The following facts were agreed upon by the parties, and a stipulation to that effect was filed with the Superior Court:

At the time of her death Mary A. Gaddes, wife of William Gaddes and mother of the complainant, was the owner in fee simple of the premises in question, described as lots 340 and 341 on a plat entitled “Plat of the Rutenburg House Lots belonging to the Heirs of Samuel Ward and to Richard Waterman, by Cushing & Farnum, 1853,” which plat is recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds in Providence on Plat Card 312.

Mary A. Gaddes died intestate in 1894, leaving William Gaddes, her husband, tenant by the curtesy, and the complainant, her son and only child, as sole heir at law. On December 5, 1894, William Gaddes quitclaimed his interest in the property as tenant by the curtesy to George D. Lansing. On April 6, 1897, George D. Lansing quitclaimed his interest to James Davis, expressly defining it as the tenancy by the curtesy conveyed by William Gaddes to him. On May 11, 1897, James Davis quit claimed his interest to William Gaddes and the complainant, expressly defining the estate conveyed as that acquired under the deed from George D. Lansing to him. On May 12, 1897, William Gaddes and the complainant mortgaged the whole of the property in fee to Elizabeth A. Davis for $1,000.

On July 25, 1898, the complainant executed a deed of the property to William Gaddes, the material portion of which is as follows: “Know all Men by These Presents,

“That I, Raymond W. Gaddes . . in consideration of the sum of ten dollars to me paid by William Gaddes of said Pawtucket, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, do hereby remise, release, and forever quitclaim, unto him, the said William Gaddes, his heirs and assigns forever, all *180 the right, title, interest, property, claim and demand which I now have, or of right ought to have or claim in and to
"A certain tract of land with all the buildings and improvements thereon, situate in the city of Providence, in said county and state, laid out and designated as lots numbers three hundred and forty (340) and three hundred and forty-one (341), on a plat entitled 'Plat of the Rutenburg house lots belonging to the heirs of Samuel Ward and to Richard Waterman, by Cushing and Fárnum, 1853’ a copy of said plat is on record in the Recorder’s Office in said Providence on Card 312. The estate hereby conveyed is an undivided half part of the above described property, which was conveyed to the parties hereto by deed from James Davis dated May 11, 1897, and recorded in Deed Book 411 at page 97 in said Recorder’s Office.
"To have and to hold the same with all the rights, privileges and appurtenances thereunto appertaining unto, and to the use of him the said William Gaddes his heirs and assigns forever.”

On July 27, 1898, William Gaddes executed a mortgage of the property to Horace Z. Baker for $300. On November 12, 1900, William Gaddes executed the mortgage in ques- . tion to the defendant for $1,300. This mortgage covered all the interest of any kind, legal or equitable, which William Gaddes had in the property at that time. The mortgage was recorded on November 12, 1900, and on this date the Davis and Baker mortgages were discharged.

The material provisions of the defendant’s mortgage are' as follows:

“Know All Men by These Presents,
"That I, WILLIAM GADDES, ... in consideration of the sum of THIRTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS, and other valuable considerations, paid by the PAWTUCKET INSTITUTION for SAYINGS, . . . the-receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, do hereby give, grant, bargain, sell and convey to the said Pawtucket *181 Institution for Savings, its successors and assigns forever.
“A CERTAIN TRACT OF LAND, with the buildings and improvements thereon, situated in the city of Providence, in the County of Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, laid out and designated as lots numbered three hundred forty (340) and three hundred forty-one (341) on a plat entitled ‘Plat of the Rutenburg House Lots belonging to the heirs of Samuel Ward and to Richard Waterman by Cushing and Farnum 1853 a copy of said plat is on file in the Recorder’s Office in said Providence on Card 312, •being the same premises described in a deed from James Davis to this grantor and Raymond W. Gaddes dated May 11th, 1897, and recorded in book 411 page 97 of the records of said Providence; also a deed from Raymond W. Gaddes to this grantor, dated July 25th, 1898 and recorded in book 419 page 47 of the records of said Providence.
“TO HAVE AND TO HOLD the above granted and bargained premises, with all the privileges and appurtenances to the same belonging, to the said Pawtucket Institution for Savings, its successors and assigns, to its and their use and behoof, forever. And I, the said grantor, for myself and my heirs, executors and administrators, do covenant with the said Pawtucket Institution for Savings, its successors and assigns, that I am lawfully seized in fee simple of the aforegranted premises; that they are free from all incumbrances, that I have good right to sell and convey the same to the said Institution for Savings, its successors and assigns forever to hold as aforesaid; and that I will, and my heirs, executors and administrators shall warrant and defend the same to the said Institution for Savings, its successors and assigns forever, against the lawful claims and demands of all persons.”

On March 25, 1907, William Gaddes executed to the complainant a deed, purporting to re-convey to the complainant an undivided half interest in the premises in question. On March 30, 1908, William Gaddes deceased intestate and unmarried, leaving the complainant his sole heir at *182 law and next of kin. On May 12, 1908, the complainant paid to the defendant the semi-annual installment of interest due on that day on the defendant’s mortgage. No interest on the mortgage has since been paid.

The complainant is the owner in fee of the premises except in so far as they may be found to be subject to the mortgage to the defendant.

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Bluebook (online)
80 A. 415, 33 R.I. 177, 1911 R.I. LEXIS 120, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gaddes-v-pawtucket-institution-for-savings-ri-1911.