Hanlon v. Conrad-Kammerer Glue Co.

102 N.E. 48, 53 Ind. App. 504, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 221
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 4, 1913
DocketNo. 8,011
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 102 N.E. 48 (Hanlon v. Conrad-Kammerer Glue Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hanlon v. Conrad-Kammerer Glue Co., 102 N.E. 48, 53 Ind. App. 504, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 221 (Ind. Ct. App. 1913).

Opinion

Hottel, P. J.

— This was an action by appellee to recover damages for an alleged breach of a covenant of warranty contained in a deed executed by appellant and wife to appellee. The complaint is in a single paragraph, a demurrer to which was overruled. There was an answer in denial, and a special answer setting up that the deed mentioned in the complaint was executed without any consideration. To this answer, after a demurrer thereto had been overruled, the appellee filed a general denial and a special reply. A demurrer to the special reply was overruled. There was [506]*506trial by jury which resulted in a verdict for appellee. Judgment was rendered on the verdict and from such judgment this appeal is prosecuted.

1. The errors separately assigned and relied on present for our consideration the question of the sufficiency of the complaint, and the special reply to withstand the respective demurrers filed thereto, and the ruling of the court in permitting appellee to amend its complaint after the close- of the evidence, by substituting the name of the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railroad Company for the name, and in the place of the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern Railway Company, as the true and paramount owner of the tract of land alleged to have been conveyed by the appellant to the appellee. Appellee insists, that such questions are not presented because of the failure of appellant, in the preparation of his brief, to comply with Rule 22 of this court. We think such brief evidences a good faith effort to comply with said rule and that there has been such substantial compliance therewith as entitles appellant to a consideration of said questions.

2. It is urged against the-sufficiency of the complaint, that the deed filed as an exhibit therewith shows that for the same consideration the appellant deeded two separate tracts of real estate; that the complaint alleges no defect of title as to the last tract described in such deed, and shows that appellee still retains such tract, and seeks to recover the entire consideration paid for both tracts. It is insisted in effect that the complaint should have alleged either an offer to reconvey such tract in which no defect of title is alleged, or that it should have alleged the value of each tract and asked a recovery for such proportion of the purchase money as the value of the tract in which the title failed bore to the value of the whole premises deeded. It is no doubt true as appellant contends “that while upon a total breach of * * * covenant a purchaser may, as a general rule, recover the whole consideration money, [507]*507so where there is a partial breach he may recover pro tanto.” Rawle, Covenants 85-87; 11 Cyc. 1159, 1163; Hoot v. Spade (1863), 20 Ind. 326, 327; Moorehead v. Davis (1883), 92 Ind. 303, 306, and cases there cited; Doyle v. Brundred (1899), 189 Pa. St. 113, 119, 120, 41 Atl. 1107; Lloyd v. Sandusky (1903), 203 Ill. 621, 629, 68 N. E. 154. It is said in 11 Cyc. 1163: “Where the breach is only as to an aliquot and undivided part of the land attempted to be conveyed the damages are in proportion to the whole consideration paid, as that aliquot part of the land is to the whole thereof.”

3. The weakness of appellant’s contention results from his interpretation of the averments of the complaint and the exhibit made part thereof rather than from any misconception or misapplication of the law governing in such eases. While it is true that the deed filed as an exhibit with appellee’s complaint shows a single consideration and that two pieces of real estate are conveyed therein, one of which is not mentioned in appellee’s complaint, the wording of this deed would indicate that the consideration mentioned was for the first piece described therein alone, and it is the piece described in appellee’s complaint. The language of the deed affecting the question under discussion is as follows: “This Indenture, Witnesseth, That Thomas Hanlon and * * * wife, * * * Convey and Warrant unto * * * for the sum of * * * One Thousand Dollars, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged the real estate in New Albany Township, Floyd County, Indiana, described as follows, to wit:” Here follows a description of the tract described in appellee’s complaint and at the end of such description is a period. The deed then proceeds with a second clause of conveyance as follows: “And said grantors convey and quitclaim unto said grantees the real estate in Floyd County, Indiana, bounded as follows.” Here follows a description of a second tract not described or referred to in the complaint except by way of [508]*508reference to .such exhibit. It will be observed that there are two separate independent clauses of conveyance in said deed, the first of which warrants title and contains a consideration of $1,000 and the second of which conveys and quitclaims with no consideration expressed therein.

4. Conceding without deciding, that it should be presumed that the consideration expressed in the first clause of the deed though separate and independent of said second clause, was intended as an expression of the consideration for the entire tract conveyed by such deed, yet, such consideration is always subject to explanation, and when not correctly expressed in the deed, the true consideration may be alleged and proved. Louisville, etc., R. Co. v. Renicker (1893), 8 Ind. App. 404, 413, 35 N. E. 1047; Cincinnati, etc., R. Co. v. McLain (1897), 148 Ind. 188, 193, 44 N. E. 306; Long v. Doxey (1875), 50 Ind. 385; Jeffersonville, etc., R. Co. v. Worland (1875), 50 Ind. 339, 341; Johnson v. McNabb (1893), 7 Ind. App. 393, 397, 34 N. E. 667; Hanover Fire Ins. Co. v. Johnson (1901), 26 Ind. App. 122, 131, 57 N. E. 277.

3. Appellee in his complaint alleges that on April 9, 1908, appellant claimed to be the owner of the following described real estate in Floyd County, Indiana (here follows a description of the tract first described in said deed alone). The complaint then proceeds as follows: “On said 9th day of April, 1908, said defendants, by their deed of conveyance of that date, duly executed and delivered, in consideration of One Thousand Dollars paid by this plaintiff, sold and conveyed to this plaintiff the said above described real estate in Floyd County, Indiana.” It will be observed that the complaint expressly avers that the consideration paid for the tract, the title to which is alleged to be defective, was $1,000. This averment was admitted by the demurrer to be true and the question which appellant attempts to raise on the complaint, is by its express averments, made a question of fact for the jury to determine under the evidence.

[509]*5092. [508]*508"Where there is a [509]*509veyed by the same deed, the vendor can recover the consideration paid for such particular tract. Wright v. Nipple (1883), 92 Ind. 310, 314; Wood v. Bibbins (1877), 58 Ind. 392, 396; Wilson v. Peelle (1881), 78 Ind. 384, 388; Overhiser v. McCollister (1857), 10 Ind. 41, 44; Burton v. Reeds (1863), 20 Ind. 87; Lloyd v. Sandusky, supra.

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Bluebook (online)
102 N.E. 48, 53 Ind. App. 504, 1913 Ind. App. LEXIS 221, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hanlon-v-conrad-kammerer-glue-co-indctapp-1913.