Hayden v. Thrasher

28 Fla. 162
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJune 15, 1891
StatusPublished

This text of 28 Fla. 162 (Hayden v. Thrasher) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hayden v. Thrasher, 28 Fla. 162 (Fla. 1891).

Opinion

Mabry, J.:

This is the third time this case has been before this court on appeal. A demurrer to the original bill of complaint was sustained by the chancellor, and on appeal, 18 Fla., 795, this decree was reversed, and the cause was remanded with directions that such further [164]*164proceedings be liad as may be agreeable to equity and the practice of the court. E. W. Thrasher, one of the defendants, died after the decree of the chancellor sustaining the demurrer to the bill, and before the sub'mission of this cause reported in 18 Fla., 795, and upon proper notice the cause was, as to said Thrasher, re-vived against his administrator, W. M. Knox.

After the decision of this court reversing the decree sustaining said demurrer, and upon the return of the mandate to the Circuit Court of Marion county, where this cause originated, the defendants filed separate answers to the bill. On account of the disqualification of lion. Thomas F. King, who succeeded lion. James B. Dawkins, as Judge of the Fifth Judicial Circuit, this cause ivas transferred to the Seventh Judicial Circuit. On motion of defendants, after answers filed, the injunction which had been granted against defendants B. H. and E. W. Thrasher, W. A. Dickenson and Gf. W. Means, forbidding the transfer of certain property mentioned in the bill, was dissolved. The decree of the chancellor dissolving said injunction was, on appeal to this court, 20 Fla., 715, reversed, and the injunction reinstated with directions that it continue until the final hearing of the cause. A full and sufficient statement of the case as made by the pleadings up to the time of the dissolution of the injunction wall be found in 20 Fla., 715.

After the reversal of the decree dissolvingytlie injunction defendant Dickenson by leave of the court amended his answer. Upon final hearing of this cause on the-[165]*165bill, answers and testimony the chancellor by final decree dismissed the bill, from which decree complainant appeals to this court.

As will be seen by the former reports of this case, the essential allegations of the bill, briefly stated, are, that complainant and B. H. Thrasher and A. M. Thrasher endorsed six notes aggregating $14,500, signed by W. L. Thrasher, payable to his own order and also endorsed by him; that the Thrashers are brothers and sons of defendant E. W. Thrasher, and complainant endorsed said notes at the request of defendant B. H. Thrasher, with his assurance that complainant would be protected against the payment of the same. Further that the endorsement of complainant on said notes was procured by fraud and misrepresentations on the part of defendant B. H. Thrasher in pursuance of a fraudulent combination on the part of all the Thrashers, father and sons, to obtain the money of complainant; that the Thrashers obtained the ijioney on said notes and divided it among themselves, and that the defendants E. W. Thrasher and B. II. Thrasher invested portions of the money so fraudulently obtained in certain real estate described in the bill situated in Marion and Alachua counties, and that said defendants, in order to defraud complainant, had deeds to said property executed to them as trustees for their respective wives and children. It is further alleged that the defendant W. A. Dickenson,' confederating and conspiring with defendant B. II. Thrasher to [166]*166defraud complainant, lias pretended to buy a portion of the property so purchased by said B. H. Thrasher, but that the sale to the said Dickenson was fraudulent and with full knowledge of the fraudulent character of the purchase by Trasher.

The answer of B. H. Thrasher denies every material allegation of the bill as to him except the purchase of the land in his name as trustee for his wife and children, and he denies that this was done to defraud complainant. It is admitted, however, in his answer that two of the said notes endorsed by complainant amounting to $4,500 or $5,000, were used by him in purchasing the five-acre grove mentioned in the bill, but it is claimed that these notes were borrowed from E. W. Thrasher; to whom they had been assigned. Thrasher says that he had ample trust funds in his hands to buy the Cannon lot in Gainesville and build the house thereon, but he does not state from what source these funds were derived. «

The original answer of defendant, W. A. Dickenson, states that on the 3rd of January, 1879, and before the filing of the bill of complaint in this case, he purchased the five-acre grove mentioned in the bill, and known as the “Meanshomestead,” fromB. II. Thrasher, trustee, and that his purchase was made in good faith for valuable consideration and without any notice whatever of any rights, legal or equitable, of the complainant in or to the said land. As to the Cannon lot and house in [167]*167'Gainesville, Dickenson says in Ms original answer that lie advanced $650 and purchased the lot for B. H. Thrasher, as trustee, and took the deed in his name as security, and that he advanced money to build the-house in Gainesville, and took security for the same. He alleges that he purchased the lot, and perfected an arrangement whereby he was secured in the advancement for building the house before he purchased the five-acre grove, and that the latter purchase had no connection with the house and lot transaction, but he does not state in his answer how he ivas secured, further than by taking the deed to the lot in 1ns own name. In the amendment to his answer, filed by leave of the court, the defendant, Dickenson, says that, becoming dissatisfied with his purchase of the five-acre grove, on account of a mortgage on it held by the estate of E. W. Thrasher, he procured B. H. Thrasher to convey to him in lieu of said five-acre-grove, a half interest in eighty-four acres of land; that the eighty-four acres, an undivided half of which B. H. Thrasher, as trustee, conveyed to him, is the land described in the bill of complaint, and which B. H Thrasher, as trustee, purchased from S. C. Means. This exchange is alleged to have been, consummated on the 15th day of June, 1880, by deed from B. H. Thrasher, trustee, to Dickenson, conveying an undivided half interest in said eighty-four acres, and at the instance of B. H. Thrasher, Dickenson executed and delivered to W. M. Knox an instrument in writing” [168]*168agreeing to convey to said Knox the said five acres originally purchased by Dickenson, when this suit shall be terminated in favor of Dickenson. Defendant Dickenson further says in the amendment to his answer, that in consideration of the agreement to convey to Knox, he procured the estate of E. W. Thrasher, deceased, to deliver up certain notes which the late E. W. Thrasher held against him, Dickenson. The amended answer further states that Dickenson, in all his transactions relative to the Thrasher property, acted in good faith, paid a good and valuable consideration for the same, and that he believes the eighty-four acres in which he has a half interest was bought by said B. H. Thrasher with trust funds, and that the exchange for it was made by defendant Dickenson after thorough consultation with counsel, who advised him to make it.

W. M. Knox, as administrator of E. W. Thrasher, deceased, answers and denies all fraud or combination on the part of his intestate with his sons to defraud and wrong complainant in procuring- the endorsement of said notes by him. The answer admits that E. W. Thrasher received two of the Hayden notes, and loaned them to his son, B. H. Thrasher, but it is denied that he fraudulently received said notes or collusively loaned them to his said son.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
28 Fla. 162, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hayden-v-thrasher-fla-1891.