Heady v. Hollman

158 S.W. 19, 251 Mo. 632, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 228
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedJune 28, 1913
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 158 S.W. 19 (Heady v. Hollman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Heady v. Hollman, 158 S.W. 19, 251 Mo. 632, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 228 (Mo. 1913).

Opinion

BLAIR, C.

suit for of sale. This is a suit by the purchaser to rescind an executed sale of realty. The petition contains an alternative prayer for damages and a pro tanrt0 abatement of the purchase price. Allegations of fraud, misrepresentation of the title and insolvency of the warrantor are relied upon to confer jurisdiction in equity. There is also a prayer for the cancellation of a deed of trust executed by appellants to secure part of the purchase money, injunctive relief against its •enforcement during the pendency of the suit also being invoked.

The evidence shows that a preliminary contract was executed whereby George W. Hollman agreed, in consideration of $2900, to be paid to him, to “convey and assure to J. M. Heady, in fee simple, clear of all incumbrance whatever, by a good and sufficient warranty deed and abstract of title” lots 41 and 42 in the First Inside Addition to Springfield, Missouri. The title to lot 42 was not in Hollman but, for a consideration paid, in part at least, by him, had been conveyed by a former owner to Nellie E. Hollman/' his daughter, [635]*635and Annie I. Maxfield “for and during their natural life, the survivor for and during her natural life, and then unto the children and heirs at law of George W. Plollman, their heirs and assigns forever. The said Nellie E. Hollman is not to be regarded as a child or heir at law within the provisions of this deed of said George W. Hollman. And the said Ideal Real Estate and Abstract Company hereby covenants to and with the said Nellie E. Hollman, Annie I. Max-field and children of George W. Hollman, and their heirs and assigns of said children . . . that the title of the premises aforesaid unto them, the said Nellie E. Hollman, Annie I. Maxfield and children of George W. Hollman and heirs and assigns of said children it will forever warrant and defend,- except,” etc. When this deed was made Hollman had six living-children, one of whom was Nellie E. Hollman, and all of whom were living at the time of the trial. Some of them had children but they and their children constituted all the living descendants of George W. Hollman. Annie I. Maxfield, George W. Hollman and five of George W. Hollman’s children conveyed to the sixth, Nellie E. Hollman, and she executed a warranty deed to plaintiffs for lot 42. This evidently accorded with the understanding of the parties, and no complaint was or is made because George W. Hollman was not a party to this deed.

Heady, who conducted all the negotiations for the purchase, testified that after the • abstract was submitted his attorney examined it and told him, in George W. Plollman’s presence, that “the title was good except one defect;” that, under the deed quoted from above, in case another child was born to Hollman it would “come in for its part later on.” This ■defect plaintiff testifies he thereupon “agreed to take chances on” and the trade was closed. Instead of paying the full purchase price in cash, however, Heady paid $1500, and he and his wife executed a deed of [636]*636trust -on lots 41 and 42 to secure a balance of $1400. Tbe note thus secured was assigned by Hollman to defendant bank, and tbe bank was proceeding to sell under the deed of trust when this suit was instituted.

There was no evidence Hollman actually misrepresented the title in any way, and the weight of the evidence is that he owned real property, subject to execution, to a value somewhat exceeding the entire value of lot 42. Heady was asked by his counsel whether Nellie E. Hollman (now Hatfield) was solvent, and answered: “Well, no, sir; she is not, to the best of my knowledge.” This was all the evidence respecting her solvency.

vendor’s Assertion of Title. I. The evidence does not suggest bad faith or concealment, and the only representations as to the title are found in the contract of sale and the deed of conveyance. This is an ex-v ecuted contract and the vendee is in possession. If it be conceded the title is defective, yet a vendor’s assertion of title made in good faith does not constitute fraud. Otherwise “every breach of warranty must be attended with- fraud” (Mitchell v. McMullen, 59 Mo. 1. c. 257), and the rule that a vendee in possession under covenants of warranty from a solvent, resident grantor is in the absence of fraud remitted to his covenants for relief would be a palpable absurdity. The question is settled. [Herman v. Hall, 140 Mo. 1. c. 276; Crumb v. Wright, 97 Mo. 1. c. 19; Hart v. Railroad, 65 Mo. 509.]

ófSGran"or II. The insolvency of a grantor in a case of this kind is not, of course, an independent ground of relief but merely a circumstance negativing the adequacy of the grantee’s remedy at law on the covenants in his deed, and, therefore, in a proper case, warranting equitable interposition in circumstances in which, but for such interposition, irreparable loss would result. [Swain v. [637]*637Burnley & Street, 1 Mo. 1. c. 405.] If it be conceded tbe evidence sufficiently shows insolvency, the question in the case is whether there was an actual or impending loss against which equity will grant relief.

T aking Chances on After-born Child. Advised by his attorney that after-born children of George W. Hollman would come in as remaindermen in lot 42, Heady, nevertheless, agreed “to take chances on” that happening and closed the sale. He cannot now make that possibility a ground of rescission, and, no such child having been born, no actual loss has occurred, and the mere possibility of loss through such an event does not entitle him to a stay of payment or abatement, pro tanto, of the purchase price on that ground, even though his warrantor be conceded to be insolvent. [Barton’s Admr. v. Rector, 7 Mo. 1. c. 528, 529; Rawlins v. Timberlake, 6 T. B. Monroe, 1. c. 232, 233; Fletcher v. Wilson, Sm. & M. Ch. 1. c. 389; Perkins v. Williams, 5 Cold. 1. c. 513, 514; Whitbeck v. Cook, 15 Johns, 483; Farber v. Blubaker Coal Co., 216 Pa. St. 1. c. 214; Whitworth v. Stuckey, 1 Rich. Eq. 1. c. 410.]

Counsel seemingly concede the correctness of this rule, and their real contention is that under the deed partially set out above the remainder'to “the children and heirs at law” of George W. Hollman, is contingent, whereas all the “chances” Heady agreed to take were such as would be those consequent upon the existence, under the deed, of 'a vested remainder in Hollman ’s children as a, class.

It is conceded, of course, that if the grant had been to the named life tenants, remainder to the chil•dren of George W. Hollman, the remainder would have been vested; but it is contended that the words “the ■children and heirs at law of George W. Hollman” embrace two classes, i. e. (1) children and (2) heirs at law; that each of these classes takes a one-half inter•est in remainder and, since the living have no heirs, [638]*638as to one-half the fee after the life estate the remainder is contingent; that the children might, by surviving their father, also take as heirs bnt their deeds executed before the life estate has fallen in would not convey their interests as such. So runs the argument.

t^Heirs^of Living. intent of IViskor of Deed. It is well settled that in a case of limitation to one with remainder to the heirs of another who is still living (as in this case) if “the context shows that the term is used in a popular and not technical sense, meaning the children of a living person . . . the term is regarded as a descriptio personae;

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Hess v. Proffer
87 S.W.3d 432 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2002)
Walters v. Sisler
371 S.W.2d 187 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1963)
Holzworth v. Roth
101 N.W.2d 393 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1960)
Nixon v. Franklin
289 S.W.2d 82 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1956)
Mattingly v. Washburn
196 S.W.2d 624 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1946)
Bishop v. Broyles
22 S.W.2d 790 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1929)
Green v. Irvin
274 S.W. 681 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1925)
Dunbar v. Sims
222 S.W. 838 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1920)
McFarland v. Bishop
222 S.W. 143 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1920)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
158 S.W. 19, 251 Mo. 632, 1913 Mo. LEXIS 228, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heady-v-hollman-mo-1913.