Hutchinson v. Lemcke

8 N.E. 71, 107 Ind. 121, 1886 Ind. LEXIS 308
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedJune 19, 1886
DocketNo. 11,303
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 8 N.E. 71 (Hutchinson v. Lemcke) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hutchinson v. Lemcke, 8 N.E. 71, 107 Ind. 121, 1886 Ind. LEXIS 308 (Ind. 1886).

Opinion

Zollaks, J.

Appellant brought this action to recover from Willard Carpenter, Alvin B. Carpenter and J. Augustus Lemcke, the undivided one-half of “the southwest half of lot 86,” in the old plan of Evansville.

The facts .in the case, as developed by the record, are sub[122]*122stantially as follows: In 1838 Abraham Hutchinson; appellant’s husband, and one Francis Amory were the owners in fee simple of lot 86, in the old plan of Evansville, as tenants in common.

On the 17th day of June, 1840, Amory conveyed his interest in the southwest half of the lot to Abraham Hutchinson and his wife, appellant, which deed was duly recorded on the 21st day of July, 1840. Abraham Hutchinson being indebted to Alvin B. and Willard Carpenter, he and appellant, ■on the 25th day of October, 1841, executed and delivered to the Carpenters what appellant’s attorneys call a trust deed, ,and what appellees’ attorneys insist was a mortgage, covering the portion of the lot here in dispute.

The granting portion of the instrument is in form an absolute warranty deed, in consideration of $1,960. It closed with the following: “And provided, however, and these presents are made as a deed of trust subject to the trust and conditions hereinafter mentioned. That is to say, that whereas A. P. Hutchinson is indebted to the said parties of the. second part in the sum of $1,960, due and payable in one year from the date hereof, with interest at the rate of 6 per cent, from date : Now, therefore, should the said Hutchinson well •and truly pay the said party of the second part the said sum of money as above provided, with interest as aforesaid, then these presents shall cease and be null and void; but in case of the non-payment of the said sum. of money, or any part thereof, as above specified, it shall and maybe lawful for the said Carpenters, their agent or attorney, to sell said half-lot at public auction to the highest bidder, having first given thirty days’ notice in the nearest public newspaper printed in the State, of the time and place of said sale, and therefor to make to the purchaser a good and sufficient deed in fee simple, .applying the purchase-money towards the liquidation of said debt and expenses of sale, and returning the surplus, if any, and from thence all equity of redemption in said premises .shall cease and determine; said "parties of the second part [123]*123Told a note of said Hutchinson for the sum of $1,960. In witness whereof the said parties of the first part have hereto set their hands and-seals this the date above written.”

This instrument was recorded on the 9th day of November, 1841.

Abraham Hutchinson died on the 30th day of May, 1842, -without having paid to the Carpenters the $1,960, or any portion of it. It has not been paid, unless, as alleged in the ■complaint, it has been paid by- the rents and profits of the premises, in the possession of appellees, or paid by Hutchinson’s administrator.- The premises were never sold by the Carpenters, nor by any one else as provided in the trust deed ■or mortgage, nor has that instrument ever been satisfied of record.

Abraham P. Coleman was appointed administrator of the -estate of Abraham Hutchinson. On the 11th day of August, 1842, Coleman, as such administrator, filed a bill in the probate court of Vanderburgh county against appellant and her children, all minors, and the Carpenters, in which he alleged, -amongst other things, that the personal estate was insufficient to pay Hutchinson’s debts; that- he died possessed, and the owner, of the half-lot here in dispute; that it was mortgaged to the school commissioners to secure thepaymentof $179.40; that in 1841 Hutchinson was indebted to the Carpenters upon a judgment in the sum of $187.68, which they were threatening to enforce by execution; that being thus pressed, and in danger of being financially ruined by such execution, and being induced by threats and promises by the Carpenters, ho agreed to, and did, take a loan from'them of $805.75, which, with the amount of the judgment, made his indebtedness to 'them $1,000; that $960, by way of interest, was added, but was to be treated as a part of the principal debt, making the whole $1,960 to be paid in one year, with 6 per cent, interest thereon, and secured by the trust deed or mortgage; that the 'Carpenters, to avoid a possible defence of usury, assigned to Hutchinson worthless accounts, to the amount of $960, with [124]*124an agreement that whatever portion of them could not be collected during the coming year, would bo accepted back at fifty cents on the dollar, and the amount be deducted from Hutchinson’s indebtedness, on condition that he would first satisfy the prior mortgage to the school commissioners; that to further avoid a possible defence of usury, the Carpenters; insisted that there should be inserted in the trust deed or mortgage the power of sale, as above set out. The prayer im the bill was, that the conveyance to the Carpenters might be-declared to be a mortgage; that they be compelled to take back the accounts at their face/and accept $1,000 and interest thereon in discharge of the mortgage, and that the administrator might have an order to sell the half-lot for the purpose-of paying off the mortgages thereon, and other debts against the estate, and that appellant might bo subpoenaed to answer the. bill.

She and the Carpenters having been subpoenaed and not appearing, the bill was taken as confessed, and it was adjudged and decreed that the Carpenters were entitled to $1,-067.56, that all of the balance was usurious and void, that the deed from Hutchinson to the Carpenters was intended to be, and was, a mortgage, and that the widow and children had the right to redeem. An order was made authorizing the administrator to sell the real estate1, and directing him to apply the proceeds to the payment of the Carpenters’ claim,, and the residue, if any, to the payment of the general debts, against the estate.

On the 27th day of December’, 1843, the administrator sold the half-lot in suit to Willard Carpenter for $1,000, the building having been burned before the sale. On the 12th day of February, 1844, the sale was reported to and approved and confirmed by the court. The administrator’s deed to-Carpenter, executed on the 24th day of February, 1844, was-recorded on the 16th day of August, 1844. On the 29th day of May, 1844, Alvin B. Carpenter and wife, in settlement of his 'partnership affairs with his brother, executed and deliv[125]*125■ered to "Willard Carpenter a quitclaim deed for several tracts of real estate, among which, was the half-lot described in the ■trust deed or mortgage by appellant and husband to the Carpenters. On the 12th day of April, 1858, Willard Carpenter conveyed the half-lot, with his other property, to Allis and Walker, assignees, for the benefit of his creditors. On the 2d day of June, 1858, Allis and Walker, as such assignees, •sold and conveyed the half-lot to Alvin IB. Carpenter. On the 11th day of March, 1863, Alvin B. Carpenter, in consideration of $10,000, and by warranty deed, conveyed the half-lot to Schapker and Bussing. On the 1st day of January, 1872, Schapker and Bussing, in consideration of $31,000, sold and by warranty deed conveyed the half-lot to Bernard JSTure. On the 2d day of May, 1881, Bernard Nure, in consideration of $33,000, sold and by warranty deed conveyed the half-lot to the appellee Lemeke. Shortly before the sale by the administrator, the buildings on the half-lot were burned.

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8 N.E. 71, 107 Ind. 121, 1886 Ind. LEXIS 308, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hutchinson-v-lemcke-ind-1886.