Langley v. Kesler

110 P. 401, 57 Or. 281, 1910 Ore. LEXIS 44
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 19, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 110 P. 401 (Langley v. Kesler) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Langley v. Kesler, 110 P. 401, 57 Or. 281, 1910 Ore. LEXIS 44 (Or. 1910).

Opinions

Mr. Justice Slater

delivered the opinion of the court.

1. By the stipulation of facts, upon which the case was tried in the court below, it is admitted that the first deed was made as claimed and alleged by defendants; but it is now argued that because the name of the grantee therein was erroneously spelled “Kessler” instead of “Kesler,” and because it is recited in the second deed in effect that it was the intention of the parties that Ellen J. Kesler should have been one of the grantees, that the first deed was not capable in law of transferring the whole title to David Kesler. In fact it is urged upon us that no estate whatever passed to David Kesler by the first deed, because it was the intention of the parties that the title should be transferred to David Kesler and his wife jointly. The slight inaccuracy in the spelling of the surname of the grantee can have no effect upon the efficacy of the deed'. The name of the grantee should be sufficient to identify the person intended, though it need not, as a matter of law, be accurate in every respect. 9 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law (2 ed.) 133. Here the identity of the person intended is settled by the stipulation beyond dispute; for it is therein admitted that the deed having the name of the grantee spelled “David Kessler” was delivered by the persons executing it to David Kesler, whose identity is not [285]*285in question. In any event the two names are idem sonans, and therefore they are the same in law. 21 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law (2 ed.) 313.

2. As to the intent of the parties, and the alleged mistake made, by not including in the first deed the name of Ellen J. Kesler, the wife, as one of the grantees, even if true, that fact does not prevent the deed from being operative to convey the title to David Kesler, named therein, for it is admitted that the contract of purchase was made and the consideration paid by David Kesler; hence there were sufficient parties to make a binding contract, and capable of receiving the title. The mistake was not as to the party with whom the contract was made, but as to a third party not directly concerned with the making of the contract, but who was to be a. beneficiary thereof, as a matter of gratuity on the part of the real purchaser. The authority cited and relied upon by plaintiff have to do with the question of determining whether under a particular state of facts a deed in form was, in fact, intended by the parties to be a mortgage to secure a debt, and in such case it is the established rule that the intent of the parties must prevail. But that question has no bearing upon the present case.

3. If it was the intent of David Kesler that his wife, Ellen J. Késler, was to be made a beneficiary of the purchase, by having the title conveyed to them jointly as husband and wife, thereby creating in them an estate by the entirety, but he failed or neglected to carry out that purpose in receiving the title, there was no obligation on the part of the grantor to correct the mistake, nor anything to prevent the husband from afterwards carrying out his intent, if he so desired, by reconveying to the grantor or to some third person, and taking back the title in the form intended, nor would such facts invest Mrs. Kesler with any equitable right to enforce against either the grantors or her husband, or both of them, a reforma[286]*286tion of the deed. But the first deed, being good in form, and having been delivered to him, he was invested with the complete title, and he could not be divested of it, except by his deed properly executed and delivered. Watson v. Smith, 7 Or. 448, 452.

4. The only question remaining to be considered is whether the defendants, being in privity with David Kesler, are estopped from asserting that he acquired the sole title under the first deed. The estoppel attempted to be raised is based solely upon the acceptance by David Kesler jointly with his wife of the second deed executed on May 18, 1904, by Charlotte L. Woods and J. C. Woods, thereby recognizing and acknowledging, it is asserted, that said grantors had title at that time. That is, an estoppel by deed is set up, and not an estoppel in pais, for it is not alleged that Ellen J. Kesler, through whom plaintiff claims, relied upon any declaration or admission, expressed or implied, made by David Kesler that he was not the possessor of the title under the first deed, and changed her position to her injury. The general rule is that there can be no estoppel by deed against the grantee in a deed poll, because he does not join in the execution of it, and the doctrine that parties to a sealed instrument cannot dispute its force or effect, when applied to such an instrument, is limited in its effect to an estoppel against the grantor, and does not reach the grantee. Bigelow, Estoppel (5 ed.) 356; 11 Am. & Eng. Enc. Law (2 ed.) 399 ; Robertson v. Pickerell, 109 U. S. 608, 614 (3 Sup. Ct. 407: 27 L. Ed. 1049).

5. There are certain exceptions to the general rule above announced, noted and commented on by Mr. Bigelow, such as that the acceptance of that deed poll sometimes works an estoppel upon the grantee, in the case of admissions and covenants intended for him; that a grantee, holding under his grantor, cannot dispute his grantor’s title for the purpose of escaping entirely the [287]*287payment of the purchase price of the property; that a grantee cannot question the validity of his grantor’s title at the time of his conveyance in contest with another, who claims under a paramount title which he himself has acquired, or connected himself with; that he cannot assert the existence of such paramount title, or allege any defect in his grantor’s title, nor can he say that the conveyance he has accepted was made in fraud of his grantor’s creditors, so long as he claims under that title alone. Nor will a person be permitted to accept a deed with seisin, and then turn around upon his grantor and allege that his covenants are broken by reason of the fact that he himself at the time he accepted the deed was seised of the premises; nor will the grantee in a deed poll, having accepted the deed and estate, be permitted to deny his covenants, or that the seal attached is his in an action on the covenants. Bigelow, Estoppel (5 ed.) 856 and 357.

6. It has been stipulated that the second deed was delivered to David Kesler and Ellen J. Kesler, and this imports an acceptance by the former of title thereunder; and, if there were nothing further shown, it would perhaps be sufficient to estop him and those in privity with him, from denying that the grantors named therein had title at that time. But it is admitted that subsequently-David Kesler, by executing his will, devised the whole title, thereby asserting title under the first deed, and these defendants now claim title not under the second deed, but under the first one. This would appear to reduce the question to one of priority merely, necessarily destroying the effect of the second deed. But we are somewhat in doubt as to the soundness of this solution of the matter, and prefer to place the decision upon another ground, which brings the same result. Assuming, if nothing further were shown, that the facts so far considered would be sufficient to raise an estoppel against the defendants from asserting title under the first deed, still the [288]

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Bluebook (online)
110 P. 401, 57 Or. 281, 1910 Ore. LEXIS 44, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/langley-v-kesler-or-1910.