Law v. Long

41 Ind. 586
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1873
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 41 Ind. 586 (Law v. Long) 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
Law v. Long, 41 Ind. 586 (Ind. 1873).

Opinion

Buskirk, J.

—This was an action by the appellees, as husband and wife, against the appellants, to obtain an assignment of dower to the female plaintiff, in certain described real estate.

The complaint was in two paragraphs. The substantial averments in the first paragraph were as follows:

“That on the 6th day of January,' 1848, the plaintiff Nancy was married to Abraham Hill; that her said husband wrongfully obtained the possession of her money and property, and-without her consent invested the same in the purchase of the real estate in controversy; that by mistake and without her consent, the deed was made to Abraham Hill, when it was agreed between her and her husband that the land should be conveyed to her; that on the 5th day of September, 1851, she and her said husband, for a valuable consideration, conveyed said land to the defendant Joel Law; that at the time of said conveyance she was a minor, and was not of age until the nth day of December, 1854, being at such [588]*588time under eighteen years of age; that she made said deed under duress and compulsion of her said husband; that Law, at the time of making said deed, knew that she was an infant, under eighteen years of age, that she was the owner of said real estate, and that she acted under duress and compulsion; that in 1867, Law conveyed to the defendant Scott twenty acres, and to defendant Kendall sixty acres, of said land; that said Scott and Kendall purchased with full notice of her rights and the facts hereinbefore stated; that Abraham Hill, her husband, died in Shelby county, Indiana, in October, 1852; that on the 30th day of August, 1853, she was married to Nicholas Wheeler; that Wheeler died in April, 1864; that in September, x 868, she was married to her co-plaintiff George W. Long. The prayer was, that such deeds should be set aside and held for naught; that her title to the said premises be quieted and for general relief.”

The second paragraph was the same as the first, except there is no averment that said real estate was purchased with her separate means, and except there was an averment that on the nth day of December, 1854, she demanded her dower of Law, who refused.

The prayer of this paragraph of the complaint was, that dower should be assigned to her, and for judgment for two thousand dollars, and for general relief.

The defendants demurred separately to each paragraph of the complaint. The’ demurrers were overruled, and they excepted.

The defendant Law answered as follows:

First. General denial.

Second. That she was over eighteen years old when she made the deed.

For third paragraph says, that immediately after making said deeds, Abraham Hill.-and Nancy left and went to Iowa, and there purchased land with the money Law paid for said land sued for, and, with her consent, took the title in his own name; that Abraham Hill died in Shelby county, Indiana, in October, 1852, seized of the land purchased in Iowa, [589]*589leaving Nancy Long, his widow, and three children, him surviving; that in 1861, and after she arrived at twenty-one years of age, she sold the Iowa lands for five hundred dollars, and applied it to her own use; wherefore, the Longs are estopped to claim dower.

For fourth paragraph of answer, Law alleged that when the deed was made to him, Abraham Hill and Nancy were living on the land, and he died in Shelby county, in October, 1852, in the vicinity of the land; that she continued to reside in the vicinity of the land until after she arrived at twenty-one years of age, in the year 1854, when she married Wheeler, and they removed to Iowa, and returned to Shelby county, in 1862, and rented said land from said Law, and resided thereon, and in the immediate vicinity of said land, until Wheeler died, in the year 1864, within one mile of said land; that Nancy continued to reside in the vicinity of said land, sole and unmarried, until September, 1868, when she married Long; that during all this time Nancy saw and knew that Law had been making valuable improvements on the land, well knew that he was ignorant that she was under eighteen years of age when she made the deed, and believed she was over eighteen years old, and that her guardian declared publicly, in her hearing, and in the hearing of others, that she was over the age of eighteen years; that she then and hitherto concealed the fact from Law that she was under eighteen years, and made no claim or demand whatsoever of this defendant for dower in said land, or other right, but suffered this defendant for nineteen years in ignorance to occupy and improve said land, and knew of said Law’s selling and conveying said lands to his co-defendants, without her claiming her rights to said land.

The defendants Scott and Kendall answered jointly as follows:

Second. That Nancy was over eighteen years of age when she joined in the deed.

[590]*590For third paragraph of answer, they say, that Abraham Hill and Nancy invested said money obtained from Law in the purchase of land in Iowa, and she consented that he might take the title in his own name; that Abraham Hill died in October, 1852, seized of said Iowa land, leaving Nancy and two children him surviving; that Nancy, after arriving at the age of twenty-one years, sold the Iowa land for five hundred dollars, and applied it to her own use; wherefore she is estopped, etc.

For fourth paragraph, that Nancy concealed from Law her disability, and represented to Law that she was over eighteen years of age, and that Law believed she was over eighteen years of age; that she knew Law was about to sell said land to the said Scott and Kendall, and concealed from them the fact that she was under eighteen years of age when she made the deed, and never gave them any notice of, or claimed from them any interest in said land, although all the time she had been residing in the vicinity of said land; that Nancy was unmarried from the month of October, 1852, until the year 1853, and from 1864 until September, 1868, and competent to assert her rights. She made no claim to said lands, and acquiesced in said sales; that these defendants purchased and paid for and received deeds from Law for said land, before they, or either of them, had any notice of her pretended claim; that Law was in possession of said lands from the time the Plills deeded the land to him, and was in possession when they purchased from Law; that they purchased in good faith, etc., Scott the twenty acres, and Kendall the sixty acres; that Nancy was present when Scott got his deed, and she could and failed to make any claim against said land, and represented to him that she was over eighteen years old when the deed was made to Law; that Law conveyed to Kendall for three thousand five hundred dollars then paid; that Abraham Hill and Nancy invested the money paid them by Law in Iowa land, and she, after Abraham Hill’s death, sold her interest therein for five hundred dollars, and applied the money to her own use.

[591]*591The fifth paragraph of answer sets up the declaration of the guardian set out upon the deed of Law, that she was over eighteen years old, as an estoppel.

The plaintiff replied in denial of the second paragraph of the answer of Law, and demurred to the third and fourth paragraphs. The demurrer to the third paragraph was sustained, and an exception taken, and was overruled as to the fourth.

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Bluebook (online)
41 Ind. 586, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/law-v-long-ind-1873.