Leedy v. Nash

67 Ind. 311
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1879
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 67 Ind. 311 (Leedy v. Nash) 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
Leedy v. Nash, 67 Ind. 311 (Ind. 1879).

Opinion

Howk, J.

In this action, the appellees sued the appellants, in a complaint of three paragraphs.

The first paragraph counted upon a note and mortgage, executed by the appellant "William J. Strieby, to one Alexander McLewis, and both bearing date on the 2d day of February, 1870. The note was for the sum of $100.00, and its payment was [312]*312secured by the mortgage given on certain real estate, particularly described, in Kosciusko county. In' the first paragraph of their complaint, the appellees alleged that said note and mortgage were assigned by said McLewisto Wil-' liam Wilson ; that, by such assignment, the said Wilson took the said note and mortgage as the guardian of the minor heirs of Frances E. Grose, deceased, and the same became the pi’operty of said minor heirs; that said William Wilson was then dead; that the appellees, Minnie M. Rash and Zilpha Howsington, were the said heirs of the said Frances E. Grose, deceased, and were then of full age and entitled to receive their estate, and the said note and mortgage belonged to them ; that the said nóte was due and unpaid, except a certain credit endorsed thereon ; that said mortgage was duly recorded in the recorder’s office of said county, and after such record the said Strieby sold and conveyed the said real estate to the appellant Elias Leedy, who was then the owner thereof, subject to the lien of said mortgage ; that the defendant Robert R. Faulkner had a junior mortgage on said real estate, and the defendant William E. Matchett claimed some interest therein, and they were both made defendants, that they might both set up their respective claims. Wherefore, etc.

In the second paragraph of their complaint, the appellees sued upon another note and mortgage, executed by said Strieby to said McLewis. The note was for 1116.15, and was dated on February 12th, 1870 ; and the mortgage was dated on March 13th, 1871, and was given on the same real estate as that described in the first paragraph, to secure the payment of said note. This second paragraph contained substantially the same allegations as the first paragraph of the complaint, in regard to the assignment of said note and mortgage to said William Wilson, and the death of said Wilson, and the appellees’ ownership of said note and mortgage under the assignment thereof to said [313]*313"Wilson, their former guardian, their arrival at majority, the record of said mortgage, and the subsequent conveyance of said real estate to said Elias Leedy, etc.; and the same parties were made defendants to the second as to the first paragraph of the complaint.

The third paragraph of the complaint counted upon the same note and mortgage that were sued upon in the second paragraph, and differed from the latter paragraph in its allegations, only in this: That it was alleged in the third paragraph, in addition to the matters stated in the second paragraph, that, by the mutual mistake of the parties thereto, the rate per cent, of interest, which the note in suit was to bear, was left blank therein and omitted therefrom ;• that the parties had contracted and intended that the note should bear interest at the rate of ten per cent, per annum, but that, by mistake, the blank space in the note, for the rate of interest, was not filled up. In this third paragraph of their complaint, the appellees prayed for the reformation of the note, in regard to the rate of interest it was agreed that the note should bear, in addition to the other relief prayed for.

To each paragraph of the appellees’ complaint, the appellant Elias Leedy separately demurred, which demurrers were severally overruled, and to these decisions he excepted, and then answered said complaint by a general denial thereof.

The defendant William E. Matchett answered in three paragraphs, setting up his claim as the assignee of a junior mortgage on the land mortgaged to the appellees, offering to redeem their mortgage, and praying judgment for the foreclosure of his said mortgage. To said Matchett’s answers and cross complaint, the appellees and the appellant Leedy answered or replied by general denials. The defendants Stnoby and Faulkner, though duly summoned, were called and made default.

[314]*314The issues joined were tried by the court, and a finding was made for the appellees, on each of the paragraphs of their complaint, for the full amount claimed by them, and for the defendant Matchett, on his cross complaint, the full amount due him on the note described in his junior mortgage. The appellant Elias Leedy moved the court in arrest of judgment on the finding in favor of the appellees, and on the finding in favor of the defendant Matchett ; which said motions were severally overruled by the court, and to each of these decisions the said Elias Leedy excepted. The court then rendered judgment upon and in accordance with its said finding, and from this judgment the said Elias Leedy has alone appealed to this court.

He has here assigned, as errors, the decisions of the court below in overruling his demurrers to each of the paragraphs of the appellees’ complaint, and his motions in arrest of judgment, and that neither of the paragraphs of the cross complaint of the defendant Matchett stated facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action against him, said Leedy.

"We will first consider and decide the questions presented and discussed by the appellant’s counsel, arising under the alleged errors of the court in overruling the said Leedy’s demurrers to the several paragraphs of the appellees’ complaint. In doing this, we may properly remark in ibe outset, that the appellees’ counsel have wholly failed to furnish this court with any brief or argument in support of the decisions of the court below. The appellant Leedy demurred to each paragraph of the appellees’ complaint, upon two grounds of objection, to wit:

1. That it did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action ;

2. Because of a defect of parties defendants, in this, that the said Alexander McLewis should have been made [315]*315a defendant, in and to each paragraph, to answer as to his interest in the note sued on therein.

The second of these grounds of demurrer presents the question as to whether or not, under the allegations of each paragraph of the complaint, Alexander McLewis was a necessary party defendant thereto ; and this question will be first considered and determined. It will be seen, from our statement of the substance of the complaint, that Alexander McLewis was the payee of each of the notes sued upon by the appellees. In each of the paragraphs of their complaint, the appellees alleged that the note in suit therein was assigned in writing, by said McLewis, to William Wilson. This allegation was defective and insufficient, in this, that it did not show that the assignment of the note, by McLewis to Wilson, was “by endorsement in writing.” In section 6 of the practice act, it is expressly provided, that “ When any action is brought by the assignee of a claim arising out of contract, and not assigned by endorsement in writing, the assignor shall be made a defendant, to answer as to the assignment., or his interest in the subject of the action.” 2 R. S. 1876, p. 35.

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Bluebook (online)
67 Ind. 311, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/leedy-v-nash-ind-1879.