Lots 247 through 250 v. Martin

259 So. 2d 819, 288 Ala. 270, 1972 Ala. LEXIS 1210
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedFebruary 10, 1972
Docket8 Div. 339
StatusPublished

This text of 259 So. 2d 819 (Lots 247 through 250 v. Martin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lots 247 through 250 v. Martin, 259 So. 2d 819, 288 Ala. 270, 1972 Ala. LEXIS 1210 (Ala. 1972).

Opinion

COLEMAN, Justice.

The respondents appeal from a decree granting relief to complainant in suit to quiet title.

Complainant filed his bill of complaint January 9, 1963. He claims to own in fee simple forty-one lots in a subdivision in Colbert County. In the amended bill, complainant avers that a certain parcel of land was conveyed by Thurmond Harris to Elbert H. Fowler by deed dated January 2, 1926; that on the same date, Elbert H. Fowler executed a mortgage to Thurmond Harris to secure the unpaid purchase money for the land; that the land was thereafter subdivided on June 17, 1926; that the mortgage was foreclosed by a proceeding in the Circuit Court of Colbert County, in Equity, Case No. 2284, which was commenced July 8, 1936, and is styled The Sheffield National Bank v. Mary T, Harris, et al., The Sheffield Bank being owner and holder of a part of the debt secured by the mortgage; that pursuant to decree filed February 22, 1939, in Case No. 2284, the mortgaged.land was sold by the register and conveyed to The Tennessee Valley Bank by deed dated March 2, 1940; that The Tennessee Valley Bank conveyed to the Superintendent of Banks of the State of Alabama, and the Superintendent of Banks conveyed to complainant by deed dated February 28, 1945, and by correction deed dated March 16, 1945.

Complainant prays that respondents be required to specify their claim to or interest in the forty-one lots, and that the court adjudge and decree that complainant is the owner in fee simple of the forty-one lots and that none of respondents has any right, title, or interest in said lots. More than twenty-five respondents are named in the bill of complaint.

In the answer of respondents, they deny that complainant is in actual peaceable possession of the forty-one lots. Respondents [272]*272aver that Elbert H. Fowler executed the purchase money mortgage to Thurmond Harris on January 2, 1926, and that the mortgage was foreclosed in Case No. 2284; that the property described in the bill of complaint was sold by the register to The Tennessee Valley Bank.

Respondents aver that prior to the foreclosure sale and prior to commencement of Case No. 2284, while Thurmond Harris was owner and holder of the mortgage, he released from the mortgage the forty-one lots here involved, and also other lots, by releases filed for record in 1928 and in January, 1932; that, by virtue of said releases, the foreclosure of the mortgage did not convey any interest in said released lots to the purchaser at the foreclosure sale; that the decree in Case No. 2284 does not recite any ruling or finding on the legality of said releases.

Respondents further aver that the deed from The Tennessee Valley Bank to James B. Little, as Superintendent, was dated May 13, 1939, which date is prior to the foreclosure deed date of May 2, 1940; that The Tennessee Valley Bank “does not exist” and “the deeds by and through which the complainant claims title” are null and void.

. Respondents aver that “complainant has not paid taxes on said land.”

Respondents aver that on January 2, 1926, Elbert H. Fowler, “as trustee for the respondents,” acquired title from Thurmond Harris by the deed of that date; that on May 22, 1930, Elbert H. Fowler died and Howard E. Fowler was appointed trustee for respondents “as shown by a decree of the Circuit Court of Colbert County, Alabama, on February 14, 1931, which decree is recorded in Deed Book 87, page 458, in the office of the Probate Judge of Colbert County, Alabama”; that respondents claim to own said lands in fee simple and by virtue of the aforementioned conveyances and decree; that all taxes and assessments have been paid by the respondents yearly rsince January 2, 1926; and that “respondents have been in the actual, peaceful possession of said lands

After a hearing at which oral testimony was heard and numerous exhibits were introduced, the court found that complainant owns the forty-one lots and was in actual, peaceable, and constructive possession of the same through himself and tenants at the time suit was commenced.

The court further found that the forty-one lots were originally conveyed by Thurmond Harris to Elbert H. Fowler by deed dated January 2, 1926; that on the same date Elbert H. Fowler executed a purchase money mortgage therefor; that the land was subdivided by Elbert H. Fowler on June 17, 1926; that the purchase money mortgage was duly foreclosed by suit in the trial court commenced on July 8, 1936, Case No. 2284; that the mortgaged property, including the forty-one lots, was sold by the register to The Tennessee Valley Bank by deed dated March 2, 1940; that through subsequent mesne conveyances, title to the property, including the forty-one lots, was sold by the Superintendent of Banks of the State of Alabama to complainant by deed dated February 28, 1945, and by correction deed dated March 16, 1945; and that by virtue of said deeds complainant has legal title to said property and has and had actual and constructive possession of the same, and that no one else was in possession of the same.

The court decreed that none of the respondents has any right, title, or interest in or encumbrance on said lots.

Respondents argue five assignments of error. As we understand the argument, respondents contend that the court erred in its findings in two respects, to wit: first, in finding that title to the property in dispute was, through subsequent mesne conveyances, conveyed to complainant by the Superintendent of Banks- and that complainant has title to the property; and, second, in finding that complainant was in ac[273]*273tual, peaceable, and constructive possession of the property through himself and tenants at the time suit was filed.

I.

We consider first the contention that the court erred in finding that title had been conveyed to complainant.

It appears that a tract of land containing approximately seventy-five acres was conveyed by Thurmond Harris to Elbert H. Fowler in 1926 as already mentioned. To secure payment of the purchase price, Elbert H. Fowler, on the date of purchase, executed to Thurmond Harris five promissory notes secured by the mortgage on the seventy-five acres. The notes became due one, two, three, four, and five years, respectively, after date. The mortgage recited that Elbert H. Fowler was purchasing the land for subdividing and sale, and that it was agreed that lots selected by him might be sold by him and would be released by the mortgagee or his assigns from the operation of the mortgage upon payment to the mortgagee or his assigns of the sum of money representing a proportion of the price of the land released on the basis of $1,000.00 per acre.

It appears that the three notes due one, two, and three years after date were paid, and that probably some payments were made on the fourth note. The fifth note, due in 1931, five years after date, was not paid. On August S, 1930, before maturity, the fifth note, bearing the endorsement of Thurmond Harris, was negotiated to The Sheffield National Bank as security for a debt owed by the father of Thurmond Harris to the Sheffield Bank. The father’s debt was not paid and the fifth note was not paid. Elbert H. Fowler died shortly before or about the time of the due date of the fifth note.

A dispute arose between the Sheffield Bank on one side and Thurmond Harris, his mother, and father on the other side. The Sheffield Bank filed suit in Case No. 2284 and prayed for foreclosure of the mortgage executed by Elbert H. Fowler in 1926.

In Case No.

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Bluebook (online)
259 So. 2d 819, 288 Ala. 270, 1972 Ala. LEXIS 1210, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lots-247-through-250-v-martin-ala-1972.