Mahoney v. Middleton

41 Cal. 41
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1871
DocketNo. 2,344
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 41 Cal. 41 (Mahoney v. Middleton) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mahoney v. Middleton, 41 Cal. 41 (Cal. 1871).

Opinion

By the Court, Rhodes, C. J.:

Action to recover possession of Rancho Laguna de la Merced. The title was confirmed to the seven heirs of Francisco de Haro as tenants in common, and the plaintiffs and all the defendants who set up title, claim under them. It is conceded that the interests held by Josefa and Alonzo—one [49]*49undivided seventh, each—passed to Mahoney, and it appears that three eighths of the interest of Candelaria vested in the plaintiffs, and that the "remainder of her interest vested in the defendants, or some of them.

Prudencio conveyed his interest in the rancho—one seventh—to Mahoney, June 14th, 1860, and the déed was recorded in San Francisco, July 2d, 1862, and in San Mateo, July 3d, 1862. The rancho consists of one body of land, and is situated partly in each of those counties. Prudencio also conveyed the same interest to Pichoir—under whom some of the defendants claim—June 28th, 1862, and the deed was recorded in San Francisco on the same day, and in San Mateo, July 2d, 1862. The Court found that Pichoir, before he paid any part of the purchase money, had notice in fact of the prior conveyance to Mahoney.

Carlotta conveyed her interest—one seventh—to Mahoney, March 3d, 1860, and the deed was recorded in San Mateo, April 16th, 1860, and in San Francisco, July 2d, 1862. She also conveyed the same interest to Spear, June 28th, 1862, and the deed was recorded in San Francisco on the same day, and in San Mateo, July 2d, 1862. Some of the defendants claim under this deed. The Court found that Spear, before he paid the purchase money, had notice in fact of the prior deed to Mahoney, and had also constructive notice by means of the record of a deed in San Mateo County. The-question presented in regard to the conveyances of the interests of Prudencio and Carlotta,- being quite similar, will be considered together.

It is admitted by the defendants’ counsel, that Spear and Pichoir, in making their respective purchases and taking their conveyances, were mere trustees; that the purchases were negotiated and conveyances procured through the agency of Parsons & Thorne, and that Thorne had notice of [50]*50the prior deeds to Mahoney. Notice to Thorne, it is admitted, was notice to his principals. But it is insisted by the defendants that Wohler, who claims a portion of the interests conveyed to Spear and Piehoir, is not chargeable with the notice to Thorne, because Thorne was not his agent. Spear and Piehoir conveyed to Borel, in trust for Wohler, a certain portion of those interests, by deed dated July 14th, 1863, and the deed was recorded August 7th, 1863. The Court found, as appears from the sixteenth finding, that the defendants, except one who is named, had both actual and constructive notice of the prior conveyances to Mahoney. It will be observed that the conveyances to Mahoney, were recorded both in San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, prior to the execution of the deed to Borel. As Spear and Piehoir had notice of Mahoney’s deeds, they took no interest in the land under their deeds, and of course could not convey any interest to Borel, except by the aid of the Registry Act. Their conveyance to Borel, standing by itself, passed no title, and the only mode in which it could have been made effectual, was by recording it before the deeds of Mahoney were recorded. The accumulation in this Court of cases waiting decision, forbids the discussion, at any considerable length, of this interesting question, or a review of the authorities bearing upon it. Our conclusion is, that Borel, having purchased from Spear and Piehoir, after the deeds of Mahoney were recorded, had constructive notice of those deeds, although the deeds to Spear and Piehoir were first recorded; that because of such notice, he is not a purchaser in good faith, and that therefore the deeds to Mahoney will take precedence over the deed to Borel. (See Flynt v. Arnold, 2 Met. 619; Jackson v. Post, 15 Wend. 588; Van Rensselaer v. Clark, 17 Wend. 25. The question whether Wohler had actual notice of the conveyances to Mahoney, need not be discussed.

Was the judgment recovered by Briones and wife, against [51]*51Natividad and Paul Tissot, her husband, void? It is therein recited that “ this cause having been brought on to be heard upon the complaint of the plaintiffs, and the confession and answer of the defendants under oath filed herewith, by which it appears that there was due to the plaintiffs at the date of the commencement of said suit,” etc. The judgment contains no recital in respect to the issue or service of summons, nor does the roll contain an appearance, answer, or .demurrer on the part of the defendants. The record being silent as to the issuing and service of process, it will be presumed that process was duly issued and served on the defendants. (Hahn v. Kelly, 34 Cal. 391.) The Court having acquired jurisdiction of the defendants, as must be presumed, and there being no question as to its having had jurisdiction of the subject matter of the action, the judgment is not void.

There is as little ground to question the validity of the judgment of Palmer against Rosalia and her husband, Charles Brown, as of the judgment last mentioned. There is nothing in the judgment roll tending to prove that Rosalia was not served with process, and it will be presumed, as the defendants on this point contend, that the process'was duly served on her. There is no legal evidence in the record in this cause to justify the finding that she was not served. The plaintiffs, to show the want of service, rely on the failure of the judgment roll in that case to directly show the service; but that is manifestly insufficient and does not tend to sustain the finding. Were the finding sustained by the evidence, there is still enough in the ease to give the Court jurisdiction of Rosalia, for the appearance of herself and husband in the action, was entered by an attorney of that Court.

The judgment in that case, ordered the Lake House tract to be sold, in satisfaction of the amount found due on the mortgage. The tract was accordingly sold, and was con[52]*52veyed by the Sheriff to the purchaser. What interest passed to the purchaser by that conveyance? Throwing out of consideration any possession which Brown may have had—as it is of no moment in the controversy between the holders of the title—it is apparent that the only title which passed, was the undivided seventh of the interest in that tract, which was held by Rosalia. The purchaser took her position in respect to the tract, and until a partition shall be made, he and his assigns will hold the same right to the possession, that she would have enjoyed, had her interest therein not been sold. Whether there are any legal or equitable reasons, why Rosalia’s interest in the whole rancho, shall be set off so as to include the Lake House-tract, is a question that will not arise except on proceedings for partition; but in the meantime, the purchaser at the foreclosure sale and his assigns, succeeded only to such right of- possession as she held at the time of the sale. It appears from the evidence, that Rosalia’s interest in all the rancho, except the Lake House tract, vested in Mahoney, and that one half of her interest in the latter tract which passed at the foreclosure sale also vested in Mahoney, and the other half vested in Middleton. The decision of the Court in respect to that interest, was in accordance with the, evidence, and is correct.

There is a further question in respect to the Lake House tract, arising upon this state of fact.

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Bluebook (online)
41 Cal. 41, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mahoney-v-middleton-cal-1871.