McKay v. Carrington

16 F. Cas. 167, 1 McLean 50
CourtU.S. Circuit Court for the District of Ohio
DecidedDecember 15, 1829
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 16 F. Cas. 167 (McKay v. Carrington) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McKay v. Carrington, 16 F. Cas. 167, 1 McLean 50 (circtdoh 1829).

Opinion

OBINION OF

THE COURT.

This controversy arises on a contract dated the 13th December, 1S1?, by which the defendant, a resident of Virginia, sold to the complainant 23G7 acres of land in two tracts, in Ohio, which the defendant had purchased under a decree of this court against Samuel G. Mar-, tin. Martin had purchased the land of Edward Carrington, deceased, in his life time, the husband of the defendant; but had paid only a small part of the consideration money. To compel the payment of the balance a suit in chancery was brought by the defendant, as administratrix of her husband’s estate, and the land was ordered to be sold. The complainant was to pay for the land ten thousand dollars; the first payment of three thousand dollars to be made immediately: the second, of three thousand one hundred and fifty dollars and fifty cents the 1st January, 1819, and the balance the 1st January, 1820. And if the complainant failed to make payment, the defendant had the right to sell the land under a decree of court for the balance of the purchase money, the surplus, if any, to be paid to the complainant. There being no provision in the contract that the complainant might enter into the possession of the land, he alleges that he obtained a writing from the defendant authorizing him to take possession; but that he was unable to do so, as possession was held by various persons under Martin. This operated, it is alleged, greatly to the injury of the complainant, and he had no means of maintaining an action at law for the recovery of the possession. The bill further states, Edward Carrington left several heirs, some of whom are yet not of age. That the complainant at the instance of the defendant, or with her approbation, advanced three hundred and twenty-four dollars to pay expenses incurred by her in prosecuting suits in the circuit court to perfect her title to the land. It appears from the proof, that the land has greatly deteriorated in value, and on that ground connected with the lapse of time and the inability of the defendant, even on the filing of the bill, to make a clear title, he prays the contract may be rescinded, and the money paid, with the sum paid for costs, may be decreed to him. with interest; and that the land may be ordered to be sold for the payment thereof. The defendant in her answer states, that the purchase was made by the complainant, with a full knowledge of the state of the title. That she made no representations to mislead him, and that all the facts relating to the land and the title were as well known to the complainant as to herself. That she has not attempted to coerce the payment of the money, but has brought an ejectment and recovered judgment against the persons in possession under Martin, and had- them turned out of possession. And that so soon as she could ascertain the residence of all the heirs of her deceased husband, she caused a bill to be filed against them in the county where the land lies, and obtained a decree of the court of common pleas for a title; and that she is now ready and willing to make a deed for the land, on the payment of the balance of the purchase money. It appears that a part of the land was taken possession of by the complainant, and that, for some time he received the rents and profits thereof; and then declined receiving them, as he did the entire possession of the land after the recovery of it under the suit in ejectment.

The first question which may be considered as arising out of the foregoing facts is, whether a court of chancery, under all the circumstances of the case, would, at the instance of the vendor, decree a specific execution of this contract. It is contended that Martin having failed to comply with his contract, for the purchase of the land; the estate both equitable and legal, on the decease of Car-rington, descended to his heirs; and consequently the administratrix, who represents the personalty only, had no control over the contract. This contract was entered into the 11th October, 1805. The purchase money amounted to three thousand five hundred and fifty dollars and fifty cents, to be paid by Martin as follows: fifty dollars in hand, one thousand dollars the first of May ensuing, and the balance on or before the first May, 1807; the said Carrington, his heirs, &c. to retain the title in the land until the payment of the purchase money, and then he was to convey the land in fee simple by special warranty. Should Martin fail in making any one of the payments, Carrington, his heirs, executors or administrators, had the option, at any time thereafter, to annul the bargain by giving notice thereof and paying into the Bank of Virginia, on account of said Martin, his heirs, &c., any sum or sums of money without interest, which had been paid on the purchase. There is a receipt on the agreement for the payment of fifty dollars, and one for five hundred dollars, dated 30th March, 1S07. Thirty dollars, it seems, were sometime afterwards loaned by the vendor to Martin, which was endorsed on the contract. Carrington died, on or about the 29th October, 1810.

The principle laid down by the counsel for the complainant is correct, that where a contract for the sale of land is void, or cannot be enforced, on account of laches in the ven-dee, on the death of the vendor the land descends to his heirs, and the contract is not considered as forming a part of the personal estate which goes to the executor or administrator. By the contract under consideration, Carrington, in his lifetime, had the power expressly to annul it; as there was a failure to make the payment, it seems he did [169]*169not think proper to exercise the power, but nearly two years after the second payment became due, he received from Martin five hundred dollars in part of it. This is conclusive that on the 30th March, 1807, the contract was considered by Carrington as of binding force; and until the day of his decease he failed to put an end to it in the mode provided. His administratrix had the same power as the deceased in his life time to annul the contract, by giving notice and repaying the moneys received. This she did not do, but on the contrary treated the contract as if it were in full force; and called upon a court of equity to decree a specific execution of it. When an estate is contracted to be sold, equity considers it as converted into personalty. And this is the case, although the election to purchase rests merely with the purchaser. 7 Ves. 436. Equity considers things agreed to be done as performed. The vendor is viewed as a trustee for the purchaser of the estate sold, and the purchaser as a trustee of the purchase money for the vendor; consequently the purchase money goes to the executor or administrator of the vendor, and the interest of the vendee descends to his heirs. As Carring-ton in his life time had given no indication of an intention to annul the contract, and as he had the power to do so, in a mode expressly provided; and as he received a part of the purchase money, after he had a right to put an end to the contract, no doubt can exist that he considered it in,full force. If in the contract a particular mode is provided, by which a party may rescind it, as in the present case, by giving notice and repaying the money received, it can only be done in the mode provided. The repayment of the money by express agreement, is a condition precedent to the rescission of the contract, and must be so considered in equity as well as at law. This step not being taken, may be considered as indicating a determination to enforce the contract, and an acquiescence in the delay of payment The equity of Martin, therefore, was not extinguished at or before the decease of Carring-ton.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 F. Cas. 167, 1 McLean 50, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mckay-v-carrington-circtdoh-1829.