Morse v. Kimball

55 S.W. 244, 153 Mo. 579, 1900 Mo. LEXIS 140
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedFebruary 5, 1900
StatusPublished

This text of 55 S.W. 244 (Morse v. Kimball) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Morse v. Kimball, 55 S.W. 244, 153 Mo. 579, 1900 Mo. LEXIS 140 (Mo. 1900).

Opinion

BRACE, P. J.

This is an action in equity, in which the plaintiff seeks to divest tffe defendant Bagley of the legal title to an undivided sixth of a parcel of land situate in Jackson county, particularly described in the petition and answer of defendant Bagley, and to have the same vested in the plaintiff, on the ground that the said Bagley on the- day of [581]*581-, 1887, held, the legal title to an undivided third of said real estate in trust for defendant J. Niles Kimball, and that tlie plaintiff on that day purchased one-half of the said interest of said Kimball in said real estate for the sum of $2,566.66, and since has paid the full amount of the purchase price therefor.

The answer of the defendant Kimball is a general denial.

The answer of the defendant Bagley, in addition to a general denial, is as follows:

“That on or about May 9, 1887, Henry J. Gorin, George N. Byers, J. Niles Kimball, who is one of the defendants herein, and this defendant, Y. W. Bagley, formed a syndicate to purchase of one William H. Town the following described real estate situated in Jackson county, Missouri, to wit: The north one hundred and fifty-nine feet (subject to the right of way of Sixth street over the north thirty feet thereof) of the following described tract of land; beginning at the southeast corner of Long, Croysdale & Yaughan’s subdivision of Woodland, as it is marked and designated on the recorded plat of said subdivision, running thence east and parallel with the center' line of Independence avenue four hundred and forty feet; thence north and parallel with the east line of said subdivision three hundred and thirty feet; thence west and parallel with the center line of Independence avenue four hundred and forty feet to the east line of said subdivision; thence south with the east line of said subdivision three hundred and thirty feet to the place of beginning. That it was agreed that the title thereto should be taken in the name of, and held by this defendant, for and in behalf of all the members of said syndi- ‘ cate according to their respective interests, upon the terms and conditions to be set forth in the declaration of trust to be by him executed; that said Byers and Gorin, jointly, were to have one share, and the said Kimball and this defendant Bagley each one share; that the purchase price of said land was $15,400, of which $5,134 was to be paid in cash, and the [582]*582balance of $10,266 to be paid $5,133 in one year and $5,133 in two years, the deferred payments to be evidenced by sixteen notes signed by this defendant, eight being for $533.25 each, and eight for $750 each, and all secured upon said land; that the representative of each third interest was to pay one-third of the cash payment and assume payment of one-third of the deferred payments. That on or about May 9, 1887, in accordance with said .agreement, the said Bagley made the said cash payment of $5,134 to said William H. Town, and executed and delivered his sixteen notes for the deferred payments as aforesaid, and thereupon the said William H. Town made, executed and delivered to this defendant, his warranty deed for said property; that said Gorin and Byers paid to this defendant their third part of the cash payment, and this defendant then made, executed, and delivered to said Gorin, as agreed upon by them, his declaration of trust for their interest. That afterwards, as the deferred payments fell due, they, the said Gorin and Byers, paid their part thereof, so that their third interest became and was wholly paid for; that thereupon, on July 27, 1889, they, the said Gorin and Byers, assigned to this defendant their interest in said deed of trust and .surrendered to him the declaration of trust so issued to said Gorin as aforesaid with instructions and authority to execute and deliver a declaration to said Gorin and John W. Byers for an undivided one-third interest in said lands, the interest of said Byers being four-fifths of one-third, that of said Gorin one-fourth of one-third, and showing their respective interests to be all paid for; and thereupon this defendant executed and delivered his declaration in accordance with their said request. That this defendant made the cash payment for his interest at the time of the purchase aforesaid, and has since paid his part of the several deferred payments; that, as between the members of said syndicate, he owes nothing on account of said purchase. _ That at the time this defendant executed his declaration of trust to said Gorin, he also made [583]*583one in like tenor and effect in favor of the defendant, J. Niles Kimball, for a third interest in said land; said last declaration recites that said Kimball has paid to said Bagley the sum of $1,711.34, bnt said Kimball did not pay said amount, or any part thereof, 'and, by agreement of the parties to said declaration, and for his protection, said Bagley retained possession of said declaration; that said Bagley never has delivered said declaration to said Kimball; that said Kimball afterwards paid his part of the first one of the two deferred payments, and $911.34 on account of his part of the last deferred payment, and 8 per cent interest on the amount of the cash payment aforesaid to November 25, 1890, but no more; that long after such payment by said Kimball, to wit, on the — day of-1893, said Kimball came to this defendant and borrowed said declaration of trust, and has not yet returned the same, and so it can not be attached hereto as a part hereof; this defendant is informed and believes that said declaration is now in the possession of plaintiff. It was understood and agreed by and between said Kimball and Bagley that, as the said Bagley had the- title to said property in his name, he should be and was amply secured for the money he paid on account of the cash payment of said Kimball. That there is still due and unpaid, on account of the last payment of the purchase price of said syndicate property, a balance of $800, and interest thereon from May 9th, 1892, at the rate of 8 per cent per annum, and which indebtedness is held by one A. A. Hilton; that this is secured upon the interest of all the parties to said syndicate, but as all the parties excepting said Kimball have paid for their interest in full, said amount, as between the members of said syndicate, should be a lien upon only the third interest of said Kimball.
“Defendant further answering says, that as the taxes became due upon said property, he paid the same, and then looked to the other parties in interest for reimbursement according to their respective interests; that said Gorin and [584]*584Byers repaid him their share so advanced, but said Kimball has failed and neglected to pay his; that the amounts so advanced by said Bagley upon said Kimball’s third interest, and the dates of payment by him, are as follows: January 2, 1894, state and county taxes for 1893, $9; May, 1894, city taxes for 1894, $7.84.
“Defendant further says that if said Kimball sold any part of his interest in said trust, he did not make an assignment or conveyance thereof in writing, as required by the statute in such case.

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Bluebook (online)
55 S.W. 244, 153 Mo. 579, 1900 Mo. LEXIS 140, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morse-v-kimball-mo-1900.