Mundy v. Vawter

3 Va. 518
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedJanuary 15, 1847
StatusPublished

This text of 3 Va. 518 (Mundy v. Vawter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mundy v. Vawter, 3 Va. 518 (Va. 1847).

Opinion

Baldwin, J.

delivered the opinion of the Court.

It appears to the Court, from the record of the suit of John Christian's devisee v. Christian, decided by this [544]*544Court in the year 1820, an'd reported in 6 Munf. p. 534, that George Christian, at the time of his death, by force of certain entries and surveys made for his father jmnes Christian, 1st, the last will and testament of the said James, 1st, the division line agreed on between the said George and his brother John Christian, the death of his brother Charles Christian, and the last w|p anq testament of his brother James Christian, 2d, had acquired the equitable title to the tract of 1036 acres of land, afterwards entered, surveyed and patente<^ *n the names of James Christian, 3d, Charles Christian, 2d, Elizabeth, afterwards the wife of James Murphy, and Sally, afterwards the wife of William Horsley; with the exception of so much of said tract of 1036 acres, (being part of a survey for 390 acres, and of another for 123 acres,) as was allotted by the said division between George and John Christian to the latter: and that the said George Christian, at the time of his death, by virtue of the last will and testament of the said James Christian, 2d, had also acquired the title, both legal and equitable, to the tracts of 253 acres, 250 acres, and 400 acres, patented to the said James, 2d, and adjoining the said tract of 1036 acres.

And the Court is further of opinion, that the said George Christian having died intestate in the year 1784, all his real estate, including his equitable interest in the said tract of 1036 acres, and his legal and equitable right to the three adjoining tracts aforesaid, descended to the said James Christian, 3d, who was his eldest son, and as such, under the law of descents then existing, his sole heir at law; that the said patent for 1036 acres, obtained after the death of the said George in the names of all his children, by the procurement of their guardian Reuben Norvell, was in derogation of the right of the said James, 3d; and that the legal title conferred by said patent, to the extent of the equitable right which so descended from said George, must be [545]*545regarded as held in trust for tho sole and exclusive benefit of the said James, 3d, notwithstanding any parol disclaimers on his part of his exclusive right.

And the Court is further of opinion, that the deed of the 17th of June 1805, executed by the said James Christian, 3d, to Stephen Watts and James Murphy, conveying to them as trustees, for the purposes therein mentioned, “all the estate, both real and personal, to which the said James was in any manner entitled at law or in equity,” notwithstanding its want of designation and description of the lauds of said James intended to be conveyed, was good and valid between the parties, embraced the rights of said James in the said tract of 1036 acres, and to the three adjoining tracts aforesaid acquired by descent from the said George Christian his father; and, if the operation of such a deed could have been affected in regard to those lands by an adversary possession thereof, or any part thereof, at the time of its execution, there was in point of fact no such adversary possession.

But the Court is further of opinion, that the registry of the deed just mentioned was not, because of the want of designation and description of the lands intended to be conveyed, notice in point of law to a subsequent purchaser from the grantor of the existence of said deed; nor would notice in point of fact of such existence and contents affect such purchaser, unless he had further notice that the land purchased by him was embraced by the provisions of said deed ; and the proof of such notice, whether direct and positive, or circumstantial and presumptive, must be such as to affect the conscience of the purchaser; and is not sufficient if it merely puts him upon enquiry, but must be so strong and clear as to fix upon him the imputation of mala fides.

And the Court is further of opinion, that no power whatever was conferred by the said deed of the 17th of [546]*546June 1805, upon the trustees therein, to make sales of the lands thereby conveyed, whether for payment of the debts of the grantor, or any other purpose, however urgent the necessity for such sales; and that in point of fact, no such necessity has ever occurred : and therefore, that purchasers from said trustees acting in that character, could acquire no title from them to any of the lands conveyed by said deed.

And it appears to the Court, that the tract of 336 acres purchased by James Dillard, was part of the aforesaid tract of 1036 acres, and of that portion thereof, the equitable title to which descended as aforesaid, from George Christian to James Christian, 3d, his heir at law; and that the said Dillard’s purchase was from the said James, 3d, Charles Christian, 2d, Horsley and wife, and Murphy and wife. And it further appears, that the said Stephen Watts and James Murphy, the trustees in said deed of the 17th of June 1805, did in that character unite with James Christian, 3d, his brother and sisters, and the husbands of the latter, in their deed of conveyance to said Dillard of the 17th of December 1807; whereby the said Dillard not only had notice of the existence of the said deed to the trustees, but that it conveyed to them, for the benefit of their cestuis que trust, the interest of James Christian, 3d, in the land he the said Dillard, was purchasing ; and he was.consequently' bound to know that said trustees were not, by the provisions of said deed, invested with the authority or power to make any sale or conveyance of the interest of their cestuis que trust, so derived from the said James, 3d.

But it does not appear that the said Dillard had notice of the extent of the interest in said land owned by the said James, 3d, and by him conveyed to said trustees by his deed aforesaid. On the contrary, the Court is well satisfied that the said Dillard had reasonable grounds for believing, and did in good faith believe, that [547]*547the interest of James Christian, 3d, in said land, at the date of his deed to the trustees, was not exclusive, but only to the extent of one undivided fourth part thereof. All the circumstances of the case tended to warrant that belief. The said tract of 1036 acres was entered, surveyed and patented, in the joint names of James Christian, 3d, his brother and sisters, through the agency of their guardian. That joint title was asserted for them jointly, during the whole controversy with John Christian and his devisee. The latent equity of James Christian, 3d, to exclude his brother and sisters from participation had never been asserted for or by him. On the contrary, he claimed only an undivided interest with them, united with them in the joint sale and conveyance to Dillard, and suffered them to receive equal proportions of the purchase money; and this with the knowledge and assent of the trustees Watts and Murphy, who set up no exclusive interest in their cestuis que trust, but also united in the joint conveyance to

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Bluebook (online)
3 Va. 518, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mundy-v-vawter-va-1847.