Murdock v. Clarke

59 Cal. 683
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 15, 1881
DocketNo. 7,731
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 59 Cal. 683 (Murdock v. Clarke) 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
Murdock v. Clarke, 59 Cal. 683 (Cal. 1881).

Opinion

Morrison, C. J.:

This is a suit in equity, brought by the plaintiff as the personal representative of Adam Murdock, deceased, to obtain an account from the defendants respecting certain property which they held in their possession under and by virtue of a mortgage executed by Adam Murdock to them. The complaint alleges, that on the fourth day of February, 1875, [684]*684Adam Murdock borrowed from the defendants the sum of eight thousand five hundred dollars, for a period of one year, and that, to secure the payment thereof, he transferred and conveyed to them certain land, described in the complaint, and that it was distinctly understood and agreed, at the time such transfer and conveyance was made, that the same should operate simply as a mortgage. That from that date, to wit, the fourth day of February, 1875, Murdock continued in the use and occupation of the mortgaged premises down to the time of his death, and that after his death the plaintiff continued in the possession and occupation thereof until the month of February, 1876, at which time the defendants wrongfully entered upon the possession, and ousted the plaintiff therefrom, and still remain in possession thereof. That the actual value of the use and occupation of the premises is seven thousand five hundred dollars per annum. That the defendants have collected, used, and enjoyed all the rents and profits of said real property, and have neglected and refused to apply the same, or any portion thereof, to the payment of the said sum of eight thousand five hundred dollars, borrowed as aforesaid by Adam Murdock from the defendants. It is further charged, in this connection, that the defendants also took possession, at the same time, of divers articles of personal property belonging to the estate of Adam Murdock, amounting in the aggregate to a large sum of money in value, and have converted the same to their own use. The complaint further alleges, that on or about the month of April, 1875, the said Adam Murdock borrowed of the defendants a further sum of money, to wit, the sum of eight thousand dollars, and that at that time “ he turned over and delivered” to the defendants, in pledge, and as security for the payment of the last-named sum of money, and also as additional security for the repayment of the sum first borrowed of defendants, fifteen hundred head of cattle, of the aggregate value of forty-five thousand dollars. That the defendants have had all of said cattle and the increase thereof from the first day of April, 1875, down to the present time, save and except such cattle as have been sold by the defendants. The complaint then proceeds to state, on information and belief, what the increase of the cattle has been, how many of the [685]*685cattle have been sold by the defendants, the amount realized from such sales, and the quantity yet remaining in the possession of the defendants, unsold and undisposed of, and closes with a prayer that an account may be taken, and such relief granted to the plaintiff as she may in law or equity be entitled to. The complaint is not verified.

The answer of the defendants is, first, a general denial of all and singular the averments in the complaint, specific denials of particular portions thereof, and the averment of affirmative facts relied upon as a defense in the case. They deny that the rents and profits of the premises described in the complaint are of, or were of, the value of fifteen hundred dollars per annum, or a greater sum than six hundred dollars per annum; deny that they have collected any rents, issues, and profits of said premises; deny that they have neglected or refused to apply the products of the premises received by them towards the liquidation of the indebtedness; deny that they received from Adam Murdock a greater number of cattle than seven hundred; deny that the increase of the cattle has exceeded in the whole, since March, 1875, eight hundred and eighty-six in number; deny that they have sold more than six hundred and sixty-five head of cattle, or that they have received more than thirteen thousand and twenty-seven dollars and twenty cents therefor; deny that the value of the cattle exceeded ten dollars per head. Defendants then set out in their answer, a copy of the conveyance to them, executed by Adam Murdock, which is on its face an absolute deed of a portion of the lands described in the complaint, and an assignment of a certificate of purchase for the. residue; but they admit in their answer that the transaction was a mortgage, intended to secure the repayment of moneys loaned by them to Murdock, and that it was understood and agreed by the parties that the defendants were to hold the possession of the property for the purpose of keeping said cattle and their increase; that the defendants were from time to time to market such cattle as became fat and salable, and were to use the proceeds of sales made by them in the payment of current expenses of the ranches, the taxes thereon, and all other necessary disbursements, the remainder to be applied to the payment of the indebtedness due from Murdock to the [686]*686defendants. The answer next contains a statement of the increase of the cattle, the number sold, the amount received, the moneys expended, etc., which they claim to have properly and lawfully laid out in and under the contract between Murdock and themselves. In conclusion, they make a claim for a large amount alleged to be still due them under the mortgage contract.

The Court filed ninety-three findings of fact and fourteen conclusions of law, terminating with the conclusion “that the plaintiff is entitled to recover from said defendants, upon paying to them, within sixty days from the entry of judgment herein, the sum of six thousand six hundred and twenty-three dollars and fifty-seven cents in United States gold coin, with the costs of this action, all the real property described in the engrossed complaint; also five hundred and sixty-four head of stock cattle, now in possession of defendants, through their agent, Stanton, branded ‘ U./ or ‘ H. S.,’ or ‘ R’ (anchor), or ‘R T.’; also thirteen head of horses of the original band, delivered to Clark & Cox by Adam Murdock; also all wagons three in number, delivered to them by said Murdock, one harrow- two plows, and five sets of harness, and all other personal property not lost or destroyed through use, delivered to said defendants by Adam Murdock on the twenty-second of March, 1875.”

The findings are too numerous for us to examine them in detail, and we will simply refer to such as it is necessary for us to consider in connection with this opinion. The Court finds that the moneys were loaned to the deceased, Adam Murdock, by the defendants, and that an agreement was made between the parties that one Stanton should take possession of the property as the agent of the defendants. The eighteenth finding is as follows:

“18. That said Cox and Clark accepted said offer and proposals of said Adam Murdock, at some time in the early part of March, A. d. 1875, with this addition, that one J. B. Stanton should be selected as the agent of said Cox & Clark to take possession for them of said ranches, saw-mill, and personal property, at the salary or compensation of seventy-five dollars per month, and that the said Murdock, with his family, should be allowed to occupy the house on Beaver [687]*687Creek ranch with said agent Stanton;” and the following are other findings in the case:

“ 19. That pursuant to said agreement, and with thfe complete assent of said Murdock, said J. B. Stanton, as the agent of said defendants, did on the twenty-second day of March, A. D.

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Related

Clayton v. Schultz
115 P.2d 446 (California Supreme Court, 1941)
Nichols v. Randall
69 P. 26 (California Supreme Court, 1902)
Schirmer v. Drexler
66 P. 180 (California Supreme Court, 1901)
Murdock v. Clarke
24 P. 272 (California Supreme Court, 1890)
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18 P. 98 (California Supreme Court, 1888)
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13 P. 866 (California Supreme Court, 1887)

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Bluebook (online)
59 Cal. 683, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/murdock-v-clarke-cal-1881.