Nielsen v. Gail

217 Ill. App. 190, 1920 Ill. App. LEXIS 45
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedMarch 9, 1920
DocketGen. No. 6,632
StatusPublished

This text of 217 Ill. App. 190 (Nielsen v. Gail) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nielsen v. Gail, 217 Ill. App. 190, 1920 Ill. App. LEXIS 45 (Ill. Ct. App. 1920).

Opinion

Mr. Presiding Justice Niehaus

delivered the opinion of the court.

In this case, we filed an opinion, at the last, April term and afterwards granted a rehearing to re-examine some of the questions involved. in the controversy. We have not reached any different conclusions however, either as to the facts shown by the record, or the law applicable to them.

The proof shows that Ole L. Nielsen, the appellee, on the 19th of March, 1912, entered into a written contract with Gustav D. Carlson and Ida Carlson his wife, by the terms of which he became the purchaser of an undivided half interest in two lots in the City of Highwood, which are described in the contract, and for which he was to pay to Carlson the sum of $750; $400 was to be paid in cash, and the balance in one year after the date of the contract. This contract of purchase however was made subject to a trust deed, which was a lien upon the lots, and which Carlson had given to secure the payment of $1,250. The contract also provided that the appellee should pay 6 per cent interest on the unpaid balance, and was to assume and pay half of the mortgage incumbrance on the property, and to pay one-half of the taxes and expenses on the property. There was a building on the lots from which rents accrued at the time the appellee purchased his interest, and the agreement provided that the appellee should be entitled to one-half of the profits arising from the property. After the execution of the contract in question, Carlson remained in possession of the premises and collected the rents. After November 1, 1913, the appellee and Carlson had a settlement of their accounts, and it was agreed between them that the appellee was entitled to be credited with the sum of $625 as paid upon the purchase price; afterwards on February 18, 1914, the contract of purchase, together with a statement of this settlement of their accounts written thereon, was recorded. Thereafter on March 6,, 1914, the Carlsons by warranty deed conveyed the premises in question to one Thomas H. Gail, who then took possession of the property, and collected the rents and profits arising therefrom until the commencement of this suit, and thereafter. After the conveyance of the property to Gail, the appellee demanded from Gail a recognition by Gail of his right and interest in the premises under his contract with the Carlsons, but Gail refused to concede any rights to the appellee, and denied that he had the interest of the property which appellee claimed. Thereupon, on the 25th day of September, 1914, appellee filed a bill in equity against Gustav D. Carlson and Ida Carlson, and Thomas H. Gail, setting forth in the bill his contract of purchase entered into with the Carlsons, the amount claimed to have been paid thereon by him, and his readiness and willingness to perform his part of the agreement, to repay the amount remaining unpaid under the contract; and also setting out the complication in the title brought about by the conveyance of the premises by the Carlsons to Gail; and that Gail refused to recognize appellee’s rights under the Carlson contract, and had. refused to make any deed to the appellee for a half interest; but Gail had insisted that appellee was only entitled to a one-third interest in the property, also that the appellee was unable to determine who was entitled to the balance due on the purchase price agreed to be paid by him, whether the same should be paid to Carlson or to Gail, because Carlson was claiming that the deed to Gail for the premises in question was obtained from him by fraud and circumvention. Thomas H. Gail filed a demurrer to the bill; the demurrer was overruled, and he thereupon filed his answer. Gustav Carlson and Ida Carlson also filed a cross-bill directed principally against Thomas H. Gail. The cross-bill is of no importance in the consideration of the questions involved in this controversy. A replication was filed to the answers, and the cause was referred to the master. Afterwards on July 28, 1915, the appellee filed a supplemental bill, setting forth the matter- of the collection of rents and profits from the premises by Carlson and Gail, and asking for an accounting, also alleging that since the filing of the original bill the trust deed, subject to which the appellee had purchased, had been foreclosed by decree of court, and a master’s sale had been made thereunder; and that the sale resulted in satisfying the amount due under the trust deed, and had left a balance of $620:05, which balance had been brought into court by the master, and ivas in the hands of the clerk of the court for distribution among the parties in. interest. Under the averments of this supplemental bill the complainant sought the appointment of a receiver, which however was denied by the court. Afterwards on October 8, .1915, the special master to whom the original bill was referred made a report finding the issues raised by the original bill in favor of the appellee, and that the appellee was entitled to a one-half interest in the property under his contract of purchase. Objections and exceptions were filed to the master’s report, which were overruled, and a decree entered in conformity with the report; but afterwards, at the same term, this decree was set aside and vacated. Appellee thereupon obtained leave to file an amended bill, and an amended bill was filed, which includes substantially all the averments of both the original and supplemental bills, and prays for specific performance and an accounting of the rents and profits of the premises. A demurrer was filed by Thomas H. Gail to the amended bill, but the demurrer was overruled, and the court thereupon granted him leave to file an answer, which was done. The case, including the matters of accounting, was again referred to the special master, and he filed his report December 13, 1915. On January 29, 1917, the death of Thomas H. Gail was suggested and after-wards on motion of the appellee, Maude C. Gail, as administratrix of the estate of Thomas H. Gail, deceased, was made a party defendant. The Maude O. Gail as administratrix appeared and filed her answer to the amended bill. Thereafter on the 8th day of May, 1918, the cause came on for hearing upon the report of the special master, and upon the proofs taken by him, to which exceptions had been filed. The exceptions to the master’s report were overruled and the report approved and confirmed. The court finds, in the decree, the facts to be substantially as alleged in the original and amended bills filed, and the appellee is entitled to specific performance, and to an accounting of the rents and profits of the premises in question; and that it appears from such accounting that the balance due from the appellee for the purchase price of the premises has been fully paid by his share of the rents and profits; and that there was a balance of $45.54 due him from Thomas H. Gail; and that appellee made no claim to said balance and he had waived his right thereto; that since the filing of the original bill the premises had been sold under foreclosure of the mortgage subject to which the appellee purchased, and that a surplus of $620.05 arising from said foreclosure sale had been paid into court by the master, and had remained in the hands of the clerk; but that Thomas H. Gail had claimed and withdrawn one-half of said surplus, and appropriated the same; and that the other half, amounting to $310.03, rightfully belonged to the appellee; and the decree directs the clerk to pay the same to him. The decree also directs that the appellee pay the costs of the proceeding. From this decree the appellant, Maude C. Gail, as administratrix of the estate of Thomas H. Gail, is prosecuting an appeal to this court.

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217 Ill. App. 190, 1920 Ill. App. LEXIS 45, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nielsen-v-gail-illappct-1920.