Patterson v. Old Dominion Trust Co.

140 S.E. 810, 149 Va. 597, 1927 Va. LEXIS 198
CourtCourt of Appeals of Virginia
DecidedDecember 22, 1927
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 140 S.E. 810 (Patterson v. Old Dominion Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Patterson v. Old Dominion Trust Co., 140 S.E. 810, 149 Va. 597, 1927 Va. LEXIS 198 (Va. Ct. App. 1927).

Opinions

Chinn, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

[602]*602This is the sequel of the case of James T. Patterson, et als. v. Old Dominion Trust Company, Substituted Trustee, 139 Va. 257, 123 S. E. 549.

The opinion of the Supreme Court of Appeals in that case — which is referred to for the previous history of this litigation — shows that the subject of complaint in that appeal was the dismissal of the suit, by a decree entered by the lower court on the 21st day of July, 1922.

It appears from the record of the instant appeal that on July 27, 1922, six days after the suit was dismissed by the court below, the aforesaid trustee and the life tenant, Mrs. Crutchfield, conveyed the property involved in the suit to the same Henry S. Waller-stein who is referred to in the preceding opinion and, contemporaneously therewith, Wallerstein executed a deed of trust on the property to secure the sum of $65,000.00 unpaid purchase money, in accordance with the terms of his offer.

The decree from which the former appeal was taken was reversed on June 12, 1924, and on October 30, 1924, James T. Patterson having in the meantime died, the answer of said James T. Patterson, A. W. Patterson and M. C. Patterson, as originally tendered on July 21, 1922, and partly set out in the former opinion, together with their counter offer for the property, was presented to the court by the surviving respondents, A. W. Patterson and M. C. Patterson, and filed in the cause. There were no further proceedings in the case until April 13, 1925, when the death of James T. Patterson being suggested, the cause was revived in the names of his executors, A. W. Patterson and M. C. Patterson; and. subsequently, the answer of the infant children of James T. Patterson, namely: Puller, James and Martha Patterson — who succeeded to their father’s contingent interests in the property devised by the [603]*603third clause of Dr. Patterson’s will- — was filed by their guardian ad litem, Henry W. Oppenhiemer, setting forth the position taken by said guardian ad litem in their behalf. On November 20, 1925, A. W. Patterson and M. C. Patterson, in their own right and as executors of their deceased brother, James T. Patterson, tendered a supplemental offer in writing for the property in suit, which reads as follows:

“1. On July 21, 1922, the undersigned, together with said testator, submitted an offer in writing for the purchase of the two parcels of land in the bill and proceedings mentioned, which offer is still open, and we desire to have same accepted and confirmed by the court, so that Mr. James T. Patterson’s widow and children may share in the benefits of same.

“2. While said offer may have been revocable at the instance of those succeeding to the rights of said decedent, on account of his death, we are advised 'that it could not be revoked by anyone else for that reason, and they do not wish it abrogated.

“3. If, however, the court should be of opinion that said joint offer was terminated ipso facto as to said testator on his demise as aforesaid, then we are further advised and insist that said offer remains in force as to us, and should be approved accordingly.

“4. But, if necessary, we now renew said proposition as formerly made, or with such reasonable modification of same as to terms of payment as the court may deem proper.”

This proposal was duly filed by a decree entered in the cause, and by another decree entered on May 10, 1926, Mrs. Mattie G. Patterson, widow of James T. Patterson, was permitted to file a petition for herself, and as next friend of the infant children of said James T. Patterson, praying that the said offer be accepted, [604]*604and that another guardian ad litem be appointed to represent said infants; but by the same decree said petition was dismissed.

A few days later, H. S. Wallerstein — in order to replace the commissions paid the real estate agents by the trustee, and thereby meet the net price offered by the remaindermen — submitted to the court an additional offer in writing whereby he agreed to pay-13,750.00 more for the property than he had originally proposed.

The cause finally came on to be heard on the 13th day of May, 1926, upon the pleadings, exhibits, said offers in writing, and the depositions taken in behalf of the parties; whereupon the court set aside the deed of July 27, 1922, conveying the property to H. S. Wallerstein, and the deed of trust given by Waller-stein on the same date to secure the unpaid purchase money; directed the trustee to cancel and deliver to Wallerstein his notes for the deferred payments; retained for future consideration the supplemental Patterson offer and the several proposals made by Waller-stein; and then proceeded to decree in part, as follows-:

-“And the court being of opinion that the proper procedure in this case is to have the land in suit, hereinafter more fully described, offered for sale at public auction upon an opening bid of a sum in excess of the respective amounts represented by the said offers for the said tracts or parcels of land made by the said A. W. Patterson and M. C. Patterson in their own right and as executors of the estate of James T. Patterson, deceased, and by said Henry S. Wallerstein, which said offers in their respective final forms each represent the net sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000.00), with interest thereon at the rate of six per eentum per annum from the 27th day of [605]*605July, 1922, to date, together with such sums as are properly chargeable as taxes on said land from the said 27th day of July, 1922, to date, thereby making a sum total of $.............”

The executors of James T. Patterson having asked for a review of this decree, and all the parties in interest having appeared by counsel and presented their various objections and contentions in regard to the same to this court, the question before us, in its broader aspect, is whether or not the said decree is such as the lower court should have entered under the facts and circumstances of the ease.

It is contended for Mr. Wallerstein that as the decree of July 27, 1922, dismissing the suit, contained no suspending order, and no suspending bond was given until the appeal and supersedeas was awarded on the 4th day of November, 1922, the trustee had full power to sell and convey the property to him at the time it did; and the court was without jurisdiction to set aside his deed, if the trustee acted in good faith and the sale was at a fair price; in other words, that he is not a pendente lite purchaser.

The decisions differ as to the effect of the rule of Us pendens when the purchase is made after final judgment or decree and before an appeal or writ of error is .granted, but within the time allowed by law for a writ of error or appeal. The following statement, “taken from 21 Am. & Eng. Enc. of Law (2nd ed.), page 619, is indicative of the diversity of opinion on the subject:

“The effect of the lis pendens of an action or suit “upon voluntary transfers of the property the rendition ■of judgment or decree, but before appellate proceedings, •or proceedings in the trial court to modify, vacate, or set aside are instituted and pending, has been variously [606]*606determined. Some of the decisions hold that the lis pendens continues until the expiration of the time allowed by law within which the particular proceeding may be taken.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
140 S.E. 810, 149 Va. 597, 1927 Va. LEXIS 198, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/patterson-v-old-dominion-trust-co-vactapp-1927.