Pembroke v. Allenstown

21 N.H. 107
CourtSuperior Court of New Hampshire
DecidedJuly 15, 1850
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 21 N.H. 107 (Pembroke v. Allenstown) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pembroke v. Allenstown, 21 N.H. 107 (N.H. Super. Ct. 1850).

Opinion

Woods, J.

It is conceded, that Ayer the pauper, in 1888, had his settlement in Allenstown.

It is claimed, however, on the part of Allenstown, that Ayer has, since that time, gained a settlement in Pembroke, according to the 4th mode of acquiring settlements provided by 1 N. H. Laws, ch. 3, § 4, page 301. By that statute it is provided, that “ any person of the age of twenty-one years, having real estate of the value of one hundred and fifty dollars, or personal estate of the value of two hundred and fifty dollars, in the town in which he dwells and has his home, and for the term of four years in succession, paying all taxes duly assessed on his poll and estate aforesaid, shall thereby gain a settlement in such town.”

The only question made in this case is, whether Ayer the pauper had such an ownership of real estate in Pembroke as is required by the provisions of the section of the statute above cited, to give a settlement in this State.

It is conceded, that if the purchase of the farm in Pembroke, under the circumstances of it, is to be regarded as investing Lucy Ayer, the wife of the pauper, with the entire title, both legal and equitable, to the estate in the land so purchased, excepting the interest which would result to the husband in virtue of the coverture existing between them, the pauper was not possessed of an estate of sufficient value to confer a settlement. The freehold estate, to continue during their joint lives, was not of the value of $150. But we conceive that such was not the state of the title acquired by the pauper in. virtue of the purchase.

The facts reported furnish the case of a resulting trust in favor of the husband, at the time of the purchase, giving him the entire beneficial interest in the farm. The money with which the farm in Pembroke was purchased and paid for, was the money of the pauper at the time, and the deed was made to his wife, by his direction.

This is the precise example of a resulting trust, as laid down in the books. Mr. Chancellor Kent says, “ when an estate is purchased in the name of A., and the consideration money is actu[110]*110ally paid at the time by 33., there is a resulting trust in favor of B., provided the payment of the money be clearly proved. The payment at the time is indispensable to the creation of the trust.”

Lord Bardwicke states, as one of the cases of a resulting trust arising by operation of law, that of an estate purchased by one person the consideration coming from another. Lloyd v. Spillet, 2 Atk. Rep. 150.

Mr. Chief Justice Thompson says, “it is a well-settled rule of law, that if A. buys land and takes a conveyance in the name of B., it is a resulting trust for him who paid the purchase-money, by implication of law, and therefore not within the statute of frauds.” Jackson v. Matsdorf, 11 Johns. Rep. 90.

Mr Justice Story states the same to be the well-settled principle in equity; that it was so decided soon after the passing of the statute of frauds, in 29 Charles II., in an anonymous case in 2 Yentris, 361; and that the doctrine of that case has never been departed from. Powell v. Monson, 3 Mason, 347.

The same doctrine is laid down in Gardiner Bank v. Wheaton, 8 Greenl. Rep. 373; Sugden’s Law of Vendors, 414, 415; Doe v. Statham, 7 Dowl. & Ry. 114; Jackson v. Moore, 6 Cowen, 726; Boyd v. McLean, 1 Johns. Ch. Rep. 582; Jackson v. Morse, 16 Johns. Rep. 197; Botsford v. Burr, 2 Johns. Ch. Rep. 405; 2 Fonbl. Eq. 16, note; Gennan v. Grabbald, 3 Binney, 302; Gregory v. Setter, 1 Dall. 193. So also, the same principle has been recognized in this State in several cases; Scoby v. Blanchard, 3 N. H. Rep. 170; Pritchard v. Brown, 4 Ibid. 397; Page v. Page, 8 Ibid. 187.

And it is said, that if only a part of the purchase-money be paid by the third party, there will be a resulting trust in his favor pro tanto; and that the doctrine applies to a joint as well as to an individual purchase. 4 Kent, Comm. 301; Powell v. Monson, 3 Mason, 364; Wray v. Steele, 2 Ves. & Beames, 389.

The whole foundation of the trust is the ownership and payment of the money. Mr. Chancellor Kent, in Botsford v. Burr, after giving an example of ^ resulting trust, where the conveyance was taken in the name of B., says, “ the trust results [111]*111to A. because he paid the money.” So in Gardiner Bank v. Wheaton, it is said, that, “the ground of the doctrine is, that he who pays the money, is to be considered the owner in equity.” In Pritchard v. Brown, 4 N. H. Rep. 401, it is said, that “ the trust results from the ownership of the money; is a mere creation of the law, and not founded on any agreement or declaration whatever.”

And as well may a resulting trust arise in favor of the husband, in a case where the conveyance has been taken in the name of the wife, and where the purchase-money has been paid by the husband, as where the conveyance is taken in the name of some other third person. Whitestown v. Constable, 14 Johns. Rep. 469. We can discover no principle of law that is opposed to this conclusion. No act or agreement on her part is required, in order to create the trust, which is inconsistent with the rules of law. The trust arises, in fact, upon the mere ownership and payment of the money, and not upon a contract entered into on the part of the trustee. Pritchard v. Brown, 4 N. H. Rep. 401.

It is clear then, upon the authorities, that, upon the conveyance to his wife, the estate in question became vested in her, only in trust for the pauper, and for his sole benefit.

The estate remained, in that condition unchanged, about the period of three years after the purchase, when the pauper and his wife executed a mortgage of it, to' secure a note signed by them, given for money borrowed by the husband; but the equity of redemption, as the case finds, was still of greater value than $150.

And the question is, whether the pauper is to be regarded as having such an interest in real estate, or, in the language of the act, as “ having real estate,” both before and after the execution of the mortgage, such as would enable him to gain a settlement, upon a compliance with the other requirements of the statute.

It is apprehended, that it has long been the well-settled doctrine in England, that an equitable title in real estate will give a settlement at common law, and that an indefeasible, equitable [112]*112title is sufficient to bring a purchase, implying title, within the provisions of the act requiring such purchase, in order to give a settlement.

In the case of The King v. The Inhabitants of Offchurch, 3 Term Rep. 314, the facts were these. The husband and wife occupied a house under this title: It was vested by a settlement in trustees, for the separate use of the wife, with a clause that the wife’s receipts should be a discharge of the rents, and that the rents should not be subject to the husband’s debts. It was held, that this was such an estate or title in the husband as to give him a settlement.

In that case Lord Kenyon

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21 N.H. 107, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pembroke-v-allenstown-nhsuperct-1850.