Pillow v. Thomas

60 Tenn. 120
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 15, 1873
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 60 Tenn. 120 (Pillow v. Thomas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pillow v. Thomas, 60 Tenn. 120 (Tenn. 1873).

Opinion

Deaderick, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the Court.

The bill in this case was filed in the Chanefery Court at Columbia, on the 11th of January, 1869.

Its substantial allegations are that complainant, in November, 1833, being then about 17 years of age, intermarried with Granville A. Pillow; that at the time of her marriage her father was dead, and she was living with Robert "Williams, her guardian and uncle, in the State of Kentucky; that her said guardian had in his hands, belonging to her, sis slaves, and $5,600 in notes; that her guardian was opposed to her marriage with said Pillow, and refused to deliver any portion of her estate, consisting of about 1,100 acres of [123]*123land, and town lots in Springfield, Tennessee, and of the said slaves and notes, to her said husband until he was satisfied that her husband had contracted for, or was negotiating for, a tract of valuable land in Maury County, Tennessee, and until he obtained from her husband an express agreement that all of said property should be vested in the purchase of said land, and that the same should be settled on complainant; that about the 15th of March, 1834, her said husband entered into a contract with the widow and heirs at law of his deceased father, Gideon Pillow, for the purchase of said tract of land, containing 525 acres, at the price of $19.21 per acre, and gave his notes therefor in five annual instalments; that this purchase was made for the express purpose of carrying out the agreement made by her husband with her guardian, and her guardian refused to give up her funds until the purchase Avas agreed on; that by the 20th of February, 1835, her husband had received from her guardian, and paid to Gideon J. PíIIoav, on said purchase, $3,460, $460 paid December 9, 1834, and $3,000 February 20, 1835; that on July 2, 1835, the widow and heirs of Gideon Pillow, deceased, executed a deed for said land to her husband, Granville A. PíIIoav, Avithout her knoAvledge and consent, and in violation of said agreement, and she believed, until within a few years past, that the title had been made to her; that her said husband received of her guardian the whole amount of the notes in his hands as they were collected, amounting to the sum of $5,600, and this was applied towards the payments [124]*124due for the land; that her husband sold five of her slaves for $2,000, and this sum was also applied to the payment for the land, and that the last note, due in 1839, was held up until 1841, when her Robertson County land was sold for $4,000, and the balance due upon the Maury County land discharged out of proceeds of the sale of her land; that resting under the belief that the Maury County land had been conveyed to her, she consented, after her husband had undertaken to build a dwelling-house upon it, to the sale of lands devised to her by her uncle and late guardian, and that the proceeds of said sale, being about $3,000, and $1,000 bequeathed her by her mother, amounting in the aggregate to $4,000, should be applied to aid in the construction of the dwelling upon the land— thus making about $16,000 of her means used .in the purchase and improvement of the Maury County place, in pursuance of the agreement between her uncle and guardian and herself and her said husband, and by which agreement the land was to become her property; that she lived upon the property for many years, not doubting it was her own, and such were the uniform declarations of her husband to herself and to others.

The bill then alleges that on the 1st day of January, 1867, her husband conveyed his whole tract of 822 ’ acres, including the 525 acres before referred to, and all his personal property, of every description, to defendant Thomas, as trustee, to secure the payment of all his debts — the debts enumerated in the trust deed amount to $50,000, but the [125]*125deed provides for all the debts, though not named therein; that the trutsee was proceeding to execute the trust by the sale of the land, when, on May 16, 1867, he was enjoined from making the sale by Gideon J. and Jerome B. Pillow; that in August, 1867, said trustee and G. A. Pillow, complainant’s husband, entered into written contract for the sale of 538 acres, including said 525 acres, claimed by complainant, to J. Minnick Williams, at the price of $75 per acre; $10,000 was paid down, and notes executed for the balance, this sale was reported to the Chancery Court, and sale confirmed, but the title was not divested out of Pillow or his trustee. Williams took possession of the land, but has made no further payment.

Upon the following statement of facts complainant insist she has a resulting trust in said land, or an equitable lien thereon, which is superior to, the title acquired by Thomas as trustee, . or said Williams as purchaser.

It is further stated in the bill that G. A. Pillow, on the 8th January, 1866, made his will, and that he died on the - day of -, 1868; that the will was proved at the - Term, 1868, of the County Court of Maury County, and that at the January Term, 1869, of said County Court, complainant dissented from said will, and was qualified as executrix thereof.

Said Thomas, as trustee, and I. Minnick Williams and Susan Martin, complainant’s daughter, and her husband, Hugh Martin, and G. A. and W. C. Pillow, [126]*126her sons, the said Susan, G. A. and W. C. Pillow being heirs at law of said Granville A. Pillow, deceased, are made defendants.

The bill prays in the alternative for dower in the 822 acres of land conveyed, if she should not be entitled to the 525 acres on the facts stated.

The trustee, Thomas, filed his answer denying any personal lcnowlege of the material averments in the bill, and requiring strict proofs of its allegations. He admits the sale of the 525 acres to Williams, in which G. A. Pillow, deceased, united, and insists that the land sold was the property of said Granville, not encumbered by any charge in favor of the wife.

Defendant, Williams, also answered that he had no knowledge or information as to the parentage of complainant, or the amount or character of the estate derived by her from her parents or uncle, and guardian, or when, to whom, or in what manner the same was. paid over, and of these facts required strict proof; that he bought 523 acres of the 822 belonging to said Pillow, but not the identical 525 claimed by complainant; that he bought without any notice of complainant’s claim, and has paid $10,000 of the price and made large expenditures on the place in improvements; that he adopts the answer of his co-defendant, Thomas, and insists upon the validity of his purchase.

Upon the pleadings the question is presented whether the complainant has made such a case as entitles her to the relief prayed, or to any relief.

And secondly, if the facts alleged are such as to [127]*127entitle complainant to relief, are they established by such evidence as is required in such cases.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Greene v. Greene
272 S.W.2d 483 (Court of Appeals of Tennessee, 1954)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
60 Tenn. 120, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pillow-v-thomas-tenn-1873.