Pinkston v. Huie

9 Ala. 252
Supreme Court of Alabama·Decided January 15, 1846·Published·Cited by 20 cases

Opinion

GOLDTHWAITE, J.

1. It is insisted, the plaintiff is not entitled to recover on the case made by the pleadings, because the effect of the bond, to which the defendant is the surety, is to bind the husband to procure the conveyance only, of Mrs. Clisby’s dower estate in the land described; and King v. Mosely, 5 Ala. Rep. 610, is cited as warranting this position. In that case, the husband and wife were the joint obligors,' and the court construed the condition to refer only to the relinquishment by the wife of her dower -estate ; but here there is no room for construction, as it is recited in the condition of the bond, that the lands sold by the husband were actually the property of the wife, and the obligation intended to be created is, that she, entirely independent of her husband, should convey the title in fee, upon her coming to full age. We entertain no doubt whatever, that the obli[257] gors in the bond, were bound to procure her to execute a conveyance in fee.

2. The next position is, that the bond should have been presented to the defendant, as a claim against the estate within eighteen months after the grant of administration, although Mrs. Clisby, during the entire time was a minor, and did not arrive at the age of twenty-one years, until a short time previous to the commencement of the suit. This proposition is supposed by the defendant’s counsel to be also sustained by the case just cited. There, the suit was on a covenant to malee title when the purchase money should be paid, and it was considered the covenant became a claim, within the meaning of the statute, from that period, and not from the time when the execution of the conveyance should be required. Here, however, there could be no pretence for a claim until Mrs. Clisby became of age, for until then it could not be known that the principal obligor would be in default. The utmost extent of the doctrine held in King v. Mosely, goes no further than the assertion of the principle, that a claim which either is due presently, or in future, must be presented; but does not include a demand or claim which is dependent upon a future contingency. We consider the demurrer was properly sustained to the 10th plea, as that is the one which presents the defendant’s defence in this aspect.

3. Next in order is the objection, that no more than nominal damages should have been allowed, inasmuch as the plaintiff was invested with the husband’s title to the land at the time of purchase, and because this was not reconveyed, or the possession relinquished. In considering this point, we shall throw out of view all that is matter of speculation, as to the effect of the abandonment by the purchaser of the land, as well as the consequences growing out of the husband’s conveyance, and meet it as if he continued in possession under that conveyance. In this connexion it will be seen that the covenant contained in this bond, has no resemblance to a covenant of warranty, or a covenant for quiet enjoyment; but even if it was such, the general rule in relation to evictions, does not extend to the acts of particular individuals named in the covenant. [Fowle v. Welsh, 1 B. & [258] C. 29; Perry v. Edwards, 1 Strange, 400.] The rule, that a covenant for quiet enjoyment, is not broken until an eviction, is technical, and does not' extend to a bond of indemnity. [Trustees v. Gallatian, 4 Cowen, 340.] The reason why a bond providing for a particular act to be done by some third person, in relation to the conveyance of title, cannot be considered as equivalent to a covenant for quiet enjoyment, is, that such person is in no way affected by the contract between the vendor and the purchaser; and the latter, in addition to the title which he receives, or contracts to receive, from the former, requires other and additional stipulations, with relation to another, which is known or supposed to exist elsewhere. We come, then, to the conclusion, that so far as the action on this bond is concerned, or the amount tO’ be recovered, it is immaterial whether Huie has abandoned the premises or yet remains in possession.

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Pinkston v. Huie, 9 Ala. 252 (Ala. 1846).

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