Ream v. Goslee

52 N.E. 93, 21 Ind. App. 241, 1898 Ind. App. LEXIS 648
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 30, 1898
DocketNo. 2,642
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 52 N.E. 93 (Ream v. Goslee) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ream v. Goslee, 52 N.E. 93, 21 Ind. App. 241, 1898 Ind. App. LEXIS 648 (Ind. Ct. App. 1898).

Opinion

Black, C. J.

A demurrer to the appellant’s complaint for want of sufficient facts was sustained, and that ruling is presented for the consideration of this court. The complaint showed that on the 29th of January, 1896, the appellee was the owner in fee sim[242]*242pie of certain real estate described, in White county; that on that day he sold it to the appellant for $1,250, and agreed with the appellant that he, the appellee, would execute a warranty deed, his wife joining him therein, conveying the real estate to the appellant, and that the appellee would place the deed in the hands of one Edwin R. Price, to be by him delivered to the appellant, upon the payment by him on or before the 10th of March, 1896, to the. appellee of $400, a part of the purchase price of the real estate; that it was further agreed by the parties that the appellant would execute certain promissory notes payable to the appellee, the amounts of the several notes being stated, aggregating $1,250, as evidence of the whole amount of the purchase-money, and that he would execute a mortgage on the real estate, his wife joining him therein, to secure the payment of the last three of the notes at maturity, which notes and mortgage were to be placed in the hands of said Price, to be by him delivered to the appellee upon the delivery of said deed to the appellant as aforesaid. The complaint contained averments showing performance of these stipulations concerning the deed, notes, and mortgage, and the deed and mortgage were made exhibits. It was further alleged, that contemporaneously with the execution .of the deed, notes and mortgage, the appellant and the appellee entered into a written memorandum and agreement as follows: “Chalmers, Indiana, 1-29, 1896.

“This deed is left in the hands of E. R. Price, to be delivered to the grantee therein named on the payment of four hundred dollars, on or before the 10th day of March, 1896. On the consummation of this contract the grantee is to have possession of the property specified in deed. A. Goslee, Máthias Ream. The mortgage given to secure the payment of [243]*243tlie purchase-money for the realty described in the deed herewith is left in the hands of R. R. Price, to be delivered to Albert Goslee, when the said deed is delivered as aforesaid. A. Goslee, Mathias Ream.”

It was alleged, that said written memorandum and agreement was, by the appellant and appellee, put into an envelope with said deed, notes and mortgage, and placed in the hands of said Price, and that the deed and mortgage therein referred to were the same that were executed as aforesaid; that by the terms of said written memorandum and agreement, the appellee promised the appellant that upon the consummation of said agreement the latter should have the possession of said real estate.

It was next alleged, that said agreement was fully consummated on the 10th of March, 1896, when the appellant paid the appellee, and the latter received and accepted from the former, the sum of $400, and thereupon caused to be delivered to the appellant, and the appellant received and accepted from said Price said deed, and the appellant caused to be delivered to the appellee, who received and accepted from said Price, said notes and mortgage.

It was further alleged, that at the time the appellant purchased the real estate, and when said written memorandum and contract and the deed and mortgage were executed, one S. D. Sluyter was in possession of said premises as a tenant of the appellee under a written lease; that he occupied a brick store building thereon, under and by virtue of a lease or agreement with the appellee, and under said written lease; that the appellant had full knowledge of the existence of said tenancy, at and before said deed and mortgage were executed, but the exact terms of said lease or agreement and the nature and extent of said tenancy were to the appellant unknown at that [244]*244time; that said written agreement was made by the appellee with full knowledge by him of the existence of said tenancy and the nature and extent thereof; 'that the appellant, relying upon the promise of the appellee to deliver him possession of the premises, fully consummated his said agreement with the appellee as aforesaid, and fully performed all the conditions thereof on his part to be performed; that upon the consummation of the contract, on the 10th of March, 1896, and at divers times thereafter, appellant demanded of the appellee the possession of said premises, but the appellee wholly failed and refused to deliver the possession of the same to the appellant; that said Sluyter remained continuously in the possession of. said brick store building and of said premises from the date of the purchase of the real estate by the appellant, under and by virtue of said lease or agreement with the appellee, and with the full knowledge and consent of the appellee, until the 25th of February, 1897; that the appellant was thereby deprived of the use, occupation and employment of said building and the possession of said premises, and the rents and profits thereof, during all of said time; that by reason thereof the appellant had been damaged in the sum of $500, which was due and wholly unpaid; wherefore, etc.

Usually, the possession of a tenant for years is deemed to be the possession of the grantee in the deed of conveyance, and the existence of the term is no breach of the covenant of warranty, the rent being’ apportioned at the time of the conveyance. In Lake v. Dean, 28 Beav. 607, the plaintiff agreed to sell the defendant an orchard, described in the written agreement as “now in the occupation of” a third person, and it was agreed that the purchaser should complete on a certain day, “when he shall have posses[245]*245sion.” The defendant refused to complete his purchase unless the plaintiff would undertake to admit the former into actual and corporeal possession at once, which the plaintiff admitted he was unable to do, as the premises at the date of the agreement were, and they had since been, in the tenancy and occupation of said third person. It was held that there was a broad distinction between “possession” and occupation, and a decree for specific performance was made against the defendant. In Sugden on Vendors, 8, referring to Lake v. Dean, supra, it was said: “If a purchaser intends to stipulate for a vacant possession, he should be careful to do so, for where upon a sale of an orchard, ‘now in the occupation of L. P.’ the purchaser was to complete on a day named, .‘when he shall have possession/ it was held that the purchaser was not entitled to the occupation of the orchard, or in other words he must take subject to L. P.’s occupation; yet the purchaser no doubt meant to stipulate for an actual delivery of a vacant possession.” See 1 Dart on Vend. & Pur. (6th ed.) 145. In Demars v. Koehler, 60 N. J. L. 314, 38 Atl. 808, the syllabus by the court is as follows: “Where the grantee in a conveyance of lands and premises' in fee simple, which contains a covenant against encumbrances, before he enters into negotiations for the purchase, and before the execution and delivery of the deed of conveyance, has actual knowledge of the existence of a lease, of said lands made between the grantor in said conveyance and the tenant, in which the rent is reserved to the grantor and his assigns, the tenant being in actual possession of the premises, the grantee cannot maintain against his grantor an action for the breach of the covenant.” In that case the grantee had knowledge of the terms of letting.

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Bluebook (online)
52 N.E. 93, 21 Ind. App. 241, 1898 Ind. App. LEXIS 648, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ream-v-goslee-indctapp-1898.