Rooker v. Fidelity Trust Co.

131 N.E. 769, 191 Ind. 141, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 17
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedJune 22, 1921
DocketNo. 23,598
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 131 N.E. 769 (Rooker v. Fidelity Trust Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rooker v. Fidelity Trust Co., 131 N.E. 769, 191 Ind. 141, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 17 (Ind. 1921).

Opinion

Willoughby, J.

This case is a resumption of proceedings under the mandate of this court in Rooker v. Fidelity Trust Co. (1915), 185 Ind. 172, 109 N. E. 766. The appellants, as settlors of a trust in lands, sued appellee, who was the trustee, alleging a violation and repudiation of the trust and demanding damages, an accounting, that the appellee trustee be removed, and that a receiver be appointed for the trust estate to administer it under the terms of the trust agreement. Appellee on its part filed a cross-complaint in which it set up the same trust and its duties under it* as trustee, its performance of all its duties save the sale of the trust estate, its .reason for not making such sale, its purpose to carry out the sale and its hindrance by appellants’ interference and claim of title. It asked an accounting, that its title as trustee be quieted, that appellants be enjoined, and that it be decreed to make sale pursuant to the trust agreement and distribution of proceeds accordingly.

Appellants’ complaint was answered by appellee trustee by general denial. Issue was formed on the cross-complaint of appellee trust company by answer of general denial and by special partial answers, the issues on the latter being made by replies in general denial. On these issues the cause was submitted to the court [144]*144for trial and the following special finding of facts and conclusions of law were made and stated by the court.

The court finds the facts to be:

(1) That on and prior- to October 11, 1909, the plaintiff, Dora E. Rooker, was the owner in fee simple of certain real estate situate in Hamilton county, Indiana.

(2) That on and prior to October 11, 1909, the plaintiffs, William V. Rooker and Dora E. Rooker, husband and wife, were the owners in fee simple as tenants by entireties of certain real estate situated in Marion county, Indiana.

(3) That on said October 11, 1909, said plaintiff Dora E. Rooker and William V. Rooker, her husband, executed and delivered to said cross-complainant, Fidelity Trust Company, as trustee, their warranty deed for the lands in Hamilton county—

“* * * To have and to hold, said real estate, however, in trust for the use and benefit of said Dora E. Rooker and to protect and - discharge the obligations arising out of claims and liens or the right of liens by reason of improvements made on the above described real estate.
“Said Fidelity Trust Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, as aforesaid, to sell and convey said lands or any part of them at such prices and upon such terms as may be from time to time dictated in writing by said Dora E. Rooker; to execute the proper trustee’s deed or deeds conveying the title thereto in fee simple to the purchaser; it being hereby understood and agreed that any deed so executed by said' Fidelity Trust Company of Indianapolis, shall convey a good and indefeasible title in fee simple to such purchaser or purchasers as fully as 'this grantor could herself do, and any such purchaser or purchasers shall in no wise be responsible for the application of the proceeds arising-from such sale in the hands of the said Fidelity Trust Company of Indianapolis, Trustee.
“And said Fidelity Trust Company of Indianapolis, as such trustee, shall have full power and [145]*145authority to make contracts in writing for the sale of the foregoing real estate, or any part or all of said real estate and convey same free and clear of any incumbrance or convey the same subject to any existing incumbrances. And to do any and all acts and to execute any and all papers, which may be necessary to protect the interests of this grantor, the mortgagee and other lien holders in and to said real estate and to conserve the trust hereby created.
“And in the event any such liens or charge against said real estate be paid by the .Fidelity Trust Company, Trustee, the said Fidelity Trust Company, Trustee, shall-be subrogated to all the rights of such original lien holders and the same shall be enforcible by it and collectible with, interest at the rate of 6% per annum, to be credited semi-annually as a debit and charge against said real estate.
“This conveyance is made subject to the taxes for the years 1908 and 1909 and subject also to a certain mortgage executed to the American Central Life Insurance Company, by this grantor and William V. Rooker, her husband, on November 19th, 1908. Said mortgage secured the payment of a certain principal note of said grantor in the sum of Fourteen Thousand ($14,000) Dollars, together with interest thereon and recorded in mortgage record 52, page 84, in the office of the Recorder of Hamilton county, Indiana.”

That said indenture by Dora E. Rooker and William V. Rooker, her husband, was received for record on October 14, 1909, and recorded in record 97, at page 117, in the recorder’s office of Hamilton county, Indiana.

(4) That on said October 11, 1909, the plaintiffs William Y. Rooker and Dora E. Rooker, husband and wife, executed and delivered to said cross-complainant Fidelity Trust Company, as trustee, their warranty deed for the lands in Marion county — •

“* * * To have and to hold said real estate, however, in trust for the use and benefit of said grantors, William V. Rooker and Dora E. Rooker, [146]*146and to protect and discharge the obligations of the trust herein with the powers and limitations as follows:
“Said Fidelity Trust Company of Indianapolis, Trustee, as aforesaid to sell and convey said real estate according to the terms of a certain contract of even date herewith, within one (1) year after the date of these presents for a consideration fixed-in said contract and should it so happen that said real estate be not sold within said period of one (1) year, for the sum nominated in -said contract, then after ninety days notice in writing, to be given to the grantors by the trustee herein, the trustee may publicly advertise said real estate and sell the same at public or private sale at such price as it may bring and upon the consummation of such sale as may be made by said Fidelity Trust Company of Indianapolis, as such trustee to execute the proper trustee’s deed conveying the title thereto in fee simple to its said purchasers. It being hereby understood and agreed that any deed so executed by said Fidelity Trust Company of Indianapolis, Trustee, shall convey a good and indefeasible title in fee simple to such purchaser or purchasers as fully as these grantors could themselves do, and any such purchaser or purchasers shall in no wise be responsible for the application of the proceeds arising from such sale in the hands of the said Fidelity Trust Company of Indianapolis, Trustee, but said Fidelity Trust Company is directed to apply the proceeds arising from such sale in the manner and for the purposes set out in the contract entered into between said grantors and said Fidelity Trust Company, Trustee, on this date.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
131 N.E. 769, 191 Ind. 141, 1921 Ind. LEXIS 17, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rooker-v-fidelity-trust-co-ind-1921.