Rowell v. Jewett

69 Me. 293, 1879 Me. LEXIS 55
CourtSupreme Judicial Court of Maine
DecidedMarch 28, 1879
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 69 Me. 293 (Rowell v. Jewett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Judicial Court of Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rowell v. Jewett, 69 Me. 293, 1879 Me. LEXIS 55 (Me. 1879).

Opinion

Barrows, J.

The transactions out of which this suit has arisen are mostly stated in the report of the case of Rowell v. Mitchell 68 Maine, 21.

That was a suit at law, originally brought by Eliza Mitchell, the mother of the plaintiff, and after her death prosecuted by the plaintiff as her devisee, for the possession of an undivided half of a certain farm, against this defendant and Fifield Mitchell, who was originally a tenant in common with Eliza, of the said farm, which the plaintiff here seeks to redeem from their joint mortgage given to Scamman Bnrrill, and now held by the defendant.

The plaintiff was non-suited in that action, upon the ground that even assuming that she, as Eliza’s devisee, had established as against Fifield Mitchell her right to recover an undivided half of the farm, by reason of the forfeiture of his estate under Eliza’s conditional deed of that half to him, and though he might be precluded by the pleadings from setting up his tenancy under JTewett as a [298]*298defense, still she could not maintain her action at law for the possession against this defendant Jewett, who had, as against her, the rights of a mortgagee against a mortgagor, nor against his tenant.

The effect of this view of the case was to leave it undetermined as between the plaintiff and Fifield Mitchell, whether she had the right to redeem which originally belonged to Eliza Mitchell as owner of an undivided half of the farm mortgaged, or whether it still belonged to said Fifield under the conditional deed to him from Eliza.

Subject to the mortgage here sought to be redeemed, Fifield Mitchell, April 2, 1870, mortgaged an undivided half the farm to the defendant, to secure a promissory note of that date, for $J85, payable in two years, with interest at 6 per cent for the first year, and 9 per cent for the second and thereafterwards until paid ; and afterwards, August 31, 1871, while in possession of the whole farm, quitclaimed his interest in the same to said defendant, taking back an agreement of the same date signed by the defendant, but not (so far as appears) under seal, and never recorded, to give said Fifield a quitclaim deed of the interest thus conveyed to him by said Fifield, if he should pay to the defendant within six months the sum of two hundred and fifteen dollars, with interest at 8 per cent until paid, and also pay the aforesaid note secured by mortgage at maturity. It does not appear that he has done either.

In this condition of things this bill in equity for redemption from the mortgage given by Eliza and Fifield Mitchell, is brought against Jewett, and the case is presented on bill, answer and proof consisting mainly of the evidence given at the trial of the before mentioned suit at law, used here by agreement of parties.

Whether the plaintiff has a right of redemption from this mortgage depends on the proof of a breach of one or more of the conditions in the conditional deed from her mother to Fifield Mitchell, and a re-entry to claim a forfeiture by reason of such breach.

We think the evidence clearly shows a breach of more than one of the conditions, if not of all.

Touching the condition to save David and Eliza Mitchell harmless from the Burrill notes, the respondent argues that it was per[299]*299formed because David in liis lifetime was not called upon to pay anything on them, and Eliza being a married woman was not liable, because they were given before the statute of 1866, c. 52.

But Eliza’s half of the farm was bound by her mortgage for the payment of the notes, though she might not be personally liable thereon. Brookings v. White, 49 Maine, 479.

We cannot regard it as a fulfillment of that condition to suffer one of the notes to remain unpaid so many years after it became due, accumulating interest which must be paid out of her property in case a breach of the other conditions of her deed to Fifield made it necessary for her to re-enter to procure the means of support, or to pay the marriage portion of the daughters. The condition substantially required Fifield Mitchell to relieve the property from the incumbrauce of the mortgage within a reasonable time. Ross v. Tremaine, 2 Met. 495. Fiske v. Chandler, 30 Maine, 82. Hayden v. Stoughton, 5 Pick. 534.

And that condition was not and never has been performed.

The condition for the payment of the marriage portions to the daughters made it the duty of Fifield Mitchell (if he would save it) to pay or tender the sums specified within a reasonable time after being notified of their marriage.

There is no satisfactory proof that Zilpha ever intended to waive the payment to her. But if there had been, nothing short of a tender and refusal of the $100 could be regarded as a performance on the- part of Fifield Mitchell.

Though Zilpha was pecuniarily interested in the condition, she had no such legal interest in it as would enable her to waive a tender of performance. Gray v. Blan4hard, 8 Pick. 290-292.

The condition was one which it was competent for David and Eliza Mitchell to make in their conveyance, and they were the only-parties who could absolutely and entirely dispense with it. It cannot be said upon the testimony here that Zilpha in any way refused the money, for it was never tendered, or that she hindered or obstructed the performance of the condition. It was not necessary for her or any one else to demand it. Whitten v. Whitten, 38 N. H. 127. Nor can silence be construed into a waiver. Gray v. Blanchard, ubi supra. This condition also was broken.

[300]*300While upon some points the testimony touching the performance of the condition for the support of David and Eliza Mitchell is conflicting, an examination of it satisfies us that Eifield Mitchell broke this condition also, in more ways than one: firstly, by the unfilial and undutiful treatment of both his parents, and a cold neglect that was the reverse of the comfortable support stipulated for, and which would have amounted to a breach, even if the condition could be construed as one requiring them to receive their support on the farm. It cannot be so construed, and gave the beneficiaries the right to select their place of residence, within reasonable limits as to cost and distance. Wilder v. Whittemore, 15 Mass. 262. Thayer v. Richards, 19 Pick. 398. Pettee v. Case, 2 Allen, 546.

It is urged that Eliza Mitchell waived all past breaches by calling for and receiving some small supplies in July, 1873, a few weeks before she finally left and went to live with another son a few miles distant, with whom she remained until her death. We do not think that a course of neglect and unkindness, persisted in until the heart of a mother is alienated from her son to the point of leaving him and taking refuge elsewhere, should be regarded as in any part condoned by the fact that, while the process of alienation was going on, the mother received some of the supplies which it was the duty of the son not merely to furnish, but to accompany with the kindness which civilization is apt to teach even coarse and brutal men to manifest to their parents. The testimony of Lowell Wheeler and others indicates a course of vulgar and profane abuse, of such a description that it is no wonder the mother should declare that she had rather call upon the town than on such a son to supply her wants.

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Bluebook (online)
69 Me. 293, 1879 Me. LEXIS 55, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rowell-v-jewett-me-1879.