Schifferdecker v. Busch

130 Misc. 625, 225 N.Y.S. 106, 1927 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1178
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 11, 1927
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 130 Misc. 625 (Schifferdecker v. Busch) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schifferdecker v. Busch, 130 Misc. 625, 225 N.Y.S. 106, 1927 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1178 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1927).

Opinion

Bussell, J.

The contract was executed and delivered by the parties March 23, 1926. By its provisions the vendor agreed to sell and the vendee agreed to purchase the premises therein described for the sum of $30,000. One hundred dollars was paid on account of the purchase price and thereafter the vendee took possession of the property by exercising acts of ownership over it and the vendor removed therefrom. The balance of the purchase price was to be paid and a deed of the property delivered March 31, 1926.

By the consent of the parties to this contract the property agreed to be sold was designated and described by reference to the county clerk’s records of two title deeds held by the vendor. No other description of the property was set forth in the contract and no specific reference was therein made to any restrictions or incumbrances that might exist of record, or otherwise, against the property.

At' the time of the execution of the contract and during its preparation the vendee had possession of the two deeds incorporated in the contract containing a description of the property, including the restrictions and incumbrances, and examined them.

One of the provisions of this contract was that the vendor should “ convey said premises to the vendee in fee simple, free and clear from all liens, rights of dower or other incumbrances (unless herein[627]*627after specified) by a good and sufficient deed of conveyance in the usual form of a warranty deed.”

Between the day of the execution of this contract and the time fixed therein for its fulfillment, viz., March 31, 1926, the vendee made a search of the county clerk’s records with respect to the title to the premises he agreed to purchase, and on March 31, 1926, both parties met at the law office in Albany of Attorney Martin T. Nachtmann, who represented the vendor. At that time the vendee, who was represented by an attorney, called the vendor’s attention to the fact that there had been omitted from the contract a part of the premises he had agreed to purchase known as the dock or icehouse property. It was mutually conceded that this was a mistake and, at the suggestion of Mr. Nachtmann and with the consent of the parties, a reference to the title deed of this property by book and page of the county clerk’s records was inserted in the contract and the interlineation was initialed by both the vendor and vendee. By. like consent and by indorsement upon the contract the time to consummate the sale was adjourned to April eighth.

The evidence discloses that when this amendment of the contract was made it was understood by the parties that it was reaffirmed and redelivered.

It appears from the evidence and exhibits in this case that there were certain restrictions, reservations or incumbrances of record upon certain parcels of this real property which had not been specifically mentioned, either in the original or amended contract, except as they were mentioned in the deeds referred to therein, and the vendee now contends that he ought not to be compelled to fulfill his part of this contract because of these incumbrances.

On March thirty-first, when this contract was amended and renewed, the vendee had full knowledge of the reservations and incumbrances of record against the property, and, being represented by an attorney and having had independent advice, it must be assumed that he knew their legal effect.

When the contract was amended the only fault the vendee found with the original contract was that it did not contain the dock or icehouse property before mentioned. He then knew all about these record reservations and incumbrances but did not mention them nor in any manner object to them. He seemed to be content to take the property as it was. At that time he had the right to refuse to fulfill the contract, but he did not.

On the adjourned date the parties again met at Mr. Nachtmann’s office and the vendee through his attorney, C. Raymond Burton, who was then present, repudiated the contract he had made and refused to consummate his bargain because, as he stated, the warranty [628]*628deed the vendor proposed to give him had not been executed, the taxes on the property had not been paid and a mortgage covering the property had not been discharged. He made no objections whatever to the title. The vendor expressed his willingness to fully perform his part of this contract in every particular, but the vendee’s lawyer said: “We want to get out of this matter; we are going to get out of this,” and then, when Mr. Nachtmann told him that neither the vendor nor the law would permit him to repudiate this contract, he replied: “ We are going to get out of it any way; we want to get out of it.” The parties then separated, the contract was not performed by the vendee and this action was commenced.

The defendant by his answer demands that this contract be rescinded and that he recover from the plaintiff the amount he paid on the purchase price and his expenses for searches and his attorney’s fees.

The real property which is the subject of this action is a farm situated at Cedar Hill, Albany county, and is contiguous to the Hudson river. It is known' in this case as parcels Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

The defendant’s contention is that there is a water-pipe easement across parcel No. 1 for supplying water to the remaining lands with the right to enter upon the lands to make repairs; that parcel No. 2 contains a covenant against erecting a building or structure to obstruct the view of one James B. Lyon; that there is a right-of-way for passage with wagons and otherwise across parcel No. 4; that the deed of the dock or icehouse property does not include lands under water in the Hudson river; that there is a lien imposed upon the whole premises for the payment of $1,000 to one Abby S. Jewett.

At the time of the trial the plaintiff had caused this $1,000 lien to be released.

There seems to be no force to defendant’s contention as to parcels Nos. 1 and 4. Whatever rights or easements may have existed at one time with respect to these two parcels they no longer exist as the plaintiff is now the owner of the entire property to which these rights or easements relate and such rights are merged in him.

The plaintiff is the owner of the dock or icehouse property which is along the Hudson river. Therefore, the filled-in land and land under water in the Hudson river belongs to the upland owner and a conveyance of this property by the plaintiff carries with it these appurtenances and passes the title to the grantee of the upland. (Archibald v. N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R. Co., 157 N. Y. 575, 579.)

[629]*629It also appears that the plaintiff has offered the defendant and is now ready and willing to give him a quitclaim deed of the appurtenant lands under water to further strengthen his title.

The restriction as to building upon parcel No. 2 would seem to be an immaterial one, owing to the physical condition, character and location of the property and the relatively small portion of farm land to which this restriction applies. Moreover, no evidence was offered by the defendant to show that this restrictive covenant, applicable to this parcel only, in any way depreciates the market .value of the property he agreed to purchase as a whole.

Defendant’s objections to the title would, therefore, seem to be without merit.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
130 Misc. 625, 225 N.Y.S. 106, 1927 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 1178, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schifferdecker-v-busch-nysupct-1927.