Sheffield Milling Co. v. Heitzman

192 Iowa 1288
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedOctober 18, 1921
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 192 Iowa 1288 (Sheffield Milling Co. v. Heitzman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sheffield Milling Co. v. Heitzman, 192 Iowa 1288 (iowa 1921).

Opinion

Arthur, J.

wife’s home-fora^usband“sle On tbe 17th day of February, 1903, appellant recovered judgment in the district court of Lee County against appellee J. G-. Heitzman, for $210.21 and costs of suit. On the 9th day of January, 1906, appellant recovered another judgment against J. G-. Heitzman, ap-pellee, in the sum of $388.19 and costs. At the time these judgments were entered, J. G. Heitz-man was a single man, and remained single until 1908, when he married Mabel Heitzman, appellee; and they now have four children, ranging in age from two and one-half years to eleven years. J. G. Heitzman was formerly a real estate agent, and is now a clerk in a store. In the spring of 1916, the Heitzmans were living in a rented house. Mabel Heitzman had some money, and expected soon to inherit some money from her mother, who was suffering from cancer and could live but. a short time, and who did pass away in a few months. . Her mother carried a policy of life insurance, and owned two houses in Fort Madison. She also expected some money from her grandmother, which she received. On the death of her mother, she did receive $500 of the life insurance. She received $180 and $650 from the sale of some property of her mother’s estate, and she also received rental from property of which her mother died seized, of from $12 to $15 a month, and she continues to receive it. She also received $100 from her grandmother. She also received $25 per month for rental' of the homestead property for some three months after it was purchased, and before they took possession.

J. G. Heitzman had no money, — was insolvent. Upon the expectation of Mabel Heitzman to receive money from her mother’s estate and from her grandmother, which she did after-wards receive, negotiations were begun with H. J. Kennedy, appellee, for the purchase of the property to be occupied by them as a homestead, which they did purchase for $2,500. A contract of purchase of the property was made and signed, from Kennedy to J. G. Heitzman, or Jerome Heitzman, the same person. The contract was prepared by Kennedy’s lawyer. It was signed by both Jerome and Mabel Heitzman, at a bank where Kennedy was cashier. When they were returning home from signing the contract, Mabel said to Jerome, “Why is that contract not made in my name?” Jerome said, “It is only a contract, and as soon [1290]*1290as we get a deed, to it, it will be made out correctly in your name.” Afterwards, she spoke to Mm in the same way, and Jerome made the same answer. The contract of purchase was made on the 20th day of May, 1916, and a down payment was made of $500. The balance was to be paid in installments of $20 on the 20th day of each month, and thereafter until fully paid, commencing on June 20, 1916; and a promissory note was given by J. G. Heitzman and Mabel Heitzman for the balance of the purchase price. All, installments due were paid, up to the time of this trial. On March 19, 1918, “for value received,” J. G. Heitzman assigned the contract to Mabel Heitzman, in writing, and at the same time she assumed,.in writing, all obligations of J. G. Heitzman under and by virtue of the contract ; and on the same day, J. G. Heitzman, in consideration of “one dollar, love, and affection and other good and valuable considerations,” executed and delivered to Mabel Heitzman a quitclaim deed to the premises.

This action was begun May 29, 1918, about two months after the assignment of the contract and the quitclaim deed were made by J. G. Heitzman to Mabel Heitzman. In the original petition, appellant alleged that appellee J. G. Heitzman had purchased from H. J. Kennedy, who held the legal title, the premises 'in controversy, and was the owner of an equity and interest in the property; that Kennedy held the property, subject to the payment by J. G. Heitzman of the -remainder of the purchase price;'that the interest of J. G. Heitzman'in and to the property had been acquired subsequent to the recovery of the judgments of the plaintiff; and that the equity and interest in the realty of J. G. Heitzman was liable, in equity, for the payment and satisfaction of the judgments. Appellant prayed for judgment and decree establishing the judgments as liens against the interest of J. G. Heitzman in and to the property; that the balance due Kennedy, holder of the legal title, be ascertained; and that the property be sold, and out of the proceeds of the sale the balance of the purchase price due Kennedy be first paid; and that the remainder of the proceeds be applied in satisfaction of plaintiff’s judgements.

In an amended petition, plaintiff alleged, on information, not having access to the contract, that the contract provided that [1291]*1291tbe title to tbe premises would be held by Kennedy until tbe whole or a large part of the consideration was paid, and that then tbe title was to be conveyed by Kennedy to Mabel Heitz-man; that appellee J. G. Heitzman bad, in fact, paid a large part of tbe purchase price; and that J. G. Heitzman bad made tbe contract and tbe payments thereon in part performance for tbe purpose of hindering, delaying, and preventing tbe satisfaction of plaintiff’s judgments out of tbe realty; and that J. G. Heitzman was insolvent.

Appellees answered separately, but their answers were substantially alike. They admitted rendition of the judgments, but denied that J. G. Heitzman, appellee, was tbe owner of an equitable or any other interest in tbe property in controversy; denied that be ever bad any interest in the property, equitable or otherwise. Appellees averred that, about May 20, 1916, J. G. Heitzman negotiated for and on behalf of Mabel Heitzman, his wife, to purchase the real estate in controversy as a homestead for said Mabel Heitzman and himself and their family; that a contract was made and entered into on May 20, 1916, between Kennedy, appellee, and Mabel Heitzman, appellee; that, by inadvertence or mistake, the contract was written in form only as though J. G. Heitzman, appellee, was the party in interest; but that, in fact and in deed, the said Mabel Heitzman was to furnish the consideration for the purchase of said real estate, and did furnish the consideration thus far paid towards the purchase of said real estate; and that Mabel Heitzman was, at the time, the real purchaser; that J. G. Heitzman, in effect, had and has no interest in the property other than as the husband of Mabel Heitzman; that, in pursuance of the purchase of the property as a homestead, J. G. Heitzman and Mabel Heitzman, with their family, constituted of four children, ranging from two and one-half to eleven years .of age, began to occupy the premises as a homestead in October, 1916, and have ever since so occupied it; that, under the law, the property was exempt from execution; that Mabel Heitzman had paid from her personal resources all the money which had been paid on the contract; that, on March 19, 1918, J. G. Heitzman, appellee, assigned, conveyed, and transferred to Mabel Heitzman, appellee, his apparent right, title, and interest in the contract, and made [1292]*1292a quitclaim deed, on tbe same day, to ber of all his apparent interest in and to the property; and that Mabel Heitzman, appel-lee, accepted said' transfer, and assumed all the obligations of the contract, and the same was indorsed on the contract; that the assignment of the contract and the execution and delivery of the deed were one, and in consummation of one transaction; that part of the consideration from Mabel Heitzman to J. G. Heitzman for the execution of the deed was the assuming and agreeing to pay a debt due to J. B. Heitzman, father of J. G.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Shong v. Farmers' & Merchants' State Bank, Inc.
70 N.W.2d 907 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1955)
Kranjcec v. Belinak
132 P.2d 150 (Montana Supreme Court, 1942)
Bates v. Zehnpfennig
262 N.W. 141 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1935)
Price v. Scharpff
261 N.W. 511 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1935)
Neilly v. Hennessey
220 N.W. 47 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1928)
Durband v. Nicholson
216 N.W. 278 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1927)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
192 Iowa 1288, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sheffield-milling-co-v-heitzman-iowa-1921.