Simpson v. Biffle

38 S.W. 345, 63 Ark. 289, 1896 Ark. LEXIS 297
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedDecember 12, 1896
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 38 S.W. 345 (Simpson v. Biffle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Simpson v. Biffle, 38 S.W. 345, 63 Ark. 289, 1896 Ark. LEXIS 297 (Ark. 1896).

Opinions

BaTTI/S, J.

On the first day of April, 1893, J. S. Simpson was, and at all times since has been, a citizen and resident of the State of Arkansas, and the head of a family. During all this time he and his family resided upon lots 10 and 11 in block 5, in the town of Rector, in Clay county, in this state. The value of these lots and the improvements thereon did not exceed the sum of $2,500, and the area thereof did not exceed one-fourth of an acre. Previous to the time he entered into the possession of the lots, the Peters Shoe Company recovered a judgment in the Clay circuit court, at the August, 1892, term thereof, against him for $580. At the August, 1893, term of the same court, J. W. Scuddar & Co. also recovered a judgment against him for $1,262.21. G. B. Oliver, who is an attorney at law, controlled both these judgments, and in January, 1894, caused an execution to be .issued on the judgment in favor of the Peters Shoe Company, and placed it in the hands of R. B. .Hancock, sheriff of Clay county, who levied upon the lots occupied by Simpson, and advertised the same to be sold on the 17th of February, 1894, to satisfy the execution. On the day of the sale Oliver caused an execution ■to be issued on the judgment in favor of J. W. Scuddar & Co., and placed it in the hands of the same sheriff. The lots were sold on the day fixed, and H. H. Down-man, a member of the firm of J. W. Scuddar & Co., bid the sum of $2,000 for them, and he, being- the highest bidder, became the purchaser thereof. He thereupon paid the $2,000 to the sheriff. Scuddar & Co. then demanded of the sheriff that he levy the execution in their favor on the sum of $1,316.68, the balance of the $2,000 remaining in his hands after the satisfaction of the execution in favor of the Peters Shoe Company, which he did, upon their giving a bond of indemnity, and immediately, upon the day of sale, paid it to them.

On the 31st day of July, 1894, Simpson instituted an action against B. B. Biffle, clerk of the Clay circuit court, R. I/. Hancock, sheriff of Clay county, and James W. Scuddar & Co., in the said court on the equity side, and alleged substantially the forgoing facts, and that the lots sold constituted his homestead, and that he had tendered to the clerk and Scuddar & Co. $660 to redeem the property from the sale, and each of them had refused to accept; and offered to pay in court any sum necessary to redeem his homestead, provided he was only required to pay the judgment in favor of the Peters Shoe Company, and interest, penalty, and costs; and asked that the clerk and Scuddar & Co. be required to accept the $660 in redemption, or, in the event he is not entitled to redeem, that a judgment be rendered in his favor against Scuddar & Co. for the amount received by them. The defendants answered, and did not deny that $660 was tendered to the clerk and Scuddar & Co.; but it does not appear in the pleadings or evidence when the tender was made.

The foregoing facts were proved at the hearing, and the deposition of Simpson was read, in which he deposed that his wife purchased the lots sold, and paid $150 for them; that he erected a brick building thereon for a residence, and expended in its construction $1,300 of his own money, -and that his wife contributed the remainder of the cost of the same, less $400; that fourteen rooms of the building were at one time rented as a hotel, and the remainder was occupied by him and his family; that he intended, when he built it, to use it as a hotel, but was unable to furnish it, and was compelled to rent.

It was further proved that when the lots were levied on by the sheriff and before the sale, Simpson claimed them as a homestead, and filed a schedule, in which he stated that he purchased the lots, and occupied them as a homestead; and that the schedule was sworn to by him.

The court found that the lots were the homestead of Simpson, and that he resided upon them at the time of the rendition of the judgment in favor of Scuddar & Co., and that their judgment was no lien upon them, but that the one in favor of the Peters Shoe Company was; and that an amount equal to the sum paid to the latter company in satisfaction of the execution in its favor, and interest and penalty, had been tendered by Simpson in redemption. But the court, being of the opinion that so much of the $2,000 paid by Downman as remained in the hands of the sheriff after paying the Peters Shoe Company was subject to execution, nevertheless dismissed the complaint of Simpson, and rendered judgment against him for costs, and he appealed.

On the 19th day of April, 1895, H. H. Downman, who purchased at the sale under execution on the 17th of February, 1894, instituted an action of ejectment against Simpson and his wife to recover the possession of the lots bought by him at said sale. He alleged in his complaint that he acquired title to the lots in the manner we have stated. The defendants answered, and denied that the plaintiff was the owner of the lots, and alleged that the title thereto was in Annie Simpson, the wife of J. S. Simpson, and that A. B. Bason, in March, 1893, conveyed the lots to her by a deed, and that the name of J. S. Simpson, long after the execution- and delivery thereof, was inserted in the deed as a grantee therein; and that she was the owner of the lots in fee, and entitled to the possession thereof.

On motion of the plaintiff, the action was transferred from the Clay to the Craighead circuit court.

In the trial before a jury a deed executed by the sheriff of Clay county to the plaintiff, conveying to him the lots in controversy, was read as evidence; and it was shown that he acquired title in the manner before stated. The deposition of plaintiff was also read, in which he stated that he was the owner of the lots; that he did not know that Annie Simpson claimed to be the sole owner thereof, until he had paid the purchase money, or that the name of J. S. Simpson had been inserted in the deed after its execution and delivery, until after this action was instituted, and the first suit had been determined by the circuit court, and that he had the records examined as to the ownership of the lots before purchasing.

Annie Simpson testified in her own behalf as follows: “She purchased the lots in controversy, and paid for them with her own money. The deed was executed and delivered to her individually, and she kept it for some months in a drawer, among other papers. Simpson took it out, and had his name inserted as a grantee therein, and then' had it recorded. When it was returned from the recorder’s office, she discovered the change, but took no steps to correct it. She knew that her husband scheduled the property as his homestead. She read the schedule. She also knew that the property was advertised for sale under the Peters Shoe Company’s judgment, but took no steps to prevent it. She never assented to her husband having his name inserted in the deed, but made no objections to it in the presence of any one except him.”

J. S. Simpson testified substantially the same as his wife, and as follows : “He took the deed to a notary public, who certified to the acknowledgment thereof. With the consent of Eason, the grantor in the deed, his name was interlined therein, and he was made to appear as one of the grantees. It was then recorded. When he took it home, his wife ‘objected some,’ but took no steps to correct it.

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

Related

Fitton v. Bank of Little Rock
2010 Ark. 280 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 2010)
Morris v. Solesbee
892 S.W.2d 281 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 1995)
Opinion No.
Arkansas Attorney General Reports, 1993
Ford v. Felts
624 S.W.2d 449 (Court of Appeals of Arkansas, 1981)
Wambeke v. Hopkin
372 P.2d 470 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 1962)
Sieb's Hatcheries, Inc. v. Lindley
111 F. Supp. 705 (W.D. Arkansas, 1953)
Sims v. McFadden
233 S.W.2d 375 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1950)
Franks v. Wood
228 S.W.2d 480 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1950)
Deloney v. Dillard
40 S.W.2d 772 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1931)
Keaton v. Pipkins
43 F.2d 497 (Tenth Circuit, 1930)
Holland v. Blanchard
262 S.W. 97 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1924)
Stewart Oil Co. v. Bryant
243 S.W. 811 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1922)
Parrish v. Parrish
235 S.W. 792 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1921)
Otto F. Stifel's Union Brewing Co. v. Saxy
201 S.W. 67 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1918)
Gilbert v. Case
161 N.W. 515 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1917)
Cazort & McGehee Co. v. Byars
150 S.W. 109 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1912)
Clay v. Robertson
1912 OK 94 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1912)
Brown v. Norvell
132 S.W. 922 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1910)
Waits v. Moore
115 S.W. 931 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1909)
Naler v. Ballew
99 S.W. 72 (Supreme Court of Arkansas, 1907)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
38 S.W. 345, 63 Ark. 289, 1896 Ark. LEXIS 297, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/simpson-v-biffle-ark-1896.