Smith v. Danforth

223 N.W. 59, 54 S.D. 250, 1929 S.D. LEXIS 312
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 15, 1929
DocketFile No. 6551
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 223 N.W. 59 (Smith v. Danforth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Danforth, 223 N.W. 59, 54 S.D. 250, 1929 S.D. LEXIS 312 (S.D. 1929).

Opinions

MISER, C.

Originally this was a suit on behalf of the Raymond State Bank to quiet title to- a half section of land. All the defendants disclaimed any personal interest in the property, but respondent Russell intervened, setting up a vendor’s lien and asking other relief. Russell formerly owned the land, and the evidence is undisputed' that the bank never paid anything to Russell for the property out of its own assets. The major question is whether Russell is entitled to the vendor’s lien, as determined by the trial court.

On October 1, 1917, Russell -had contracted to sell the land to defendant Sehaller. On March 1, 1921, the unpaid notes given as part of this contract amounted to- $13,000. On that day, being heavily indebted to the Raymond' State Bank, Sehaller resigned as its cashier. He left with defendant Wallace M. Danforth, president of the bank, his contract with Russell. He made no assignment in writing. The trial court found that he “abandoned the said contract to the said bank and for the purpose of transferring to the said bank any profit therein.” Wallace Danforth was at that time struggling to keep the bank open, and, although he continued to act as its president until it closed on January 4, 1924, the superintendent of banks had a special examiner in the bank, supervising, its affairs from March, 19211, until December, 1922. Defendant Wallace M. Danforth will be hereinafter referred! to as Wallace, and his son, Delmer T. Danforth, who was neither an officer, stockholder, nor employee of the bank, will be referred to as Delmer. Defendant Cagley was vice president of the bank.

Some time prior to October 5, 1921, Wallace told the special examiner that he had a chance to- sell the farm to defendant P’arker on contract for $24,000.. On October 5th, with the approval of the special examiner, Wallace, Delmer, and Cagley purchased the land from Russell, and received from him warrardy deeds naming Delmer as grantee. The agreed purchase price was $13,000-. The evidence is conflicting as to whether the unpaid Sehaller notes for that amount were then surrendered -by Russell; but, in any event, they were regarded as worthless and ignored.

At the time of the delivery of. the deed, Wallace, Delmer, and Cagley executed and delivered to Russell their notes for $7,000 of' the $13,000 purchase price, and, with the consent of Russell, Delmer executed and there was delivered to the Modern Brotherhood of [253]*253America a mortgage of $6,000 on the land, the proceeds of which were deposited in the bank. This money was not deposited in the name of Russell, nor did he check thereon; but it ¡was understood by the special examiner that it was to be paid to Russell as he needed it. Out of this fund there was sent to Russell by Wallace an aggregate of $3,654.70. Although the balance of $2,345.30 was twice demanded of Wallace Danforth, its president, before the bank closed, it was never paid.

As -had been planned by Wallace and the special examiner before the land was purchased from Russell, and as theretofore negotiated with Parker, Parker entered into a written contract with Delmer on October 28, 1921, to buy the land and to pay for it in 20 annual installments. On this contract, Parker paid $1,145,-60 up to the closing of the bank, and he paid the further sum of $1,574.44 after the closing of the bank, and up to November 1, 1925, when he abandoned the contract. The former sum was paid to the bank; the latter sum was paid to the examiner in charge, and still remains unexpended in his hand's.

On May 29, 1922, Delmer executed and delivered to the bank a warranty deed to the premises. The bank paid nothing for this transfer, nor had the bank theretofore obligated itself in any way for the purchase of the land. On December 29, 1922, Delmer assigned to Wallace, Cagley, and himself the Parker contract, and on the same day they reassigned it to the bank. Both assignments confirm the testimony of Wallace that their notes for $7,000, given to Russell as part of the purchase price of the land, were to be paid out of the moneys to be received from Parker. Of all the foregoing facts, as well as the rights and equities of Russell, the bank at all times -had full knowledge. At no time did the bank pay any consideration for any of said transfers, nor did Russell ever receive in actual cash any part of the price for which he sold the land, except that, out of the $6,000 M. B. A. loan deposited in the bank, Russell was sent $3,654.70. None of the money paid by Parker ever reached Russell.

The situation is then as follows: The bank has a fee-simple title to the land, against which there is the M. B. A. mortgage of $6,000, which Russell concedes to be a first lien. Out of the proceeds of the $6,000 mortgage, it has $2,345.30 which the tidal court found it had converted to its own use. It has $1,145.60 paid it by [254]*254Parker prior to the closing of the 'hank on January 3, 1924. The examiner in charge has unexpended in his hands $1,574.44 paid by Parker after the bank closed. It seeks to quiet title against Russell, who has received the notes of Wallace, Delmer, and Cagley for $7,000, no part of which has been paid to Russell, and in addition thereto has received from $6,000 proceeds of the -M. B. A. loan, deposited in the bank to the account of “Other Real Estate,” $3,654.70 thereof. Russell filed no claim against the bank after it closed. Indeed, he testified that, until two days before the trial on June 25, 1926, he did not know that the bank had closed.

The trial court found that no part of the purchase price had been paid, except the sum of $3,654.70; that the balance of the $13,000, plus interest and less said $3,654.70, was $12,384.55; that of this’balance Russell was entitled to an equitable lien for the $1,574.44 paid by Parker to the examiner after the closing of the bank, and which sum remained unexpended in the hands of the superintendent of banks; and that, for the remaining $10,710.11, Russell should have a vendor’s lien against the premises, -which it ordered sold. From the judgment entered thereon, and from the order denying motion for new trial, this appeal is taken.

Section 1689, R. C. 1919, is as follows: “One who sells real property has a special or vendor’s lien thereon, independent of possession, - for so much of the price as remains unpaid-, and unsecured otherwise than by the personal obligation of the buyer.”

In discussing section 3046, Civ. Code Cal., which is identical with section 1689, supra, the California court says: “The principle upon which this lien has been established by courts of equity is that a person who has gotten the estate of another ought not, in conscience, as between them, to be allowed to keep it and not pay the full consideration money.” Selna v. Selna, 125 Cal. 357, 360, 58 P. 16, 73 Am. St. Rep. 47. See, also, Rogers v. Real Estate Inv. Co., 159 Cal. 735, 115 P. 936, 35 L. R. A. (N. S.) 543; Story’s Eq. Jur. (14th Ed.) § 1625.

As to whether the lien is waived by taking the notes of the purchasers, although there are decisions contra, it is usually -held that this -does not affect the lien, in the absence of an agreement that there should be satisfaction. 35 R. R. A. (N. -S.) 91. “The lien is not waived or repelled by the taking of the purchaser’s independent obligation or promise to pay the purchase money, such as [255]*255his note, * * * as these are regarded as mere evidence of the indebtedness.” 27 R. C. L. 576, “Vendor and Purchaser,” § 319.

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Bluebook (online)
223 N.W. 59, 54 S.D. 250, 1929 S.D. LEXIS 312, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-danforth-sd-1929.