Smith v. Sparks

70 N.E. 253, 162 Ind. 270, 1904 Ind. LEXIS 47
Indiana Supreme Court·Decided March 8, 1904·No. No. 20,222·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

Jordan, J.

Appellee, together with her husband, instituted this action to set aside a sheriff’s sale to appellant of eighty acres of land situated in Wells county, Indiana. Under the issues joined, a trial by the court resulted in a finding in her favor, and, over appellant’s motion for a new trial, assigning the statutory grounds therefor, judgment was rendered setting aside and annulling the sale in question.

The errors relied on for a reversal are (1) overruling a demurrer to the complaint; (2) denying a motion for a new trial.

The complaint alleged and the evidence established the following facts: Appellees, Phineas M. and Lovina Sparks, were husband and wife at the commencement of this action, and such relation existed at and prior to the 13th day of February, 1897. Phineas M. Sparks, the husband, was the owner in fee simple of the land in con[272] troversy, and on that date lie became indebted to the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company to the amount of $600 for money borrowed by him of that company. To secure the payment thereof, he and his said wife executed a mortgage to the company on the said eighty acres of land. After executing this mortgage, but prior to the ,2d day of May, 1899, a judgment was rendered in the Wells Circuit Court in favor of Elisha L Felts, against the said Pirineas M. Sparks and another on a promissory note executed by them for the sum of $352.32.' After the rendition of this judgment, it appears that the judgment creditor Elisha J. Felts died testate, and William S. Smith, under his will, became the executor thereof. On May .2, 1899, as such executor, by virtue of a purchase at sheriff’s sale, and a conveyance thereunder in satisfaction of said judgment, he became the owner in fee simple of an undivided two-thirds of said tract of land, and Lovina Sparks, as the wife of Phineas M. Sparks, became the owner in fee simple of the remainder by virtue of the statute of March 11, 1875 (Acts 1875, p. 178, §2669 Burns 1901). She and said Smith, as the executor aforesaid, on said date held said land undivided as tenants in common, subject to the mortgage lien of the insurance company. On said 2d day of May, 1899, she filed a petition in the Wells Circuit Court praying for partition of the land in question. Smith, as the executor of Felts’ will, and as the owner of the undivided two-thirds of said realty, and the mortgagee, the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, were made parties defendant to said action in partition, and each was duly notified of the pendency thereof.

The insurance company appeared and filed its separate answer, and also filed a cross-complaint by which it sought to foreclose its mortgage upon the premises in question. To its cross-complaint it made the plaintiff and her said husband, together with William S. Smith in his individual and also in his trust capacity, and the widow and other [273] devisees and heirs of the said Elisha J. Eelts, defendants thereto, all of whom were duly-summoned to answer the said cross-complaint. The proceedings for partition, and ,to foreclose the mortgage under the cross-complaint were treated as one action and tried together; and the court, upon the trial of the issues, found that the plaintiff Bovina Sparks was the owner in fee simple of the undivided one- . third of said real estate, and Smith, as the executor aforesaid, was the owner of the remainder, and partition thereof was accordingly awarded, and commissioners were appointed and directed to make partition. The court further found in favor of the insurance company on its cross-complaint, to the effect that its mortgage was the first and best lien on the land, and that there was due and unpaid to it upon the mortgage indebtedness the sum of $674.68. A personal judgment was rendered against said Phineas M. Sparks upon the mortgage note for that amount, together with costs. The court ordered and decreed that the mortgage be foreclosed, and expressly decreed that the two-thirds of the mortgaged premises, as partitioned and set off to William S. Smith, executor of Eelts’ will, should be first sold by the sheriff of Wells county in payment and satisfaction of the mortgage indebtedness, interest, charges, and costs. ' It was further ordered and decreed that if the said two-thirds of the realty partitioned to Smith as executor should sell for a sum sufficient to pay and satisfy in full the mortgage indebtedness, together with all costs and charges thereon, then and in that event the one-third of the mortgaged premises partitioned and set off to Mrs. Sparks should be held by her free and dis-charged of the mortgage lien; but in the event that said two-thirds did not sell for a sum sufficient to pay and satisfy in full said mortgage indebtedness, interest, costs, and charges, then it was ordered and decreed that the sheriff should proceed to sell under .the decree the one-third [274] partitioned and set off to her, for the purpose of satisfying the remainder due and unpaid upon the mortgage. It was also ordered that the said sale should he made without relief from valuation and appraisement laws, and that a certified copy of the decree under the hand of the clerk and the seal of the court should he a sufficient warrant or authority to the sheriff to execute the same.

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Smith v. Sparks, 70 N.E. 253, 162 Ind. 270, 1904 Ind. LEXIS 47 (Ind. 1904).

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