Taylor, Admr. v. Quinn

39 N.E.2d 627, 68 Ohio App. 164, 22 Ohio Op. 292, 1941 Ohio App. LEXIS 757
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 26, 1941
Docket3788
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 39 N.E.2d 627 (Taylor, Admr. v. Quinn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taylor, Admr. v. Quinn, 39 N.E.2d 627, 68 Ohio App. 164, 22 Ohio Op. 292, 1941 Ohio App. LEXIS 757 (Ohio Ct. App. 1941).

Opinion

Overmyer, J.

This action in ejectment was filed in Common Pleas Court by Thad W. Taylor, as administrator of the estate of Harriet C. Taylor, deceased, against Harry Quinn and others, seeking the possession of certain real estate in this county, under defeasance clauses in certain mortgages held by him as administrator.

The principal defense made was that the plaintiff-administrator is estopped from maintaining the action because he had formerly elected to prosecute, and did prosecute, an action for the foreclosure of two mortgages securing two certain due and unpaid promissory notes, which mortgages covered the same premises Ji£re involved, and which notes were the property of Harriet C. Taylor at the time of her death, and that in the former action it was determined and adjudged by this court that recovery on the notes could not be had because of the bar of the statute of limitations, affirmatively set up as defenses thereto. The mortgages and notes had been executed by Alice and John A. McCullough, now deceased, through whom the defendant Quinn now .claims title to the premises. (See Taylor, *166 Admr., v. McCullough, Yol. 47 Court of Appeals Opinions, Sixth District, unreported, p. 413.)

In each of the mortgages the defeasance clause provided :

“Now, if the said Alice McCullough and John A. McCullough, their heirs, assigns, executors or administrator shall well and truly pay the aforesaid obligations according to the tenor thereof to said Harriet C. Taylor, her heirs or assigns, together with the taxes, assessments and insurance premiums, then the above, deed shall be void; otherwise the same shall remain in full force and virtue.”

In the lower court the finding and judgment herein was in favor of defendant Quinn. The plaintiff appeals on questions of law, assigning as errors the reception in evidence of the record in the former case, above referred to, offered by the defendants, and that the judgment is not sustained by the evidence and is contrary to law.

The question presented by this appeal is well stated in plaintiff’s brief as follows:

“Does a mortgagee, by attempting to foreclose his note and mortgage in a former action, and in which action the court found the fifteen-year statute of limitations had run upon the note and therefore barred recovery, and which action was reduced to final judgment, make such an election of his legal rights that he could not thereafter bring an ejectment action on said mortgage where the twenty-one year statute of limitations has not run?”

The answer to the question is clearly indicated by an examination of the authorities. The following propositions are established law on the question of election of remedies:

“The owner and holder of a mortgage securing debt * * * has two remedies * * *. He may bring an action in foreclosure of the mortgage * * *. Or, he may, after *167 condition broken, assert title under the mortgage and bring ejectment,” etc. Bradfield v. Hale, 67 Ohio St., 316, 323, 65 N. E., 1008.

“It is a well-established rule that the choice of a fancied remedy which never existed, and the futile pursuit of it, either because the facts turn out to be different from what the plaintiff supposed them to be, or the law applicable to the facts is found to be other than supposed, though the first action proceeds to judgment, does not preclude the plaintiff from thereafter invoking the proper'remedy, in the absence of facts which create an estoppel. # * * It has also been stated that • wheii the plaintiff brings an action, on the supposition that it is the proper one, and he fails in the litigation because he was not pursuing the proper remedy or course, then such litigation forever establishes the fact that he did not have two courses open to him, but only one.” 15 Ohio Jurisprudence, 252, Section 30 and cases cited. See, also, 18 American Jurisprudence, 147, Section 24, text and citations of scores of cases.

“A party may erroneously pursue a remedy which is not open to him at all, and the question arises whether because of his mistake he must be held to have renounced the remedy which he had. As to this matter, there seems to be no uncertainty in the decisions. If, in truth, the suitor has no such remedy as he invokes, his action in pursuing it does not constitute an election, and the absence of good faith in asserting a right the chosen remedy for which is found to be inappropriate seems an immaterial circumstance. * * * Even where a party has pursued a remedy which would have entitled him to some relief and later has discovered facts which disclose a better remedy, he may follow the better remedy if no conditions of injury amounting to an estoppel have resulted to the other party.” 18 American Jurisprudence, 146, Section 24 and extended citations.

*168 “It is a general rule that it must appear that remedies sought to be enforced are inconsistent, and not merely cumulative, in order to have the selection of one remedy operate as a bar to the pursuit of the other, or to compel the plaintiff to elect between remedies because of principles of election of remedies.” 15 Ohio Jurisprudence, 255, Section 33, citing cases. See, also, McMahan v. McMahon, 122 S. C., 336, 115 S. E., 293, 26 A. L. R., 1295.

“Where the remedies afforded are inconsistent, it is the election of one that bars the other; but where they are consistent, it is the satisfaction that operates as a bar. * * * In some of the cases in this class it has been determined that there is no estoppel until satisfaction has been obtained.” (Italics ours.) 18 American Jurisprudence, 136, 137, Section 13, citing cases.' See, also, Frederickson v. Nye, 110 Ohio St., 459, 144 N. E., 299; Land v. Berzin, 26 Ohio Law Abs., 703, paragraph 2 of the syllabus; 9 Ruling Case Law, 957, Section 1; Fleming v. Dillon, 370 Ill., 325, 18 N. E. (2d), 910, 120 A. L. R., 1218.

The meaning of the term “inconsistency” of remedies is given in 18 American Jurisprudence, 134, 135, Sections 11 and 12.

The doctrine of estoppel is the basis of the doctrine of election of remedies. Estoppel is based upon the theory that where one has, by his conduct, led another to change his position to his damage, disadvantage or detriment, he is estopped from benefiting by such conduct.

“The doctrine of waiver or preclusion by election of remedies, is sometimes called an estoppel, or it is said that the pursuance of one remedy ‘estops’ the party from seeking to enforce an inconsistent remedy, or from making an inconsistent defense in a subsequent action relating to the same transaction; but the principle of waiver by election of remedies is not con *169 fined to the limits of the doctrine of estoppel in pais, and is therefore distinct therefrom.” - (Italics ours.) 15 Ohio Jurisprudence, 230, 231, Section 7 and 8. See, also, 18 American Jurisprudence 144, Section 21.

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

Related

Acme Cleveland Corp. v. Trayco Electric Co.
499 N.E.2d 930 (City of Cleveland Municipal Court, 1983)
Ryan v. Zaffiro
166 N.E.2d 246 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1960)
Norwood v. McDonald
52 N.E.2d 67 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1943)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
39 N.E.2d 627, 68 Ohio App. 164, 22 Ohio Op. 292, 1941 Ohio App. LEXIS 757, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-admr-v-quinn-ohioctapp-1941.