Taylor v. Calaway

57 S.W.2d 410, 186 Ark. 947, 1933 Ark. LEXIS 276
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJanuary 30, 1933
Docket4-2819
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 57 S.W.2d 410 (Taylor v. Calaway) 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
Taylor v. Calaway, 57 S.W.2d 410, 186 Ark. 947, 1933 Ark. LEXIS 276 (Ark. 1933).

Opinion

Smith, J.

Suit was brought by the Farmers’ & Merchants’ Bank of Bearden, Arkansas, against M. E. Cala-way, who is the widow of J. C. Calaway, deceased, and certain persons as garnishees, and the following facts were alleged as constituting its cause of action.

The bank recovered a judgment on October '23,1930, for $1,045.28 against M. E. Calaway and one E. C. Hawkins, upon which .judgment an execution was issued and returned unsatisfied. Mrs. Calaway had indorsed a note for Hawkins at the bank.

The Stout Lumber Company made a contract to sell certain lands in Calhoun County, which was evidenced by its bond for title to J. C. Calaway, and another to C. L. Witherington, which last-named contract was assigned by Witherington to J. C. Calaway. The payments contracted for were finally made, but before their completion Calaway contracted to sell the lands to William and Emma Boyett for the sum of $2,600, evidenced by ten notes each for $260, payable one note each year, and the last maturing November 1,1934. Calaway gave the Boy-etts a bond for title, wbicb obligated him to convey tbe lands to them upon tbe completion of tbe payments. Tbe Boyetts paid tbe first five of these notes to mature. Mrs. Calaway, tbe wife of J. C. Calaway, did not join ber bus-band in tbe execution of this contract to convey to tbe Boyetts. Tbe complaint alleged that Mrs. Calaway bad acquired tbe title of ber husband to these lands by a deed to ber from him, or, if not so, that she bad acquired tbe equitable title by the indorsement and delivery to ber of the unpaid purchase money notes executed by the Boyetts.

Attached to tbe complaint were certain interrogatories which it was prayed that Mrs. Calaway and the Boyetts be required to answer under oath, showing the interest now owned by Mrs. Calaway in tbe lands and the balance of purchase money still due on tbe notes.

It was prayed that the lumber company be required to execute deeds to Mrs. Calaway, and that the Boyetts be required to pay into court tbe balance of purchase money due by them, or that their interest in the lands be sold, to tbe end, that tbe plaintiff bank have satisfaction of its judgment.

The contract of sale between J. C. Calaway and tbe Boyetts provides that, if they shall fail to make tbe payments, or any of them, within thirty days after maturity, tbe contract should then and in that event be considered and declared a rental contract, “and the said William Boyett and Emma Boyett shall pay the said J. C. Cala-way, or to his heirs and assigns, the sum of two hundred dollars per year as rent on said lands, and the said J. C. Calaway shall have a lien on any and all crops raised on said lands for his said rent; ’ ’ but that, if the payments were made as contracted, he, Calaway, would convey, or cause to be conveyed, to the Boyetts the said lands with warranty of title.

A separate answer was filed by Mrs. Calaway, in which she admitted that the plaintiff bank had a judgment against her which she had not paid. She alleged that, if her husband had executed a bond for title to 'the Boyetts, she was not a party thereto; “that she did not sign away any of her rights in and to said lands, and she specifically claims her dower rights in and to said lands as the widow of the said J. C. Calaway, deceased.” She alleged that default had been made in the payment of the notes to her husband’s order, and that the bond for title to the Boyetts had forfeited on that account, and that the lands now belong to her children, the heirs at law of her husband, subject to her dower. She therefore prayed that the complaint against her be dismissed, and that the lumber company he required to execute deeds in accordance with its bonds for title, and that dower be assigned to her.

An intervention was filed in the case by Ella String-fellow and Docia Bailey, who alleged that they were the only heirs at law of J. C. Calaway, which pleading recited the execution of the bonds for title to J. C. Calaway and C. L. Witherington, and the assignment to Calaway of the bond for title by Witherington, and alleged the payment in full of the purchase money due under both contracts. This pleading also alleged the execution of the contract by Calaway to convey the lands to the Boyetts, and that instrument was made an exhibit to their intervention. Interveners alleged the default of the Boyetts in making their payments, and prayed that the lumber company be required to execute deeds to them as the heirs at law of their father, subject to the dower right of their mother.

The Boyetts filed an answer to the plaintiff’s interrogatories in which they denied that they were indebted to Mrs. Calaway in any sum. They also filed a separate answer in which they alleged that they had paid $1,300 of the $2,600 purchase money which they had agreed to pay, and that four of these payments had been made to Mrs. Calaway after the death of her husband, and they therefore alleged that Mrs. Calaway was not entitled to dower in said lands. They alleged that they were at all times ready, willing and able to pay the balance of purchase money, but did not make the payments because the notes were in tlie possession of the plaintiff bank and the title to the lands was in dispute, and that Mrs. Calaway had refused to join in the execution of a deed to them. They therefore prayed the return to them of the $1,300 which they had paid.

The lumber company filed an answer, in which it admitted the receipt in full of the purchase money due it, and prayed the direction of the court as to the execution of the deeds, which it offered to make.

The plaintiff bank filed an amendment to its complaint, in which it admitted that it had possession of the five notes remaining unpaid by the Boyetts, but alleged that the possession thereof had been delivered to it by Mrs. Calaway for safekeeping. It was prayed that any proceeds of the notes be impounded and applied to the bank’s judgment.

Mrs. Calaway filed an answer to the amended complaint of the bank, in which she admitted delivering to the bank five notes of the Boyetts payable to the order of her husband, but disclaimed any interest in them.

The interveners, Ella String-fellow and Docia Bailey, filed an answer to the bank’s amended complaint, in which they alleged that any unpaid notes of the Boyetts are a part of the estate of J. C. Calaway, deceased, and are not subject to the debts of his widow.

Mrs. Calaway filed a response to the intervention of her daughters and to the amended and substituted answer of the Boyetts. In this pleading she alleged that the Boy-etts were at all times aware of her interest in the lands, and denied their offer to pay the balance of purchase money, and denied their right to recover payments made, but alleged that, under the contract which they failed to perform, the payments made should be treated as rent. She denied that she had received any payment from the Boyetts. She prayed that, if the Boyetts be allowed to recover payments made, they be charged with the rent upon the lands which they had contracted to buy.

The Boyetts filed an amended and substituted answer and cross-complaint, reciting many of the facts hereinabove stated and alleging that, inasmuch as Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
57 S.W.2d 410, 186 Ark. 947, 1933 Ark. LEXIS 276, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-v-calaway-ark-1933.