Taylor v. Collins

8 N.W. 22, 51 Wis. 123, 1881 Wisc. LEXIS 24
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 11, 1881
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 8 N.W. 22 (Taylor v. Collins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Taylor v. Collins, 8 N.W. 22, 51 Wis. 123, 1881 Wisc. LEXIS 24 (Wis. 1881).

Opinion

Oetoit, J.

The complaint is for the strict foreclosure of a land contract, and alleges, amongst other things, that since the [125]*125sale the defendant Enos GolUns liad built and constructed on the premises a wooden building, made, and part of the time used, for a manufactory of spring beds and other articles; that such building contains tools and articles of machinery, which are fixtures belonging in and to said shops, and are a part of the realty; and that the defendant Collins threatens to remore said machinery from said building and premises; and it prays for an injunction against such removal. The answer denies that said articles of machinery are fixtures, and alleges that they are personal property, and the right to remove them as such.

• This was the main issue tried and determined by the circuit court; and the only questions presented on this appeal are: first, whether one Nightingale was a necessary party to the suit; second, whether certain evidence was admissible; third, whether, after a special verdict of a jury on certain questions of fact, the court had the right to set aside such verdict, and try and determine such questions without a jury; fourth, whether a proper case was made for an injunction against the defendant Collins, restraining him from removing said machinery; and fifth, whether said articles of machinery were fixtures, and a part of the realty. These questions will be disposed of in their order.

Eirst.. It is stated in the complaint that Nightingale had contracted with Collins for the purchase of a part of the premises; and the question as to his being a necessary party to the action was not raised either by demurrer or answer. The only question, therefore, now is, whether the circuit court could mate a full and final disposition of the ease without his being a party. It is quite immaterial to the rights of the plaintiff that Nightingale bought an interest in the premises of Collins. It could not affect his rights in any way. If he was a necessary party in order that the rights of all persons claiming any interest in the premises subordinate to the original contract of sale between the plaintiff and Collins might be [126]*126adjusted in this suit, then it is not apparent how such rights corild be adjusted in this suit. The plaintiff is not interested in such adjustment, and the defendants have waived their right to have Nightingale made a party for such purpose by not asking it.

Second. As to the admission of improper evidence, this being a suit in equity, unless such evidence improperly affected the findings’of the circuit court, it will be regarded as immaterial. The question asked the witness, whether the machinery in this case was attached to the realty as it is ordinarily in other machine shops, is asking for the mere opinion of the witness, which could not affect the question whether such machinery was in fact attached to the realty, and would not be likely to affect the findings of fact. The testimony objected to, as to what was said between the agent of the plaintiff and the defendant Collins at the time the written contract was made, or a short time before, in respect to his building a shop upon the premises and placing in it the necessary machinery for a manufacturing establishment and business, was not admissible as a part of the contract, or to change the written contract; but it appears to have been admissible and proper as tending to show the intention of the defendant Collins in making the constructions in question permanent and a part of the realty, or otherwise. This will more clearly appear when the question as to whether this machinery was fixtures, or otherwise, is hereinafter considered.

Third. The setting aside the special verdict of the jury, and the finding of the facts by the- court, were within the discretion of the court sitting as a court of equity, and not improper. To this effect is the decision of this court in Will of Patrick Carroll, 50 Wis., 437.

Fourth. To make a proper case for an injunction restraining the defendant Collins from removing the fixtures from the premises and thereby committing acts of waste thereon, it was not necessary to show that he was insolvent, or unable [127]*127to respond in damages for such waste, or to pay any surplus. Although in nearly all respects this land contract and its foreclosure are analogous to an ordinary mortgage and its foreclosure, yet in one respect, at least, it is materially different. The plaintiff can obtain by his action nothing but a strict foreclosure and the remoyal of this cloud from his legal title. Ha is in pursuit of his money, or, in default, of the land itself; and nothing more, and this he is entitled to have intact, and the whole of it, and hence the solvency or insolvency of the. defendant is quite immaterial.

But even in the foreclosure of an ordinary mortgage to obtain an injunction against waste, it is not necessary to show the insolvency of the mortgagor. Fairbank v. Cudworth, 33 Wis., 358; Northrup v. Trask, 39 Wis., 515. It is alleged in the complaint that the removal of the machinery would leave the premises of very little value and very greatly damaged, and the circuit court found these allegations true. The case of Kimball v. Darling, 32 Wis., 675, is most strongly in point and nearly parallel with this case in its facts; and this court held in that case that an injunction against the removal of the machinery was not only proper but necessary relief.

This disposes of the questions raised, except the last, which is treated by counsel on both sides as the vital question in the cause.

Fifth. Were the articles of machinery which' the defendant threatened and claims the right to remove, in fact and law fixtures? The learned counsel for the appellant claims that the rules by which it is to be determined whether articles of machinery are fixtures, are— “first, actual physical annexation to the realty; second, application or adaptation to the use or purpose to which the realty is devoted; third, an intention on the part of the person making the annexation to make a permanent accession to the freehold.” These rules are unquestionably correct, and form the true criterion for determining in all cases whether the constructions in question are fixtures; and we [128]*128readily adopt them in this form, although this court has already substantially laid down the same rules in other cases. The difficulty in such cases is not in the rules to he adopted by which the question is to be determined, but in the application of correct rules to the facte of a given case. The decisions of courts, in the application of these rules to the facts of different cases, are as diverse and apparently as conflicting as the diversity and peculiarity of the facts themselves; and such decisions are of very little use as authority, unless closely analogous in their facts to the case under consideration; and such cases are extremely rare. The citation and examination of numerous cases, not so analogous, are worse than profitless, for they tend to confuse and embarrass rather than to enlighten and settle the judgment.

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

Related

All City Communication Co. v. State of Wisconsin Department of Revenue
2003 WI App 77 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 2003)
Metropolitan Savings & Loan Ass'n v. Zuelke's, Inc.
175 N.W.2d 634 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1970)
Guardian Life Insurance v. Swanson
3 N.E.2d 324 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1936)
State Ex Rel. Tillman v. District Court
53 P.2d 107 (Montana Supreme Court, 1936)
Standard Oil Co. v. La Crosse Super Auto Service, Inc.
258 N.W. 791 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1935)
David G. Janes Co. v. Weed
253 N.W. 181 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1934)
People's Savings & Trust Co. v. Sheboygan Machine Co.
249 N.W. 527 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1933)
Schmidt v. DuBois
231 N.W. 181 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1930)
Holy Ghost Catholic Church v. Clinton
211 N.W. 13 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1926)
Hinkle v. Bass Furn. & Carpet Co.
1926 OK 383 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1926)
Hanson v. Ryan
201 N.W. 749 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1925)
State ex rel. Gisholt Machine Co. v. Norsman
168 Wis. 442 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1919)
Hatton v. Kansas City, Clinton & Springfield Railway Co.
162 S.W. 227 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1913)
Baringer v. Evenson
106 N.W. 801 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1906)
White v. Cincinnati, Richmond & Muncie Railroad
71 N.E. 276 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1904)
Rinzel v. Stumpf
93 N.W. 36 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1903)
McFarlane v. Foley
60 N.E. 357 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1901)
Fuller-Warren Co. v. Harter
53 L.R.A. 603 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1901)
Williams v. Chicago Exhibition Co.
58 N.E. 611 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1900)
Ward v. Earl
86 Ill. App. 635 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1900)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
8 N.W. 22, 51 Wis. 123, 1881 Wisc. LEXIS 24, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/taylor-v-collins-wis-1881.