Thomas v. McCullum

144 S.W.2d 467, 201 Ark. 320, 1940 Ark. LEXIS 337
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedNovember 11, 1940
Docket4-6083
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 144 S.W.2d 467 (Thomas v. McCullum) 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
Thomas v. McCullum, 144 S.W.2d 467, 201 Ark. 320, 1940 Ark. LEXIS 337 (Ark. 1940).

Opinion

Humphebys, J.

On February 3,1927, William Jamer-son executed a deed of trust to W. H. Dismukes as trustee for the benefit of Crumpler & Bustion, a partnership, on the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 35, township 16, range 20 in Columbia county, Arkansas, to secure a note he owed the partnership in the sum of $2,275, due and payable on the 15th day of October, 1927, with interest.at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum from date until paid.

The deed of trust contained a covenant that the land was wholly and entirely the mortgagor’s own, free from all incumbrances as well as the warranty of title to the trustee.

William Jamerson was a widower at the time he executed and delivered the deed of trust or mortgage to the trustee, his wife, Lila Jamerson, having died prior to 1927, leaving surviving her, her husband, William Jamer-son, and appellants herein,' Willie Jamerson Thomas, Reída Jamerson Banks, Essie Lee Jamerson, Corrine Jamerson Hunter, and Leonard Jamerson, the last three named .being minors, Essie Lee Jamerson now being eighteen years old, Corrine Jamerson Hunter and Leonard Jamerson younger than she, but their disabilities of minority were removed on March 1,1939, in order that they might bring suit in their own names to- recover the land in question.

After the death of Lila Jamerson, her husband, William Jamerson, continued to* live on the land with his and Lila’s children until he died in 1932, and thereafter, on August 13th of that year, the Columbia-Peoples Bank of Magnolia being the owner and holder of the indebtedness of William Jamerson to'Crumpler & Bustion and the deed of trust executed by William Jamerson to secure same, on February 3, 1927, brought a suit in the chancery court of Columbia county, second division, to foreclose said deed of trust and made the appellants herein and Carrie Jamerson, whom William Jamerson had married after Lila’s death, parties defendant in the foreclosure suit.

All of the appellants herein were properly served and the adult defendants made default in the foreclosure suit. A guardian ad litem was appointed by the court to represent the minors, and as such guardian he filed the following answer:

“First. He denies the execution of the note and deed of trust by William Jamerson.
“Second. He denies that there is due the plaintiff the sum of $3,518.63 or any amount whatsoever on said note.
“Third. He denies that Crumpler' & Bustion, a partnership, transferred said note and deed of trust to plaintiff here.
“Fourth. He denies that plaintiff is entitled to a foreclosure on said note and deed of trust.
“Having answered he asks: that before plaintiff be given judgment it be required to prove each and every allegation in its complaint;
“That he be discharged with costs and released from further duties herein. ’ ’

The foreclosure suit was then tried by the court upon the amended complaint and the exhibits thereto which embraced the note and mortgage William Jamerson had executed to Crumpler & Bustion, the answer of the guardian ad litem for the three minor defendants, default on the part of all other defendants; the submission of the cause upon the complaint with the exhibits thereto (the note and deed of trust); the answer of the guardian ad litem; the depositions of the plaintiffs and the original note and deed of trust sued upon. The substance of the decree is that Columbia-Peoples Bank have judgment in the sum of $3,751.38; that the plaintiff have a lien by virtue of the assignment of notes sued on and the deed of trust, which is prior and paramount to any right, title, claim, interest or equity of the defendants; that if said sum of money be not paid within thirty days the commissioner of the court shall sell, after due notice, the land hereinabove described; that the purchaser shall execute bond for the purchase money so bid; that upon the sale of the property aforesaid and the confirmation thereof, all right, title, interest and equity of redemption of the defendants shall be forever, foreclosed and barred; that D. C. Perry be appointed commissioner to execute the decree.

The sale was made by the Commissioner on January 13, 1934, and the report of sale was approved and confirmed. On January 23,1934, the Commissioner executed .a deed to the Columbia-Peoples Bank upon payment of the amount it bid for the land. The Columbia-Peoples Bank became insolvent and the Bank Commissioner of the state took over its assets for liquidation, and in the course of winding up the affairs of the bank the land in question was conveyed to S. J. McCullum, the appellee herein, on January 24, 1937, and at or about that time the appellee demanded and obtained possession of the land from a part of the appellants who had continued to reside thereon.

On March 2, 1939, appellants filed suit in the Columbia chancery court, second division, against the appel-lees to cancel the Commissioner’s deed to the Columbia-Peoples Bank of Magnolia, and the deed from the State Bank Commissioner to appellees and to quiet title to the land in appellants, alleging, in substance, that they were the owners of the land in question by virtue of a certain deed, executed and delivered to 'Lila Jamerson and her heirs, which deed was executed by J. W. Jamerson to Lila Jamerson and her heirs about 1916, but which deed had been lost and was never placed of record; that thereafter on the 20th day of August, 1932, the said J. W. Jamerson, being joined by his wife, Sarah Jamerson, executed and delivered to Rufus Jamerson, Willie Jamerson Thomas, Essie Lee Jamerson, Reída Jamerson Banks, Leonard Jamerson, and Corrine Jamerson a special quitclaim deed, a copy of same being filed and made exhibit to the complaint and a part thereof the same being filed for record on the third day of October, 1932, and being recorded in Deed Record Book 70 in said county on pages 52-53.

They then alleged the execution of the mortgage on February 3,1927, by W. T. Jamerson, or William Jamer son, to a trustee for the benefit of Crumpler & Bustion to secure a loan of $2,275 and set out in their complaint all the foreclosure proceedings step by step heretofore mentioned charging and alleging that the land belonged to Lila Jamerson and not to William Jamerson at the time he mortgaged same to a trustee for the benefit of Crumpler & Bustion, and that the mortgagee obtained no title to the land through the foreclosure proceedings and mesne conveyances to appellee. The prayer of the complaint was to cancel all the foreclosure proceedings because no title passed tq appellee thereunder and because the said William Jamerson had no title to the land at the time he mortgaged same to Crumpler & Bustion. The special quitclaim deed made by J. W. Jamerson and his wife to the heirs of Lila Jamerson which was attached to the complaint as an exhibit and made a part thereof is as follows:

“J. W. Jamerson, et al., to The Heirs of Lila Jamerson
‘ ‘ Special Quitclaim Deed. Dated August., 1932. Filed October 3, 1932, 9:30 a. m. Recorded in Book 70, pages 52-53, Deed Records, Columbia county, Arkansas.

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Bluebook (online)
144 S.W.2d 467, 201 Ark. 320, 1940 Ark. LEXIS 337, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomas-v-mccullum-ark-1940.