Turner v. Kuehnle

64 A. 478, 71 N.J. Eq. 466, 1 Buchanan 466, 1906 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 36
CourtNew Jersey Court of Chancery
DecidedAugust 10, 1906
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 64 A. 478 (Turner v. Kuehnle) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Court of Chancery primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Turner v. Kuehnle, 64 A. 478, 71 N.J. Eq. 466, 1 Buchanan 466, 1906 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 36 (N.J. Ct. App. 1906).

Opinion

Pitney, Y. C.

As the facts developed on the final hearing herein vary somewhat from those set out in the bill and dealt with on the demurrer," it seems advisable to restate them.

On the 31st 'day of August, 1893, and- before that day, the complainant, Mrs. Turner, was living in a dwelling-house in the city of Atlantic City which constituted the home of herself, her husband and their children. In point of fact, however, the husband and wife at that time or shortly afterwards were not on good terms with each other and did not cohabit as man and wife, the husband having apparently a home elsewhere, but coming to the house occasionally.

The husband was a man possessed of considerable property in and about Atlantic City, both real and personal, and entirely able to pay his debts, and so continued to a period subsequent to the transactions involved in this cause.

On the 31st day of August, 1893, he acquired title in fee-simple from one Samuel T. Hoffman to a tract of land in Atlantic City (in two parcels, comprising one lot fifty feet front and two hundred and sixty feet deep) by a conveyance of that date which expresses on its face the consideration of $16,000 with general covenants of warranty, excepting a mortgage for $4,000 of the same date, given by the grantor, Hoffman, to Messrs. William and George Allen to secure $4,000, “which said mortgage is hereby assumed by said Turner as a part of the consideration herein mentioned.”

Turner took possession under that conveyance, and on the 12th of February, 1895, he executed to one John Wheeler a lease of the premises for ten years, from March 25th, 1895, at a rent of [468]*468$1,200 per year, containing a clause by which Wheeler, the lessee, had the right, at any time within one year from March 25th, 1895, to purchase the premises, free and clear of encumbrances, for the sum of $18,000, of which $6,000 was to be paid in cash and the balance by a first mortgage, payable at the expiration of ten years from its date.

Wheeler took possession under that lease, and on the 29th day of March, 1895, assigned the same to the “Otto Huber brewery,” in consideration of $8,000. He also, on the 13th of June, executed a chattel mortgage to that brewing company covering a variety of chattels, being bar-room furniture and scenery.

This corroborates what the evidence tends to show, that either Wheeler or the brewing company expended moneys in converting the property into a music hall and drinking saloon. It was afterwards known as the Music Hall, and it abundantly appears that neither of them were able to pay for the improvements, so that some ten or twelve judgments on lien claims were recovered against the property, and it was advertised thereunder by the sheriff and sold to the defendant, Kuehnle, for $3,000.

In addition to that, Kuehnle swears that he had already advanced to Wheeler $4,000 in cash.

The sheriff’s deed was dated the 26th of January, 1896, and on the lJth of February, 1896, the brewing company assigned to Kuehnle their chattel mortgage and the leasehold interest under Turner’s lease to Wheeler.

The year in which Wheeler, by the terms of that lease, had the right to purchase at $18,000 expired on the 25th of March, 1896.

On the 25th of February, one month before the expiration of the time, and after Mr. Kuehnle hafjl perfected his rights as assignee of Wheeler, he demanded the title from Turner.

This Turner was quite willing but unable to give without the consent of his wife, the complainant.

A deed was thereupon prepared in the ordinary form from Turner and his wife to Kuehnle for the premises.

Previous to that, Turner, when making conveyances of real estate from-his wife and himself, had been obliged to pay his wife something substantial for her inchoate right of dower, and in the negotiations leading up to a bargain a young lawyer, Mr. [469]*469John S. Westcott, practicing in Atlantic City, had acted as go-between, and resort was had to him in this instance by Mr. Joseph Thompson, of the Atlantic bar, commonly called Judge Thompson, who was employed by Mr. Kuehnle to secure the title of the premises from Turner.

Judge Thompson had also been counsel for Turner in many matters before that time, but it is proper to say that there is nothing to show that he had any standing retainer from either Mr. Turner or Mr. Kuehnle, but was at perfect liberty to appear ■ in any litigation for or against either of them.

He was, however, distinctly employed by Kuehnle in the then present matter.

Being informed that young Mr. Westcott had procured from Mrs. Turner her execution to other conveyances of real estate made by her husband, he, Thompson, at Turner’s suggestion, handed to him the proposed conveyance, unexecuted by her husband, as I recollect, and requested him to procure her execution of it.

Mr. Westcott had an interview with Mrs. Turner and asked her to join in the deed, which she declined to do unless she was paid. This he reported to Judge Thompson, who, according to his, Westcott’s, evidence, replied that they, or Mr. Turner, would not give more than $200 or $300 to Mrs. Turner to join in the deed, because there was a mortgage outstanding against the property which could be foreclosed, and her inchoate right of dower be cut off for that amount of money. This sum Mrs. Turner refused to accept.

There the matter ended, for, as I recollect the evidence, it does not expressly appear that Mr. Westcott reported that statement of Judge Thompson’s to Mrs. Turner, although the probability is that he did do so, as they had some two or three interviews on the subject.

Mr. Westcott was not the stated solicitor of Mrs. Turner, but had acted for her in loaning on bond and mortgage a portion of the money which she had received in a previous transaction of a sale of lands by her husband.

With regard to the statement by Mr. Westcott of what Judge Thompson said to him as to the foreclosure of the mortgage for [470]*470the purpose of cutting off Mrs. Turner’s dower, it is proper to say that Judge Thompson, on the witness-stand, stated that he had no recollection of having used any such language.

On the 10th of March, 1896, a few days after the failure of negotiations to procure Mrs. Turner’s signature to the conveyance, Mr. Thompson filed a bill by Kuehnle in this court against Turner to compel the specific performance of the contract of sale contained in the lease.

At the proper time he filed a lis pendens in the county clerk’s office in aid of that bill. He issued a subpoena against Turner at the filing of the bill, returnable the 28th day of March, which was duly served upon Turner. No further proceedings were taken under that bill' and no answer was filed by Turner.

To go back to the mortgage given by Hoffman to the Allens. That was, shortly after it was made, assigned to Mr. William Eitton, of Atlantic City, and the interest seems to have been promptly paid upon it up to the 28th of February, 1896, which, it is to be observed, was at about the time that the effort was being made to procure the signature of Mrs. Turner to the conveyance. The principal of the mortgage had been due since 1894, but six months’ interest, up to the 28th of February, 1896, seems to have been received by Mr. Fitton from Mr. Turner.

I will now give Mr. Thompson’s language as to how the mortgage came into his hands.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
64 A. 478, 71 N.J. Eq. 466, 1 Buchanan 466, 1906 N.J. Ch. LEXIS 36, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/turner-v-kuehnle-njch-1906.