Wilson v. Fatout

42 Ind. 52
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedMay 15, 1873
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 42 Ind. 52 (Wilson v. Fatout) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilson v. Fatout, 42 Ind. 52 (Ind. 1873).

Opinion

Worden, J.

Action by the appellant against the appellees. The complaint embraced two paragraphs. The first alleged, in substance, the following facts:

On April 29th, 1863, one Samuel Brown was the owner of certain real estate described in the complaint, and on that day he mortgaged the same to Henry August Hugo for purchase-money, and this mortgage was duly recorded.

"On September 1st, 1864, Brown conveyed and warranted the property to the appellees, Joshua L. and Moses K. Fatout.

On January 12th, 1865, the appellees sold the property to Isaac E. Johnson for the consideration of two thousand dollars then in hand paid, and executed to him a bond in the penalty of twice the amount of the purchase-money, stipu[53]*53lating, amongst other things, that Johnson was to have possession on the 20th of the same month, and pay the taxes accruing on the property from and after the 1st of January, 18653 and that the Fatouts should, on reasonable request, make him a warranty deed in fee simple for the premises.

On September 25th, 1865, Johnson assigned the bond "above mentioned to the appellant, Wilson, to secure the payment of a promissory note for the sum of two thousand dollars, payable in six months, with ten per cent, interest, stipulating in the assignment that he would warrant the title to be free from all incumbrances.

Afterward, the note executed by Johnson to the appellant 'having matured, and not having been paid, the appellant brought suit against him thereon in the Marion Court of Common Pleas, seeking also to foreclose the interest of Johnson In the premises, making the appellees parties thereto, and also one Sims A. Colley, who had a tax lien upon the premises.

On February 16th, 5867, he obtained judgment in that suit against Johnson on the note, for the amount thereof with Interest, and for the sale of Johnson’s interest in the premises. Nineteen dollars were found due to Colley for his tax lien, and the sum was ordered to be paid before the plaintiff’s claim.

On May 4th, 1867, the premises were sold on an execution issued upon the above named judgment, and the plaintiff became the purchaser at the sum of two thousand four hundred and seventy dollars, and afterward he received the sheriff’s deed therefor.

The plaintiff afterward demanded a deed from the defendants, which they refused to execute.

On the -6th of October, 1866, said Henry August Hugo, recovered a judgment against said Brown, in the Marion Court of Common Pleas, for the foreclosure of his said mortgage, amounting, with the interest, to the sum of seven hundred and thirty-five dollars and thirty cents> and on [54]*54March 2d, 1867, the property was sold on execution issued upon the last mentioned judgment, and said Plugo became the purchaser thereof at the sum of seven hundred and ninety dollars and sixty-eight cents, and on March 4th, 1868, the sheriff executed to him a deed for the premises.

On August 8th, 1868, said Hugo, for the consideration of eight hundred and one dollars, conveyed the premises to the defendants; that on, etc., the defendants agreed with the plaintiff that they would procure the right of Hugo in the premises and convey the same to the plaintiff. It is further averred that the plaintiff had no knowledge or information of the interest of Hugo in the premises until after the execution of the sheriff’s deed to him. Prayer for damages in the sum of three thousand five hundred dollars. '

The second paragraph of the complaint was substantially the same as the first, except that it prayed for specific performance, in favor of the plaintiff, of the contract of the defendants with said Isaac E. Johnson.

The defendants answered in three paragraphs, but the third was stricken out on motion,, and the first was withdrawn, leaving the defence to rest upon the second, which set up the following facts:

That on January 15th, 1867, the plaintiff instituted a suit in the court of common pleas of Marion county, Indiana* against the defendants and Elizabeth Fatout, wife of one of the defendants, and said Isaac E. Johnson, and also Sims A. Colley (the same suit mentioned in the complaint herein), alleging in his complaint therein the execution of the bond by the defendants to Johnson, and the assignment thereof by Johnson to the plaintiff to secure the payment of the note for two thousand dollars, as alleged in the complaint herein,” and that the note was due; that on Februaiy 5th* 1866, the premises had been sold for delinquent taxes for the year 1864, for the sum of nine dollars and thirty-eight cents, to said Sims A. Colley; that the plaintiff was ready to pay said taxes, penalties, and costs; that said Elizabeth Fatout was the wife of said Moses K. Prayer that the plaintiff [55]*55might recover $3000 against Johnson, and $25 against the defendants (herein) on the warranty in said bond, and that all the right, title, and interest of the defendants therein might be sold to satisfy the plaintiff’s claim. That summons was served on all the defendants in that action, and that such proceedings were thereupon had therein, that the court did, on the-day of February, 1867, on the final hearing of said cause, find that Johnson executed the note to the plaintiff) and to secure the payment thereof assigned to him the bond which the defendants herein had executed to said Johnson (as alleged in the complaint herein), and that the note was due and wholly unpaid; that said Joshua L., Moses K., and Elizabeth Fatout had no right in or lien upon said premises, but that they had been fully paid for the same; that Sims A. Colley had a just and prior lien on the premises for the taxes paid by him in the sum of $19.00; on which facts so found the court adjudged that the plaintiff recover of Johnson $2278.87, together with the amount due said Colley for said taxes; that the premises be sold to satisfy said judgment and costs; and that the proceeds-of the sale be applied, first, to the payment of said Colley’s claim; second, to the costs in said cause; third, to the payment of the plaintiff’s said claim ; any overplus to be paid to said Johnson, after, etc. That said judgment remains in full force, etc.

The defendants say that the adjudication in said cause is a full and complete bar to this suit, because the said plaintiff therein chose his remedy and determined the relief he was entitled to; and all the matters relating to the liabilities of these defendants on the said bond were fully determined or involved, and might have been determined therein.

And the defendants, afterward, on August 8th, 1868, purchased the premises from Hugo for the consideration mentioned in the complaint, as they lawfully might without in any wise reviving their liability on said bond.

They further say that there was no .consideration for the isaid promise to procure the rights of the said Hugo and [56]*56convey the premises to the plaintiff, as alleged, but the same was made without consideration and is void. Wherefore, etc.

The plaintiff demurred to the second paragraph of the answer, assigning as cause that it did not state facts sufficient, etc., but the demurrer was overruled, and exception taken. The plaintiff electing to abide by his demurrer, final judgment was rendered for the defendants.

The only question before us relates to the ruling on the demurrer.

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

Related

Davis v. Landis
53 N.E.2d 544 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1944)
Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad v. State, ex rel. Ketcham
51 N.E. 924 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1898)
Western Union Telegraph Co. v. Moore
39 N.E. 874 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1895)
Stringer v. Adams
98 Ind. 539 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1884)
Kramer v. Matthews
68 Ind. 172 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1879)
Kellogg v. Tout
65 Ind. 146 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1879)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
42 Ind. 52, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-fatout-ind-1873.