Lloyd v. Lynch

• Decision Date: 01 January 1857
• Citation: 28 Pa. 419
• Parties: Lloyd versus Lynch.
• Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Page 419

28 Pa. 419

Lloyd versus Lynch.

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

ERROR to the Common Pleas of Blair county.

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Hoffius, for plaintiff in error.

Blair, for defendant in error.

The opinion of the court was delivered by LEWIS, C. J.

On the 7th October, 1841, James Ross and Peter Collins, being then the owners of the land in controversy, entered into a written contract to convey it to Barnabas Farrel, in consideration of the sum of $375. The sum of $168 was paid by Barnabas Farrel, at the execution of the article. The residue was to be paid in instalments, the last of which became due on the 1st May, 1843. Barnabas Farrel died on the 24th October, 1841, leaving three children — Thomas, Catharine, and Elizabeth. This ejectment was brought to recover the share which descended to Catharine as the heir of her father.

The defence is founded on a conveyance of the 7th February, 1844, by James Ross and Peter Collins to Thomas Farrel, on his securing the unpaid portion of the purchase-money due on the contract; a treasurer's deed of the 22d August, 1846, to John Armitage, for taxes assessed for the years 1844 and 1845; an assignment of the last-mentioned deed by Armitage to Thomas Farrel on the 9th December, 1846, and a conveyance from Thomas Farrel to Gilbert L. Lloyd on the 1st July, 1854. Peter Collins testifies that when Barnabas Farrel was looking at the land, before the contract was made, he said he was "going to buy it for his son;" and adds, that that was the reason why he and Ross "made the deed to Thomas Farrel" several years after the death of Barnabas Farrel. This evidence is in conflict with that of James Ross; but, taking it for truth, it is entirely insufficient to create a trust in favour of Thomas Farrel. There was no evidence that the hand-money paid at the execution of the contract, belonged to Thomas Farrel. On the contrary, the evidence is that Barnabas at that time declared that he "had money enough to pay for it;" that he had "money from Spang's works." He took the contract in his own name. The mere declaration of a vendee that he intends to buy for another, without evidence of any previous agreement to do so, or of any advance of money for the purpose, raises no trust which can be supported in equity: Robertson v. Robertson, 9 Watts 32; Sidle v. Waters, 5 Watts 391; Bear v. Whissler, 7 Watts 147.

Thomas Farrel, on the death of his father, became a tenant in common with his two sisters. Independently of his duty as a brother, his obligations to his sisters, as a tenant in common with them, required that any title which he might obtain to the premises, should enure to the benefit of all. This principle of law gives to all the heirs of Barnabas Farrel the benefit of the two deeds acquired by one of them for the premises held in common: 5 John. Ch. Rep. 408; Smily v. Dixon, 1 Penn. Rep. 439; Weaver v. Wible, 1 Casey 272. Those deeds can only be used as a security to enforce contribution for the money paid for them.

But it is alleged that Gilbert L. Lloyd is a purchaser for a valuable consideration paid, without notice of the rights of the plaintiffs below. He gave no evidence whatever of the payment of the purchase-money, except the receipt on the deed from Thomas Farrel of the 1st July, 1854. That receipt is undoubtedly evidence of payment against Thomas Farrel himself, and all who subsequently derive title from him. It is also evidence to pass the right of Thomas Farrel, whatever it was, at the time. But it is no evidence whatever of the fact of payment, against a stranger, or even against one who derived title from Thomas Farrel previously to the date of the conveyance to Lloyd. Against them it is nothing but hearsay. It is a mere ex parte declaration, not under oath, taken without any opportunity to cross-examine. It has been long settled, that such declarations are not evidence against strangers. It is upon this principle that an endorsement by the payee of negotiable paper, although sufficient evidence to pass his right and to enable the holder to maintain an action in his own name, is entirely insufficient to show that he paid a valuable consideration for it, so as to exclude a defence which would be otherwise available: Holme v. Karsper, 5 Binn. 471; Belzhoover v. Blackstock, 3 Watts 20. It is upon this principle that the receipt in a deed is not evidence of payment of the purchase-money against creditors who attack it by evidence tending to show that it was made to defraud them: Clark v. Depew, 1 Casey 515. It is upon this principle that it has been constantly held that the declarations of a grantor, after he has parted with his interest, are not evidence against his grantee: Packer v. Gonsales, 1 S. & R. 526; Patton v. Goldsborough, 9 S. & R. 47; Babb v. Clemson, 12 S. & R. 328; Hoffman v. Lee, 3 Watts 352; McCulloch v. Cowher, 5 W. & S. 427; Gregory v. Griffin, 1 Barr 208. It is on this principle that it has been repeatedly held that receipts of third persons are not evidence of payment of money, unless those persons are either...