Manchester v. Goeswich

• Decision Date: 11 July 1910
• Citation: 130 S.W. 526,95 Ark. 582
• Parties: MANCHESTER v. GOESWICH
• Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

130 S.W. 526

95 Ark. 582

MANCHESTER v. GOESWICH

Supreme Court of Arkansas

July 11, 1910

Appeal fro Mississippi Chancery Court, Osceola District; Edward D Robertson, Chancellor; affirmed.

Decree affirmed.

J. T Coston, for appellant.

Before land can be sold under a power contained in a mortgage, it must be appraised by three disinterested householders in the county appointed by a justice of the peace who also lives in the county. 69 S.W. 551. They must actually view the property. 94 S.W. 715. And a sale without complying with the statute in these respects is invalid. 105 S.W. 586. The burden was on defendant to show that he was an innocent purchaser. 35 Ark. 102. The recitals in the deed are prima facie evidence only. 41 S.W. 488; 66 S.W. 62; 61 Ark. 473 121 S.W. 357; 14 Ark. 9; 15 Ark. 187; 6 So. 841; 18 So. 46; 28 P. 769. Appellee is not an innocent purchaser. 43 Ark 467; 50 Ark. 327; 121 S.W. 355; 46 N.W. 1135; 10 Ill. 456; 6 La. 39; 22 Am. St. Rep. 725; 126 S.W. 833; 122 S.W. 933; 38 F. 486; 15 Pet. 43; 6 Minn. 456.

W. J. Lamb, for appellee.

The debtor must do equity before a void sale will be set aside. 117 N.W. 112; 61 S.E. 12. In such case a deed from the mortgagee to the purchaser clothes him merely with the mortgagee's lien on the land. 116 Mass. 108; 1 Mich. 338; 51 Am. Dec. 95; 33 Mich. 392; 47 Barb. 212; 25 N.Y. 320; 54 S.W. 1011. Such sale does not discharge the debt and mortgage. 169 Mass. 179; 47 N.E. 602; 117 Mo. 508; 70 Ill. 46. Appellee is an innocent purchaser for value. 84 Ill. 319; 98 572; 12 Allen 412; 44 N.E. 532; 84 S.W. 417; 23 A. 522; 120 Mo. 423; 119 Mo. 280; 92 N.W. 1117; 7 N.W. 826; 79 Ark. 1.

OPINION

BATTLE, J.

Mary Manchester, Nettie Manchester and Jessie Manchester, three sisters, for cause of action against Oscar Goeswich, state That J. S. Manchester departed this life some time in 1898, intestate, leaving the plaintiffs his only children and heirs surviving; that at the time of his death he was the owner of an undivided three-fourths interest in certain land; that the defendant, Oscar Goeswich, claims to be the owner of the land under the following chain of title.

"1st. By a trust deed executed thereon by J. S. Manchester, January 10, 1896, to W. J. Bowen, trustee, to secure an indebtedness mentioned therein to J. H. Hale for the sum of $ 175 and 10 per cent. interest thereon, due and payable December 1, 1896. * * *

"2d. A sale of said land January 28, 1899, by said W. J. Bowen, trustee, to John A. Lovewell, to satisfy the indebtedness described and set forth in the trust deed.

"3d. A deed June 28, 1900, by said W. J. Bowen, trustee, purporting to convey said land to John A. Lovewell in pursuance of the sale. * * *

"4th. A deed January 17, 1901, by John A. Lovewell, purporting to convey the land to the defendant. * * *

"That the trust deed provided that a sale thereunder must be advertised at least twenty days, and in truth and in fact the sale was not advertised for that time. That the land was not appraised before the sale, or, if appraised at all, the appraisers were not appointed in writing; did not qualify by taking the oath and making a report in writing, and they did not go and view the premises. That the land was, at the time of the sale, worth $ 1,000, but it was sold to John A. Lovewell for the sum of $ 200.50, which was a shockingly inadequate consideration for the land. That the defendant has sold, cut and removed from the land $ 1,500 worth of good and merchantable timber, and has received and collected thereon $ 1,000 in rents and profits.

"Wherefore plaintiffs pray that the sale be set aside and annulled, that the plaintiffs may have a decree against the defendant for timber cut and removed from the land, and the rents and profits thereon," etc.

The defendant answered and admitted the death of J. S. Manchester, and denied that he was the owner of the land at the time of his death; admitted that the trust deed provided that the sale must be advertised at least twenty days, but denied that the sale was not advertised for that time; denied that the land was at the time of the sale worth $ 1,000; admitted that it was sold to John A. Lovewell for the sum of $ 200.50; and denied that it was a shockingly inadequate price for the land; denied that he has sold, cut and removed from the land $ 1,500 worth, or any other amount, of good merchantable timber, or that he has received and collected thereon in rents and profits the amount of $ 1,000, or any other sum.

"Further answering the complaint, the defendant stated that the trust deed executed by J. S. Manchester for the benefit of J. H. Hale, and described in the complaint, does not purport to convey but one hundred and one and one-fourth acres of land, the same being the interest of the grantor of the trust deed in the estate of George Manchester, deceased, and simply purports to convey the undivided three-fourths interest of said Manchester in and to the southeast quarter of section 5, less twenty-five acres formerly conveyed to Eliza Yarboro, and the defendant alleged that, since his purchase of the interest of George Manchester under the deed set out in the complaint, he has purchased, and is the owner in fee simple of, the other undivided fourth of said one-fourth section, less the twenty-five acres previously sold.

"Defendant further stated that, from the recitals in the deed for the trustee, W. J. Bowen to John A. Lovewell, it appears that the law was complied with, and that the sale was regular in all respects, and that he believes that the sale was regular and in accordance with the law, and he further stated that the land was not worth more than the price bid therefor by John A. Lovewell at the date of the sale. That he purchased the land about two years after the sale by the trustee, and when land had enhanced in value, and, after Lovewell had made valuable improvements thereon, he paid Lovewell as the consideration therefor the sum of $ 500; that he made the purchase in absolute good faith, and believing that the title of Lovewell was good, and believing that he was getting a perfect title thereto, and without any notice of any claim by plaintiffs."

The court, having heard the evidence adduced by the parties found that the defendant was a bona fide purchaser for value without notice of the irregularities of the trustee's sale, and was therefore...