Wilton v. Mayberry

• Decision Date: 03 December 1889
• Parties: WILTON v. MAYBERRY ET AL.
• Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court

75 Wis. 191

43 N.W. 901

WILTON

v.MAYBERRY ET AL.

Supreme Court of Wisconsin.

Dec. 3, 1889.

Appeal from circuit court, Pierce county.

F. L. Perrin, for appellants.

Smith & Vannata, for respondent.

ORTON, J.

The complaint sets out substantially the following facts: On or about the 5th day of November, 1881, the appellants, William Mayberry and Martha, his wife, executed a mortgage on certain real estate in Pierce county, Wis., to one Ann W. Grant, to secure to her the payment of $1,000 on the 1st day of July, 1887; and said mortgage was duly recorded. On the 5th day of July, 1887, said mortgage being due, the respondent loaned to said appellants the sum of $1,005, on the agreement that with said money said mortgage should be paid, and discharged of record, and that said appellants should execute to the respondent a new mortgage on said land, to secure said loan. This was done, on the part of the respondent, in mere friendship, without any selfish interest whatever. The money was used to pay off said mortgage, and it was duly discharged of record; but, instead of said appellants giving the respondent such new mortgage, as they agreed to do, and which was the inducement of said loan, they deeded said land to John R. Mayberry, one of the appellants, with intent to defraud the respondent out of his money. The said first-mentioned appellants had, and have, no other property. The said John R. Mayberry had full knowledge of said loan and said agreement. The respondent prays that he may be subrogated in place of the mortgagee of said first-mentioned mortgage; and that its satisfaction of record be canceled; and that it may be declared to be a good and subsisting mortgage to him; and that it be foreclosed. The appellants demurred to said complaint on the ground that it did not state a cause of action, and the demurrer was overruled; and this appeal is from such order.

The learned counsel of the appellants contend that the respondent was a mere volunteer, and had no interest in the land to protect, and cannot, therefore, be subrogated as mortgagee to the mortgage paid and discharged; and cites, besides other authorities, Watson v. Wilcox, 39 Wis. 643, and Downer v. Miller, 15 Wis. 612. In those cases it was a mere loan of money, to enable the borrower to pay off the mortgage debt, and without any agreement that the security shall be assigned or kept on foot for the benefit of the party who loaned him the money. But this is no such case. The...