Williams v. Sturdevant
Williams v. Sturdevant
Opinion of the Court
The chancellor, in 'our opinion, very properly dismissed the bill in this case. Its title to relief is, an alleged palpable fraud in selling land by defendant to complainant, to which defendant had no title, and which fraud, the bill charges, was afterwards admitted by the defendant. Both the answer and the proof show that there was no pretext for such an allegation. On the contrary, the defect in the legal title to a very inconsiderable portion of the entire tract was occasioned by an innocent mistake in the deed from Reeves to the appellee, which was carried into his deed to the appellant. This mistake was promptly corrected by the appellee, as soon as his attention was called to it, in procuring a corrected deed from his vendor, Reeves, and in the execution of a correct one to the appellant. The creditors of Reeves have no right in equity, upon the facts here disclosed, to interfere with this fraction of land, and it appears the appropriate remedy has been resorted to for the purpose of enjoining them. Had the appellant alleged -the mistake, and made Reeves and the attaching creditors parties, as well as the appellee, he would, under the facts disclosed by the answer and proof, have clearly entitled himself to a correction of the conveyances, thus perfecting his title by remedying the mistake. He would, doubtless, in such case, have been protected in the cost. But he has not seen proper to do this. He has chosen to set up fraud as a ground of being relieved from the entire contract. He has failed in this, and upon his allegations he can have no relief. He must recover, if at all, upon the case made by the bill. — See McKinley v. Irvine, 13 Ala. 681; Wiley Banks & Co. v. Knight, at the present term, and cases cited.
Decree affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WILLIAMS v. STURDEVANT
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- Published