Loan Co. v. Deans
Loan Co. v. Deans
Opinion of the Court
— -The following opinion was prepared by the late Justice Olopton shortly before his death, and is adopted by the court.
“The evidence clearly shows that plaintiff negotiated the loan with the Land Mortgage Investment and Agency Company of America, Limited, within thirty days after the abstract of title was furnished, and prepared and sent to defendant for execution notes and mortgages containing the usual terms, conditions and provisions, required by Eastern money-lenders — a full performance of the provisions of the contract on the part of plaintiff. Defendant returned the notes and mortgage without execution, her refusal to sign the mortgage being based on certain specific provisions therein contained, but not on the ground - that they were unusual in such mortgages. As to these facts there is no dispute or conflict in the evidence. Plaintiff, having satisfactorily proved them, and it being admitted that the Land Mortgage Investment and Agency Company had complied with the require
“The application for the loan contained the following question : ‘For what purpose is the money on this loan lo be used?’ The blank in the application for the insertion of the answer was filled by defendant, in her own hand-writing, as follows: ‘For the education of children, and for general improvement.’ The clause in the mortgage objected to is, ‘and especially permit no cutting of timber except for necessary and ordinary purposes, or requirements of the farm.’ True, R. B. Deans, the son of defendant, testifies that the money obtained by the loan was to be used for the erection of a saw-mill to cut timber from the place into lumber; but he also testifies that he was present when the application for the loan ■was made, and had no knowledge that any notice was given to plaintiff, or to its local correspondent, Hinton, as to how defendant wanted to use the money, or that a sawmill was to be erected; and Hinton testifies that the first information he had about erecting a saw-mill was after this suit was brought, and that he knew nothing of what defendant intended doing with the money, except as stated in her application for the loan. This is all the evidence on the s ubject. It may be that defendant wanted the money and intended to use it in the erection of a saw-mill; but such was n ot the representation to plaintiff. Had defendant stated to plaintiff, or its agent, her intention to use the money in the erection of a saw-mill, she would have been justified in refusing to execute a mortgage containing a clause prohibiting her irom cutting timber on the lands except for necessary and ordinary purposes, or the requirements of the farm. But there is an absence of evidence that plaintiff had notice of the intended use of the money, and the statement in the application is, that it was ‘for the education of' children and general improvement.’ This representation authorized the insertion of the usual provisions against cutting timber except for certain purposes. There is not only no evidence tending,even remotely, to establish the truth of the special plea, but its truth is positively disproved. The preponderance of the evidence against the verdict is so decided as to clearly convince us that it is wrong and unjust.— Cobb v. Malone, 9 So. Rep. 738; 92 Ala. 630. In fact, the verdict is contrary to all the evidence; there is none tending to support it. The court would have been justified in giving the affirmative charge for plaintiff on the issues joined. A new trial should have been granted on the first ground stated in the motion.
Reversed, and judgment that a new trial be granted.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Loan Company of Ala. v. Deans
- Status
- Published