Dial v. Gambrel
Dial v. Gambrel
Opinion of the Court
The appellant, complainant in the court below, filed the present bill, the purpose of which is to reform and foreclose a mortgage, the law day having passed, and the debt being unsatisfied. The reformation desired arose from a misdescription of the land conveyed. The execution of the mortgage is not controverted by either of the respondents in their answer, but expressly admitted, nor is it seriously contended, either that there was not a misdescription of the land, or that the debt was not contracted, and has not been paid. In fact, the evidence is entirely satisfactory, that the mortgagors intended at the time by the mortgage to secure the debt. The lands mortgaged belonged to the wife, and the fact of contention is, whether the debt was the debt of Ann Gambrel, the wife, or the debt of her husband, for which she was a surety.. Both parties signed both the note and mortgage, the husband’s name on the instrument being above that of the wife. This is a mere question of fact, to be determined by the evidence. John Dial, the complainant, swears positively that credit was
Walter K. Smith testifies that the claim Avas put in his lupids for collection and that he called to see Ann Gambrel, and in reply to the question as to aaJio borroAved the money from John Dial, replied, “I borroAved the money, for you knoAV Tom Gambrel has nothing Avith which to secure anybody, and nobody Avould lend him anything Avithout he secured it.” These statements of 'the Avife, evidently made at a time AArhen it aatis believed that the Adtiating defect of the mortgage consisted in the misdescription of the land, bear out and corroborate the testimony of the AAdtness Dial. The fact that the husband’s name appears first is not sufficient to overcome the testimon yof the justice of the peace that her husband told her to sign first, or the fact that she did put her signature to the instrument before her husband. On the issue as to AAdiether the debt is that of the husband or Avife, neither the relative positions of the signatures, nor the fact that the one or the other signed first, exerts a controlling influence. The question must be determined by all the facts and circumstances, and the testimony of the witnesses. Looking at all the evidence in
A decree will be here rendered, reversing and annulling the decree rendered, and reforming and foreclosing the mortgage, as prayed for in the bill, and dismissing the cross-bill. The cause will be remanded, that a reference may be had to ascertain the debt due complainant, and an order of sale, made according to the practice in such cases.
Reversed, rendered and remanded.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.