Nugent v. Stofella
Nugent v. Stofella
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff alone has appealed from the judgment. The evidence in the case is not before us; the record presenting for our consideration the question simply, whether the conclusions of law and the judgment entered thereon are supported by the findings. The court found as facts that on the fourth day of January, 1905, and for a long time prior thereto, one Magdalena C. Heyl was the owner and in possession of the property in question, subject to certain judgment liens in favor of the defendant, Stofella, on which there was due him on January 4, 1905, the sum of $15,700, with interest; that on said last-mentioned day Heyl, for a valuable consideration, executed and delivered to the plaintiff, Nugent, a good and sufficient deed to the property; that prior to the execution of the deed to Nugent, Heyl, being indebted to Stofella, had executed and delivered to Stofella two mortgages upon the property, and that prior to January 4, 1905, Stofella had instituted proceedings to foreclose such mortgages, and had obtained judgment against Heyl decreeing a sale of the property to satisfy such judgment, there being due to Stofella the said sum of $15,700; that in pursuance of such judgment the property was advertised for sale for the 10th of January; that on January 9th, Heyl executed and delivered to Stofella, in consideration of the sum of ten thousand dollars, a deed to part of the premises, and on the same date executed and delivered to Stofella a mortgage upon the remaining portion of the premises to secure the sum of $5,700; that this deed and mortgage to Stofella were recorded on January 9th prior to the recording by Nugent of the deed gifen by Heyl to him; that Nugent, in consideration for the deed of January 4th, given him by Heyl, agreed with Heyl that he would procure the mortgages and judgment liens existing on January 4th in favor of Stofella and against Heyl, to be paid and satisfied, and that Nugent, in compliance with
The action brought, being one to quite title was one in equity. Such an action has not lost its equitable character by reason of the fact that we have a statute defining and enlarging the original action in equity. Costello v. Muheim, 9 Ariz. 422, 84 Pac. 906. It was within the province of the trial court, therefore, in such action to impose such terms upon the plaintiff, as a condition precedent to his recovery, as might be just and proper. Upon the facts as found by the trial court, to which no exception has been taken by Stofella, we do not think the court was justified in imposing the payment referred to as a condition precedent. The court found that Nugent in good faith endeavored to pay to Stofella the existing mortgage and judgment, that Stofella in bad faith evaded sueh payment, and that with full knowledge of the facts, deliberately and in bad faith, and with intent fraudulently to defeat the title of Nugent, Stofella satisfied of record the mortgage and judgment. Under sueh a state of facts we do not think that Stofella was entitled to the payment decreed as a condition precedent to the relief sought by the plaintiff. A court of equity will not protect a wrongdoer from the result of his own wrongful and fraudulent acts, or grant him relief where, having entered upon a fraudulent scheme to deprive another of his rights, he fares badly in his adventure and is prevented from consummating his scheme, merely because he finds himself out of pocket the amount of money he has expended in furtherance of his scheme, and because the person whom he sought to wrong may profit pecuniarily to the extent of sueh outlay. A right cannot be predicated from acts founded in fraud. Henry v. Mayer, 6 Ariz. 103, 53 Pac. 590.
Nor is this case similar to one where a person seeks to have a conveyance made to or by him set aside because of fraud on the part of the other person engaged in the transaction. There a court of equity will apply the maxim that “He who seeks equity must do equity,” and will frequently decree that the party against whom relief is sought shall first be placed
Stofella, having voluntarily canceled his mortgages and judgment liens, now asks to be relieved of the consequences of that act. Had he done so through ignorance, under a mistake of fact, or in the furtherance of an honest purpose, he might, in a proper case, be heard to urge the relief he asks. But the court found that the cancellation was made, not under mistake or in the furtherance of any honest purpose, but dishonestly, in the furtherance of a fraudulent purpose. He will not be heard in a court of equity, upon a failure of his
The judgment of the district court, in so far as it imposes conditions precedent to the relief granted to the plaintiff, is reversed, and the case is remanded to the district court, with directions to that court to enter judgment absolute for the plaintiff.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- M. J. NUGENT, and v. JOHN STOFELLA, and
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Action to Quiet Title — Equitable Nature. — An action to quiet title, being one in equity, has not lost its equitable character by reason of the statute defining and enlarging the original action. 2. Equity — Judgment'—Power to Impose Terms.. — It is within the province of a trial court in rendering judgment in an action in equity to impose such terms upon the plaintiff, as a condition precedent to his recovery, as might be just and proper. 3. Action to Quiet Title — Judgment—Recovery—Conditions Precedent — Equity.—Where plaintiff purchased property, agreeing to pay the mortgage thereon, and attempted to make such payment, but the mortgagee, in bad faith and for the purpose of defeating his title, evaded him and with full knowledge of the facts procured title under a foreclosure sale, and satisfied his mortgage and judgment of reeord, plaintiff is entitled to have his title quieted without being required to pay the mortgage, the maxim that he who seeks equity must do equity not being applicable. 4. Equity — Relief from Transactions Tainted with Complainant’s Own Ebaud. — A willful wrongdoer actuated by fraudulent motives will be left by the court in the position where his fraudulent acts have placed him.