McGrath v. Hyde
McGrath v. Hyde
Opinion of the Court
This was a suit to cancel a deed from a husband to his wife, upon the grounds that the grantor had not sufficient capacity to make it, and that it was not delivered. The trial court found that the grantor had capacity to make it, but that it was not delivered, and rendered judgment for the plaintiffs. The defendant appeals. We think that the finding that the deed was not delivered is not sustained by the evidence. The notary who drew the deed testified that he did so at the request of the grantor, without the intervention of any other party; that the grantor instructed him to draw the deed, and signed and acknowledged it before him, stating'at the time that “he wished to give the property to his wife.” The wife testifies that her husband came home one day, when the following occurred: “He puts a deed'on the table, and I says to him, ‘What is this?’ and he says, ‘It is a deed to you.’ He says: ‘Deeding the West Mission street property all to you—especially to you.’ So I picked it up, and I looked at the date, and I began to cry. I thought then sure he was going to die, because he deeded the property to me, and I called Mary’s attention at the same time, and I said: ‘Here, Mamie, look at this’; and then he says: ‘It is not recorded, but it will do,’ he says, ‘any time, and say nothing now, ’ he said, ‘but just put it away. ’ ’’ The daughter testifies as.follows: “I just came home from town, and father and mother were sitting at the table, and this was before them, and my mother was in tears, and I asked her what was the matter, and she said that father was just after deeding the property to her, and with that my father got up, and walked away, and I said: ‘What of it?’ Well, she said: ‘Oh, he is going to die’; and I said: ‘No; that is no reason he is going to die; it is best he should do it now. ’ Question. What was the position of the deed? Answer. It was lying on the table between them. Q. Did your father say anything? A. He said, after we had got through talking, he said: ‘Give it to me, and I will put it in the trunk, and there is no need o E recording it until afterward’; and he said: ‘You can have it recorded at any time.’ ” The memory of the mother was at fault as to who put the deed in the trunk. In one place she
We think that this shows a delivery of the deed. Delivery is a question of intention: Hibberd v. Smith, 67 Cal. 554, 56 Am. Rep. 726, 4 Pac. 473, 8 Pac. 46. The term signifies any manifestation whereby the grantor makes known his intention that the deed is complete and is to take effect. It is not necessary that there-should be any actual manual transfer of the instrument. In Touchstone it is said: “Delivery is either actual, i. e., by doing something and saying nothing, or else verbal, i. e., by saying something and doing nothing, or it may be both; and either of these may make a good delivery and a perfect deed”: 1 Shep. Touch. *57. And it is w'ell settled that no particular form of words is necessary to manifest the intention. In the language of Ryan, C. J., in Bogie v. Bogie, 35 Wis. 667, “there is no set ritual of delivery; that when a deed is executed, and the minds of the parties to it meet, expressly or tacitly, in the purpose to give it present effect, the deed is validly delivered; and that such meeting of minds
We concur: Foote, C.; Gibson, C.
For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion the judgment is reversed and cause remanded for a new trial.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- McGRATH v. HYDE
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- Syllabus
- Deed—Delivery by Husband to Wife.—A husband signed and acknowledged a deed conveying land to his wife, stating to the notary before whom he acknowledged it that he wished to give the property to her. The wife testified that her husband put the deed on the table, told her what it was, and directed her to put it away, saying that it could be recorded at any time. She stated that she put the deed in the trunk, and at another time said that her husband did so. Their daughter corroborated her mother, and stated that her father said he would put it away for her mother, and that she could record it any time. An inmate of the house stated that she was in position to have heard any such conversation, if it had occurred, but that she neither saw nor heard anything of the deed, but her testimony was vague as to the continuousness of her presence. Held, that the deed was delivered.