Downing v. Rademacher
Downing v. Rademacher
Opinion of the Court
Action to quiet plaintiff’s title to an undivided two-thirds interest in a certain mining claim, known as the ‘‘Baron Mine, ’ ’ in the Randsburg district. Judgment in the usual form was entered, quieting plaintiff’s title to thirty-two sixtieths of the mine, also quieting the title of defendant Middlecoff, grantee of plaintiff, to eight-sixtieths, and the remaining twenty-sixtieths to defendants and appellants Rademacher and Osmont. The appeal is from the judgment, on the judgment-roll alone. There was a motion for a new trial, but there is no appeal from any order made on the motion, and hence the fragmentary statement found in the transcript cannot be considered. It appears from the findings that on January 11, 1897, Rademacher was the owner of the Baron mine, and on that day he conveyed two-thirds thereof to plaintiff. The finding of the court is as follows: “That the claim of title of the plaintiff herein to said mill and mining property is founded solely on said conveyance made by defendant Rademacher to the plaintiff on the eleventh day of January, 1897, and said contract, Exhibit B, made at the same time with said deed; .... that plaintiff claims that said conveyance was made to him in consideration of the covenants and undertaking on his part contained in said contract, Exhibit B.” As the ease depends somewhat upon the terms of this contract, at least a general statement of its provisions is necessary. It recites that, whereas Rademacher. has granted to Downing an undivided two-thirds interest in the Baron mine, “now, for the purposes of working said mine, said parties agree as follows.” Downing was given the exclusive right to work the mine as he should see fit. “He shall mill and reduce all of the mineral ore taken out of said mine by him, and deliver to the said party of the second part [Rademacher] one-third of all the gold or other minerals taken from said ore by said first party [Downing] free of cost and expense to said party of the second part.”
1. Appellants contend that the complaint does not state a cause of action. The original complaint was filed April 28, 1898, and the amended complaint was filed September 20, 1898, and alleges “that plaintiff now is, and at all the times herein mentioned has been, the owner in fee, ’ ’ etc. No other time is mentioned in the pleading, except the date of the location of the mine by Rademacher, to wit, December 27, 1894, which it is claimed is not a “time” referred to in the averment, and hence there is no allegation of ownership at the date of the commencement of the action, and the complaint must fall. There is no demurrer. There is a finding that plaintiff became the owner of two-thirds of the mine on January 11, 1897; and this finding is based on a finding that Rademacher conveyed to plaintiff by deed of that date, on which date, also, they entered into an agreement reciting that fact. Rademacher’s defense to this deed is that he executed it, if at all, through the artifice and fraud of Downing, on which issue the finding is against Rademacher, and is not now questioned. We must assume that the evidence supported the finding that Rademacher conveyed to Downing January 11, 1897, and this was before any complaint was filed. The findings support the averment of ownership at the time the complaint and the amended complaint were filed.
2. The decree adjudges that Downing was at the commencement of the action “the owner in fee and in the possession of an undivided thirty-two sixtieths interest,” etc., and enjoins Rademacher, Osmont and Middlecoff, and each of them, “from setting up any claim to said undivided thirty-two sixtieths of said property, or any part thereof, adverse to plaintiff.” Similar provision is decreed as to the respective interests of the other parties last above named. Appellants contend that the decree forever cuts them off “from claiming one-third or any proportion of the minerals extracted from said mine, in so far as the plaintiff’s interest (thirty-two sixtieths) is concerned; and this because the decree, among
3. Appellants further contend that the decree should either (1) have rescinded or annulled the deed and contract; or (2) there should have been ingrafted on the decree the obligation on plaintiff’s part to carry out the contract known as “Exhibit B,” which it is claimed was the consideration for the deed, or should charge plaintiff’s title with a trust in favor of Rademacher and Osmont. This is what Rademaeher and Osmont prayed for in their answer and cross-complaint. It is doubtful whether the findings can be construed as showing by a definite statement that the conveyance to plaintiff was in consideration of the contract executed by him. But, treating the contract as the consideration moving from Downing to Rademacher, does the case differ in principle from Lawrence v. Gayetty, 78 Cal. 126, 12 Am. St. Rep. 29, 20 Pac. 382? The question of fraud was eliminated in that case, as it is in this, and there remained, as was said by the court, as there remains here, “the plain, simple question whether a conveyance of real estate, fully executed on the part of the grantor, can. be set aside for a failure of consideration, on the sole ground that the promises and agreements which induced its execution, and which by the terms of the contract under which the deed is made were not to be performed until after its execution, have not been performed.” It was further said in that case, as it may be said in this: “It must be borne in. mind that the plaintiff did not contract to convey upon the performance of the contract on the part of the defendants. Therefore his promise was not dependent upon theirs; nor was there anything appearing in the
We concur: Gray, C.; Haynes, C.
For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- DOWNING v. RADEMACHER
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Mines and Minerals—Quieting Title.—An Amended Complaint in an action to quiet title to an interest in a certain mining claim was filed several months after the filing of the original complaint, and alleged that plaintiff then was, and at all times therein mentioned had been, the owner of such interest, there being no other time mentioned in the pleadings., and no demurrer thereto. There was a finding that defendant conveyed the interest by deed of a date prior to the filing of the original complaint, and that plaintiff practiced no fraud in obtaining such deed, which finding was not questioned on appeal. Held, that the finding sustained an averment of ownership prior to the time the complaints were filed. Mines and Minerals.—Action was Brought to Quiet Title to an Undivided, two-thirds interest in a certain mine, the claim being founded on a contract whereby plaintiff was to have such interest, and was to deliver one-third of the output to defendants. The decree adjudged plaintiff the owner in fee of a thirty-two sixtieths interest, and that defendants had no title thereto, and enjoined the latter from setting up any claim to such interest adverse to plaintiff, similar provisions being decreed as to the interests of defendants. Held, that the decree did not cut off defendants from claiming one-third of the minerals under the contract, since the interests as adjudged were undivided, the owners becoming tenants thereof in common. Mines and Mining—Cancellation of Deed.—Where an Undivided Interest in a mining claim is conveyed in consideration of the grantee’s agreement to work the mine and deliver one-third of the minerals to defendant, and do certain other acts in the future, their performance not being made a condition subsequent, a mere failure to perform on the part of the grantee does not constitute a failure of consideration, so as to warrant cancellation of the deed. Mines and Minerals.—Where an Action is Brought to Quiet Title to an Undivided interest in a mining claim, such interest having been conveyed in consideration of a certain contract, whereby plaintiff was to work the mine as he saw fit, and deliver one-third of the output to defendant, plaintiff cannot be required to work the mine, as a condition on which his title will be quieted, since his contract is incapable of being specifically enforced.