Webb v. Winter
Webb v. Winter
Opinion of the Court
This action was brought by plaintiff, as administrator with the will annexed, to recover from defendants possession of lot 22, block 12, in the town of Red Bluff. The case was tried before the .court, findings filed and judgment entered for plaintiff. Defendants made a motion for a new trial, which was denied, and this appeal is from the judgment and order denying the motion. There is practically no controversy about the facts, which are substantially as follows: John E. Church, during his lifetime, was the owner of the premises described in the complaint, the same being community property. On January 13, 1886, said Church died, leaving a will, by the terms of which he appointed his wife, Elizabeth, executrix without bonds. He left surviving him, besides his widow, two children—Flora C. Pryor, a daughter, and E. C. Church, a son. By the terms of the will the deceased left all his property to> his surviving wife during her life, and at her death to be equally divided between his children. The will authorized the executrix, if necessary for the support of herself and children, to grant, bargain, sell and dispose of all of said estate at private sale, without any order of court therefor. Elizabeth Church qualified as executrix, letters were issued to her, and she continued executrix until her death, September 22, 1898. On February 21, 1890, the said Elizabeth Church borrowed $2,500 from defendant Mary Winter, and also $2,500 from George G. Winter, her husband. To secure the said loans, she, without any order of court, and in her individual capacity, executed mortgages to said defendant Mary Winter, and to her husband, George G. Winter, upon said premises, which were described in said mortgages as though said Elizabeth Church were the owner in fee thereof. George G. Winter subsequently died, and defendant Mary Winter succeeded to his title, thus becoming the owner of both mortgages. The indebtedness not having been paid, nor the interest, the defendant Mary Winter, in 1893, commenced proceedings to foreclose the said mortgages, making Elizabeth Church in her individual capacity defendant. The two surviving children, Flora C. Pryor and E. C. Church, who were then each of lawful age, were also made defendants, the complaint alleging that they had, or claimed to have, some interest in or to said premises, which interest was alleged to be subsequent to and subject to plaintiff’s lien. The defend-
It is provided in section 1452 of the Code of Civil Procedure : ‘ ‘ The executor or administrator is entitled to the possession of all the real and personal estate of the decedent, and to receive the rents and profits of the real estate until the estate is settled, or until delivered over by order of the court to the heirs or devisees; and must keep in good tenantable repair all houses, buildings, and fixtures thereon which are under his control. The heirs or devisees may themselves, or jointly with the executor or administrator, maintain an action for the possession of the real estate, or for the purpose of quieting title to the same, against anyone except the executor or administrator; but this section shall not be so construed as requiring them so to do.” And in section 1581: “The executor or administrator must take into his possession all the estate of the decedent, real and personal, and collect all debts due to the decedent or to the estate. For the purpose of bringing suits to quiet title, or for partition of such estate, the possession of the executors or administrators is the possession
It is urged that- the children are estopped by the foreclosure decree, as they were of age, and made default. But this position cannot be maintained. The children did not appear and put in issue their title. It is well settled that a sale under foreclosure proceedings transfers the title as it existed at the date of the mortgage, and that any paramount title existing at the date of the mortgage in third parties is not affected by the decree of foreclosure. It only forecloses the title of the mortgagor and any rights that have accrued subsequent to the making of the mortgage: McComb v. Spangler, 71 Cal. 422, 12 Pac. 347; Ord v. Bartlett, 83 Cal. 429, 23 Pac. 705; Sichler v. Look, 93 Cal. 602, 29 Pac. 220.
The claim that the clause in the will authorizing the executrix to sell the property was sufficient authority to authorize the execution of the mortgage cannot be upheld. The deceased, while willing that the property might be sold, if necessary, for the support of his children and his widow, might not have been willing that it should have been mortgaged. A sale is supposed to be a transfer for full value. A mortgage is a conveyance by way of security, and may result in the loss of the property for only a small part of its value. It is said by Woerner, in his work on the American Law of Administration, second edition, volume 2, pages 731, 732, section 345: “It may be stated, as a general proposition, that neither
The eighth finding is supported by the evidence, except that the court finds that the mortgages were made to defendant Mary Winter. One of them was made to her husband; but, as she afterward became the owner of it, the finding is wholly immaterial. The result would be the same if the fact had been found precisely as it was.
Finally, it is claimed that finding 13, to the effect that plaintiff made demand upon defendants for possession of the property November 19, 1898, is not supported by the evidence. Counsel say in their brief, “Demand was only made before the beginning of the suit, and no date is given in the evidence.” The date is wholly immaterial. If demand was necessary, it could be made any time before beginning suit. In this ease, as the defendants deny plaintiff’s title, and affirmatively set up title in themselves, no demand was necessary. The judgment and order should be affirmed.
We concur: Smith, C.; Haynes, C.
For the reasons given in the foregoing opinion the judgment and order are affirmed.
Reference
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- Will.—A Husband Owning Community Property died, and by his will left all his property to his wife for life, remainder to his children. She borrowed money, and mortgaged the premises as if owner in fee. Held, that on foreclosure the purchaser acquired the widow’s undivided one-half and her life estate in the other half. Mortgage—Community Property.—Where Property is Sold on Foreclosure of a mortgage executed by a widow, who owned one-hall thereof as community property and the other half for life under her husband’s will, of which she was executrix, the remainder being devised to their children, the purchaser at such sale cannot acquire title to the interest of the children by adverse possession, pending administration of their father’s estate, or without giving notice that he claimed absolute title to the whole property. Mortgage—Life Estate.—In an Action to Foreclose a Mortgage given by the owner of an undivided half of the premises and life estate in the other half, the owners of the remainder after expiration of the life estate were made parties defendant and defaulted. Held, that the foreclosure sale conveyed only the interest of the mortgagor, and did not affect the title of the other parties. Will—Power of Sale.—Where a Will Authorizes the executor •to sell the property, if necessary for support of the widow and children, such authority does not include power to mortgage. Ejectment.—A Demand is not Necessary Before Bringing suit to recover land, where defendants deny plaintiff’s title, and set up title in themselves.