Preston v. Griffin
Preston v. Griffin
Opinion of the Court
I am of opinion that a new trial ought to be granted, because the court charged the jury, that deeds and conveyances of all a man’s estate specifically described, and executed at different times, are a badge of fraud.
It has been decided in cases where conveyances of property are challenged as fraudulent, that it is not competent to prove that other conveyances, made at other and different times, were fraudulent, to raise a presumption that the sale in question was fraudulent ; but conveyances of other property made at the same time with that in question may be given in evidence in order to shew a combination to dispose of the property with a fraudulent intent ; or to shew that a bona fide consideration was not paid for the whole ; or it may be shewn, that any one of these contemporaneous conveyances was fraudulent, to shew, or raise a presumption, that the conveyance in question was fraudulent. Where general words are made use of in a conveyance ; as where a man sells all his property ; so where a man specifically conveys all his estate at one and the same time ; these are presumptive evidences of a fraudulent intent ; for it can hardly be supposed, that a man would strip himself of all his property, but that his intent was to put it all beyond the reach of his creditors, with a view to derive a benefit to himself. But where a man at different times is making specific dispositions of his properly, though he may in the end dispose of the whole, yet this has never been deemed a badge of fraud.
On this ground I would advise a new trial.
I agree generally in the principles advanced by the Chief Judge ; but I differ in the application of them to the case before us, From the statement, as present
The charge on this point is not expressed with all the caution it might have been ; but in connexion with the statement, it must be understood as having reference to a case so circumstanced. I am therefore of opinion, we ought not on that ground to grant a new trial.
New trial to be granted.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Preston against Griffin
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- 1 case
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- Published