Frear v. Rosenbledt
Frear v. Rosenbledt
Opinion of the Court
This is a suit for specific performance. The allegations of, the bill are that the respondent, being at the time “the owner of the land and premises” described, “and of the land adjoining thereto over which exists a right of way,” also described, on January 2, 1908, entered into a certain lease and agreement in writing with the complainant demising the premises described and the right of way and in the instrument further granted to complainant “a right and option to purchase said demised premises and right of way at any time within three years from the date of the agreement * * * for the sum of one thousand dollars,” and covenanted that on payment of that sum within the time stated he would furnish to the complainant “a good and sufficient warranty deed” of the property in question; that on or about August 26, 1910, the complainant accepted and orally expressed to the respondent his acceptance of the option and tendered payment of the sum of one thousand dollars, and requested delivery of a deed in accordance with the terms of the agreement; that on or about September 12, 1910, the complainant verbally and in writing notified the respondent of his acceptance of the option and again made tender of payment of the consideration, and again requested a deed as required by the agreement; and that respondent neglected and refused to accept the tender and to execute and deliver the deed. The prayer is that the respondent be required to specifically perform the agreement of sale on his part and to1 deliver to complainant upon payment of the sum mentioned a' good and sufficient warranty deed of the property. A copy of the lease and agreement is attached to and made a part of the bill.
In his answer the respondent, referring to the allegation of ownership as set forth in the bill and to the execution of the lease and agreement, admits the truth of the latter and alleges that on January 2, 1908, he was “the owner in fee simple of the premises, * * * but on said last named day said premises were subject to a mortgage to” the trustees under the will
The circuit judge decreed-“that the agreement of sale in said indenture of January 2, 1908, be specifically performed and that said respondent, Morris Rosenbledt, be and he is hereby required and directed to make, execute and deliver unto the said Philip F. Fréar a good and sufficient warranty deed of the premises mentioned and described in the said indenture” and of the right of way over the road mentioned, and that upon the execution and delivery “of said good and sufficient warranty deed * * as hereinabove provided and decreed” the sura of one thousand dollars which had been deposited by the complainant in court be paid over to the respondent or deposited in the First National Bank of Hawaii to the account and subject to the order of the respondent.
From this decree neither party appealed. Correspondence followed' in which the complainant demanded of the respondent the execution and delivery of a warranty deed of the property and of a release of the mortgage in favor of the trustees of the Allen estate and of any other outstanding encumbrances, and the respondent signified his willingness to furnish the deed, but not a release as requested. Thereupon the complainant pre
On behalf of the respondent it is contended that the decree requires merely the execution and delivery of a deed good in form and not the conveyance of a good title in fee free from encumbrances, that- the evidence of the existence of the Allen mortgage and of the possibility of obtaining a release of the same should have been offered by the complainant, if at all, in the case in chief, that the complainant not having appealed from the decree the evidence is not now admissible.
The respondent’s contract to- furnish “a good and sufficient
The burden was not upon the complainant to allege or prove in the first instance the respondent’s ability to perform, but on the respondent to show inability, if any existed. Borden v. Curtis, 46 N. J. Eq. 468, 471; Greenfield v. Carlton, 30 Ark. 547, 556; 20 Pl. & Pr. 457. That defense was not presented in the answer. The mere assertion that the land in question was subject to a mortgage, not- even the amount of the mortgage being stated, did not constitute a claim of impossibility of performance. If the mortgage was for an amount less than the contract price of one thousand dollars and was overdue, or if the mortgagee was willing to release on payment, no defense would be presented. The mortgage in that case could be ordered paid out of the fund in court. Whether any claim of
The presumption is that the court correctly construed the agreement of the parties. The terms of the decree, as we construe it, are those which should properly be found in a decree overruling the only defense (that of tender) which was advanced. The complainant was under no necessity to appeal.
The direction to pay the one thousand dollars in court to the respondent notwithstanding- the complainant’s appeal was also error. An appeal stays execution (See. 1861, R. L.) unless upon good cause shown the judge allows appropriate action to be talren for the enforcement of the decree. No attempt w^as made in this case to show cause. The order appears to have been made on the theory that the decree was “self-executing”; but in this jurisdiction, where no statute exists on the subject, equity acts in personam only and has no inherent power by the mere force of its decree to pass a title. Borges v. Encamacao, ante, 638; Hart v. Sansom, 110 U. S. 151, 155. Pending the disposition of the appeal the decree should not have been enforced in whole or in part.
The order appealed from is set aside and the cause remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.
Concurring Opinion
CONCURRING.
The fact that the premises in question were subject to a mortgage was brought to the plaintiff’s attention by the answer of the defendant. The status of the mortgage; the ascertainment of the amount due thereon; and the further facts, which plaintiff offered to prove at the hearing on the order to show cause, that although the mortgage covers other lands, the mort
Ordinarily, the entry of a final decree made without any reservation of further directions ends the cause, and no further proceedings, except by way of appeal, can be had. But a court of equity has the inherent right to direct by a subsequent order the manner in which a decree shall be enforced. Mootry v. Grayson, 104 Fed. 613, 618; Cadotte v. Cadotte, 120 Mich. 667; Farmer’s Loan Co. v. Pacific Ry. Co., 28 Ore. 44. And where the further direction asked for is merely consequential upon the decree itself, the proper course is to supply the omission by a distinct order without altering the decree. Clark v. Hall, 7 Paige 382; Jarmon v. Wiswall, 24 N. J. E. 68.
By the terms of the agreement the plaintiff was entitled to receive from the respondent a clear title in fee simple to the premises in question, and the intention of the circuit judge was, doubtless, to so decree. The supplemental relief sought by plaintiff, being consistent with the decree,, ought not to be denied, if the plaintiff is otherwise entitled, to it, merely because of the failure of his counsel to secure the inclusion in the decree of the order to remove the encumbrance. I think the circuit judg’e would have admitted the evidence offered by the qdaintiff had he not entertained the erroneous idea that the decree was self-executing and operated to pass the title to the land to the plaintiff. I therefore agree that the order appealed from should be reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PHILIP F. FREAR v. MORRIS ROSENBLEDT
- Status
- Published