Stanbrough v. Stanbrough
Stanbrough v. Stanbrough
Opinion of the Court
— In September, 1875, appellant purchased from appellee Stevenson a lot, receiving from him a title bond for a deed. Appellant afterwards paid the full purchase price and in February, 1877, appellee Stanbrough, who was then appellant’s wife, procured Stevenson to make the deed to her in her own name which was done without appellant’s knowledge or consent. Appellant and appellee Stanbrough continued to live together as husband and wife until in 1896. At this time she claimed she was the owner of the property and that appellant had no interest in it. In 1898, appellee filed a suit for divorce, to which action appellant appeared and made defense; the cause was heard and a decree entered divorcing the parties in June, 1898. In that suit no claim was made for alimony and none was given. At the time of the filing of the divorce suit appellant had knowledge of the fact that the deed had been made to appellee.
Appellant was the equitable owner of the land when the deed to appellee was executed. The legal title had not yet vested in him. As appellee took the legal title with knowledge of appellant’s equitable title she held it as did her grantor, and, before the divorce, he could have maintained against her a suit for specific performance. Hills v. Hills, 94 Ind. 436.
It is true the complaint avers that the wife took the title without the knowledge or consent of appellant. But it appears that about two years before the decree for divorce appellant knew of her claims and that about that time she denied his interest and claimed the property as her own. Nor does it appear from the complaint that during the many years they lived together as husband and wife he claimed to own the property, but it is shown that he appeared and defended the suit for divorce after he knew she was claiming to own it. He made no effort to sustain his claim to* the property until after the divorce was granted, and he begun this action during the same month that the decree for divorce was rendered.
In the case of Hills v. Hills, 94 Ind. 436, while the parties were husband and wife, the husband contracted for a lot and was to receive a deed upon payment of the purchase price. He paid about half of the purchase money, the balance having become delinquent it was paid by the wife and the deed executed to her. Afterwards the parties were divorced, no .judgment for alimony having been rendered. The husband knew before the divorce trial that the wife had obtained the deed and claimed the property thereunder. In the opinion the court said: “When she obtained a divorce for his fault,
There is nothing in the case of State, ex rel., v. Parrish, 1 Ind. App. 141, contrary to the above. In that case it was held that separate property of the wife is not affected to her injury by a divorce, and that the right of the wife to money held in trust- for her by the husband, and recognized by them as her separate property, is not affected by the divorce.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.