Cundiff v. Hail
Cundiff v. Hail
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion.
George Cundiff and James Eastham, sen. conveyed to Thomas Hail a tract of sixty- five acres of land by deed with general warranty. Part of this land was evicted by a paramount title, and Eastham being th«B dead, Hail brought his action of covenant on the warranty against George Cun-diff, the surviving obligor, and recovered a verdict and judgment for the value of the land lost. - .
To be relieved against this judgment, George Cundiff fded this bill, staling that the tract so conveyed was part of a larger tract of One thousand acres, patented in the name of Philip Turpin. That two hundred and fifty acres, part of this fract, was sold for taxes, and two bundled and fifty acres more was convfeyed to the locator in discharge of his services, by which means the original quantity in the tract was reduced to five hundred acres. That Turpin then contracted to sell this balance of the tract to John Smith, by some contract not shewn in the cause, and Smith failed to pay all, and perhaps any part, of the purchase money. That Smith, while he thus claimed the land* sold about forty-seven acres, part thereof, on the east side of Pitman’s creek, to James Eastham, jun.; but on what terms does not appear. That some time after this, it was ascertained that Smith could not comply with his contract with Turpin, and it was agreed between Smith and one Jonathan Cun-diff, (son of George the complainant,) that Jonathan should take the contract of Smith with Turpin upon himself, should pay Turpin the purchase money, and receive the conveyance to himself; but that out of this contract Smith excepted, and did not sell, td Jonathan Cundiff, the aforesaid forty-seven acres sold to James Eastham, jun. That Jonathan Cundiff then sold to the complainant, George Cundiff, the whole tract for a valuable consideration, paid in other lands in Virginia, still reserving the said forty-seven acres, which Smith had sold to James Eastham, jun,. That anterior to this sale, James Eastham, sen. had sold, Or in some effectual way, bound himself to convey to John Cundiff a different tract of land in another county, and that John Cundiff and James Eastham, jun. made some bargain by which they exchanged lands, and John Cundiff wSs to have the part east of Pitman’s creek, including the
Against the defendants, Philip Turpin and John Smith, publication was made as non-residents, and the bill taken as confessed. 1 bomas Hail, Jonathan Cundiff, John Cun- ' diff, James Eastham, jun. and the executors of James East-ham,sen. all answered the bill separately. By their answers, the most prominent features detailed in the bill, as composing the history of the case, appear to be correct, and they are added to, and varied in, the following particulars only. The defendant, Hail, insists, and makes it appear in proof, that he did riot purchase the forty seven acres, and the eighteen adjoining, of John Cundiff, until after the complainant held the title and resided on the land: — that being aware that the title of the forty-seven acres was in the complainant, he refused to make the contract with John Cundiff until he consulted the complainant, and was assured by him, that if he bought of John Cundiff, he, the complainant, would make him a good and sufficient title, with general warranty; and that he, the complainant, also stated, that it was the arrangement Or agreement of his son Jonathan, that the title should be made to James Eastham, jun. while he held the land, and that he, the complainant, would comply with the agreement of his son Jonathan. With this, also, accorded the answer of John Cundiff. The answer of James Eastham, jun. states, and the proof accords with the statement, tljat he had first purchased of Smith ninety acres, and resided thereon; that Jonathan Cundiff came to this country, bringing with him the con-vdvacce of Turpin to his father, the complainant, before
As to the executors of James Eastham, sen. it is clear that their testator united in the conveyance with George Cundiff for the purpose of conveying and securing the eighteen acres, adjoining the forty seven, to Had, and that
The circuit court dissolved the injunction, and dismissed (he hill with costs and damages as to Hail. The bill was, also dismissed with costs as to Philip Turpin, John Smith, and the executors of James Eastham, sen. But there was an interlocutory decree as to Jonathan Cundiff, John Cun-did’. and Janies Eastham, jun directing that the complainant, George Guodiff, should recover against them the sum for which he was bound, according to the proportions which each had received, and that these proportions should be ascertained by the enquiry of a jury empannclled for that purpose.
At this stags of the cause, George Cundiff appealed; and the merits of this decree, so far as it is final, to wit, between the complainant and the defendants Hail, Smith, Turpin, and the executors of James Eastham, sen. is now to be considered. The deed made by George Cundiff and James Eastham, sen. to Hail, in usual form acknowledges the consideration paid, of five hundred, dollars to them, and contains clauses of general warranty. A$ po fraud or mistake is alledged in writing this deed, had the defendant, Hail, pleaded and relied upon it as conclusive against the relief, it might have presented an important question in his favor, how far the chancellor would have admitted that consideration to be impeached and enquired into., or how far he would have allowed other proof to say, that the deed was voluntary, and that the consideration which it alledg-ed to have passed, did not, in fact, pass to the grantors as between the parties to the deed. But, as the defendant, Hail, has not availed himself of this advantage, but has went info a candid exposition of all the facts and circumstances, and has shewn how the consideration did actually pass, in money, to John Cundiff, and under what circumstances and assurances of the complainant he paid that money, and bow the complainant assumed upon himself the responsibility created by the deed, we shall consider whether, under these facts and circumstances, the complainant, now appellant, is entitled to relief against the judgment at law.
It is not necessary in all cases that a consideration, to be valuable, should consist of money, or other articles of value, paid and passing from the buyer to the seller. it may, and does, frequently consist óf an inconvcni-
As to the executors of James Eastbam, sen. whose testator appears to be jointly bound in the deed to its w hole extent, it was competent for them, in any contest between them and the complainant, a joint grantee* to shew that tbeir ancestor was bound only for half the land, as joint partner in the transaction, and of course, that the Catate of their testator was only bound to contribute a moiety of the damages; — or they might shew that their testatof Was only a security, and not bound to contribute any thing to his principal, as is the case between joint obligors. It then clearR follows, that they might shew that, his interest only Extended to eighteen acres, part Of the sixty-five, and these
With regard to the defendant, John Smith, we likewise approve the decree of the court below. The contract between him and James Eastham, jun. is not before the court. Its extent and the nature of it, we cannot know. Whatever it was, it was taken up by Jonathan Cundiff, who, according to the complainant’s own shewing, was then* and before, had become bound to stand in Smith’s shoes, and by the acts of Jonathan the complainant agreed to be bound.
As to the decree between the complainant and defendant Turpin, we have still less doubt. It is true his deed is one of general warranty to the complainant. But he only sells and conveys to his patent boundary, and therefore did not sell of warrant the land in controversy. It does not appear that be ever represented tbe forty-seven acres to be included in his patent. This seems to be a mistake, which has arisen.aiiwng the Subsequent vendees, for Which he cannot be responsible, as the land is lost, not because his patent was inadequate to save it, but because it was not within the patent.
As to the other defendants, the decree is not final, and their case is not before the court, and between them and the complainant we cannot adjudicate.
The decree of the court below must be affirmed with costs and damages upon the damages given in the court below, on the dissolution of the injunction as to the defendant Mail.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.