King v. McLean
King v. McLean
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
King brought his action against McLean, founded on a covenant of general warrantee in a deed for the conveyance of a tract of land, averring overture by paramount title. McLean plead “that before the commencement of his suit, King, conveyed the land, in the deed or covenant in the declaration, men: lioned, to Samuel Burks, which will'appear by said deed, a copy of which is to the court here shewn. If any right of action has accrued against this defendant, by reason of said deed, it has accrued to said Burks, and this he is ready to verify, &c.” To this
We do not believe the plea a good bar to the action, We-admit that covenants real, pass with the land, and that the last vendee is entitled to his action on the co venant of warranty against any remote vendor, the intermediate conveyances operating as assignments of the covenant of warranty to the last vendee, who is entitled to recover the purchase money received by any of the antecedent vendors of the land. Butitdoes not appear from the plea in this case when the deed was made by King to Burks. It is averred that it was 'done before the commencement of the suit, but that may have been, yet, King’s right of action against McLean may have remained unaffected. The decia•ration avers that the land was recovered by judgment from King in virtue of a paramount title. Whether King had been turned off under the judgment, at the time he made the deed to Burks, does not appear. We think the legal presumption is, after judgment, that the possession is with the successful claimant, where there are no positive averments contradicting such presumption. Now, if King made the deed to Burks after judgment, and when King was not possessed, on the contrary when the possession was adverse to King’s claim, then the deed from King to Burks would pass no interest in the land; and therefore could not operate so as to transfer King’s right of action against McLean, consequent in the loss of the land, and which had become a mere chose in action, before the deed was made. This may be the case for aught that appears in' the plea.
Making profert of a copy of the deed which is no where made part of the plea on record, and which copy may have had nothing official- about it, and the contents of which are wholly unknown to this court, cannot cure the objection. The statement in the plea that the right of action accrued to Burks, is a mere deduction from facts, and not warranted by the facts as presented to us. We perceive no good objection to the declaration.
The judgment of the court below must, therefore;, • be reversed and the suit remanded, with instructions to the inferior court, to render judgment upon the demurrer as to the fifth plea in favor of the plaintiff
The appellant must recover his-costs in this court.
070rehearing
PETITION FOR A RE-HEARING.
As counsel forthe appellee, McLean, Í respectfully' petition the court for a re-hearing, and briefly submit the reasons which influence me to do so.
The plea which your honors have adjudged bad on 'demurrer, as set forth in the opinion rendered, consists of three members, or parts.
First: the fact pleaded.
Second: a reference to evidence with an assertion that it will prove the fact.
Third: a legal consequence which results from the fact.
The fact pleaded as you have recited it, is “that before the commencement of his suit, King conveyed the land in the deed or covenant in the declaration mentioned to Samuel Burks.” This is the essence of the plea.
The reference to the evidence and assertion that it will prove the fact, follows in these words, “which will appear by said deed, a copy of which is here to the court shown.” The legal consequence which results, not from the evidence of the fact, but from the fact, is stated fin these words, “if any right of action has accrued against this defendant by reason of said deed, it has accrued to said Burks.” The second and third members of the plea are surplussage, and cannot vitiate the plea. In pleading it is only necessary to state the facts, neither the evidence of facts nor the law arising upon facts should be pleaded.
In the opinion it is said, “if King made the deed to 'Burks after judgment, and when King was not pos
delivered the opinion of the Court overruling the petition.
In this case it did not escape the attention of the court, that the fifth plea to which the demurrer was filed, and oh which the cause was decided in the court below, averred that the plaintiff “coreveyedf &c. We also knew and duly considered the technical- meaning of the words used in the plea, and now having revised and maturely reflected on the opinion heretofore pronounced, we have determined to let it remain unchanged. It is very true that in pleading, it is only required to state the necessary and
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.