Watson v. Spradling
Watson v. Spradling
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The sale to Watson by the marshal of the Chancery Court was absolutely void as to the children of Louisa Spradling, they not having been made parties to the suit in which the judgment of sale was rendered. Watson was, therefore, entitled, when the marshal’s report was filed, to have the sale set aside and his bonds canceled.
The will of Washington Spradling, deceased, charged the estate devised to Louisa Spradling for life with remainder in fee to her children, with the payment of one-fourth of his indebtedness.
It was the duty of the chancellor, upon the petition of the executor, to decree a sale of so much thereof as might be necessary for this purpose, but this could not be done so as- to divest the children of title to the portion sold without making them parties to the suit. The judgment of Mar.ch 12, 1872, attempts to confirm a sale thus made, because it appears to be beneficial to the’m. It is to be observed, too, that this is not done upon the application of the children, nor of their statutory guardians, but upon the petition of the executor of Washington Spradling, deceased, whose interest is necessarily antagonistic to theirs. Having failed to make them parties to this original petition as he should have done, he now seeks to divest them of title and to compel the purchaser to accept’ title under a judgment based upon the idea that it is to their interest that they should be compelled to confirm this void sale.
It seems to us that the chancellor possesses no such power as that here attempted to be exercised. If the executor, and Louisa Spradling, and Watson, the appellant, had entered into a private contract of sale, exactly similar in terms to that made by the marshal, no court upon this joint application would have rendered a judgment conveying the interests of these infants to the purchaser, no matter how beneficial the sale might- be to them'. The judicial sale is of no higher dignity, so far as they are concerned, than would have been the private contract of sale.
The proceedings are in no wise analogous to proceedings for the sales of infants’ real estate under the provisions of Chapter 86 of the Revised Statutes.
Watson did not purchase the title of the infant children of Louisa Spradling. The chancellor did not attempt to sell it. He made no purchase from them, and the judgment in this case recognizes that fact, and confirms the sale made before - they were parties to the suit.
Watson is compelled to pay the purchase money upon the ground that the judgment of confirmation passed to him the title of the infants. If this be correct, he is compelled to make a new purchase. The infants are required to sell, although no one is authorized to represent them' in the sale be made, and Watson is forced to purchase, although he is all the while protesting against it.
Besides all this, we are aware of no statute or rule of equity practice authorizing the proceedings had upon the amend
The judgment confirming the sale to Watson and the order requiring him to pay the purchase money are both reversed. Upon the return of the cause the marshal’s report as to his purchase, will be set aside and his bonds will be canceled.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.