Blessing's Assignees v. Johnson
Blessing's Assignees v. Johnson
Opinion of the Court
Opinion of the Court by
Affirming.
In October, 1909, Jobn P. Blessing, a resident of West Yirginia, contemplated the purchase from L. H. Salyer of a certain tract of land in Pike County for the price of $12,000.00. Being -without means to make the purchase he solicited B. Johnson & Son, tie and lumber dealers, of Richmond, Indiana, to advance the purchase price. To this end B. Johnson & Son endorsed three notes, each for $4,000.00, and payable in six, twelve and eighteen months. The notes were paid. At the same time, Blessing and Johnson & Son entered into a written contract, dated October 18th, 1909, by the terms of which Blessing was to make the purchase and Johnson & Son were to furnish the $12,000.00. The contract further provided that Blessing was to manufacture the timber on the land into ties, which would be sold to Johnson & Son at certain stipulated prices and the amount thus paid for the ties credited on the money advanced by Johnson & Son. There was a further provision to the effect that Blessing was to execute to Johnson & Son a mortgage on the land purchased as soon as he received a deed therefor from Salyer conveying the land
After the execution of the mortgage Blessing began the manufacture of ties and lumber from the timber on the land, which ties and lumber were shipped to Johnson & Son, as provided in the contract. On May 4th, 1910, Blessing conveyed the Salyer tract of land and certain other tracts acquired by him in the meantime to the Beaver Tie Company, a corporation which he had organized. The conveyance of the Salyer tract was made subject to the mortgage of Johnson & Son and the Beaver Tie Company assumed the payment of the mortgage. From that'time on the Beaver Tie Company continued the manufacture of the timber into ties and the shipment thereof to Johnson & Son. At the time of the conveyance by Blessing to the Beaver Tie Company on May 4th, 1910, there was a balance due Johnson & Son of $10,-307.30. Johnson & Son not being pleased with the manner in which the timber operations were being conducted, began an investigation, which led to the discovery that the contract had been taken over by the Beaver Tie Company. Thereupon another contract was executed between Johnson & Son of the one part and the Beaver Tie Company and Blessing of the other part. This contract recited that the Beaver Tie Company had become indebted to various laborers and merchants in the sum of $3,207.15, which indebtedness it was unable to discharge. The tie company and Blessing, therefore, agreed to execute deeds of conveyance, vesting in B. Johnson & Son all of the real estate and personal property owned by the tie company, upon the following terms and conditions: Johnson & Son were to discharge the merchandise and labor claims. They were then to manufacture the timber into ties and lumber and sell the same, as well as the real estate and other property. With the proceeds they were first to pay the expenses incident to the manufacture and sale of the timber and the expenses connected with the sale of the real estate and other property. They were next to pay themselves the amounts advanced in the discharge of the merchandise and labor claims and all amounts due and owing them.
Thereupon Johnson & Son assumed the timber operations. They paid the labor claims and the cost and expenses of the manufacture and sale of the ties and lumber and also sold the land and personal property. The proceeds were all credited on the account. According to their evidence, there remained due them on account of the $12,000.00 originally advanced the sum of $5,646.73.
On September 6th, 1910, Blessing, in Kanawha County, West Yirginia, made an assignment to Higginbotham & Price for the benefit of his creditors. Higginbotham & Price qualified in Kanawha County by executing the proper bond.
Prior to Blessing’s assignment he had ascertained that there was a deficiency of about 416.9 acres of land in the tract which he purchased from Salyer. He thereupon brought suit against Salyer to recover damages for the deficiency on basis of $10.00 per acre. After the assignment the action was prosecuted by Blessing’s assignees. The suit resulted in a substantial recovery by the assignees. From the judgment so entered Salyer prosecuted an appeal and Blessing and his assignees prosecuted a cross-appeal. The judgment on the original appeal was affirmed, but reversed on the cross-appeal. Salyer v. Blessing, et al., 151 Ky., 459. The final judgment awarded pursuant to the mandate of this court provided for a recovery of a little over $4,000.00.
This action was instituted by Johnson & Son for the purpose of subjecting to the payment of the balance due under their contract the amount of the recovery in favor of Blessing and his assignees. On final hearing judgment was rendered in favor of Johnson & Son for the sum of $5,646.73. It was further adjudged that the
The principal question presented is, whether or not Johnson & Son have a lien on the judgment which Blessing and his assignees recovered of Salyer. This is not an ordinary case of a mere loan and the execution of a mortgage on a' particular tract of land to secure its payment. To determine the legal effect of the transaction we must take into consideration, not only the mortgage, but the contract, pursuant to which the mortgage was made. Blessing was without means to purchase the land. Johnson & Son agreed to furnish the money. To induce Johnson & Son to do this Blessing agreed to mortgage to Johnson & Son every acre of land which he purchased and to manufacture and sell the timber thereon to Johnson & Son at certain stipulated prices. Johnson & Son carried out their contract by furnishing the purchase money. This money was used to purchase- the land. Salyer deeded the land to Blessing. Blessing executed a mortgage describing the land in the language of the deed. Had the deed covered the entire tract purchased it would have been included in the mortgage. Had Blessing refused to make the mortgage, specific performance would have- been decreed. Instead of receiving from Salyer a deed for the whole number of acres purchased, Blessing received a deed for 416.9 acres less. Blessing’s assignees were permitted to recover for the deficiency, because Salyer failed to convey the number of acres which he contracted to convey. Under the contract Johnson & Son were entitled to the stipulated security, whether in the form of land or damages for a deficiency in the quantity of the land. To hold that the damages for the deficiency passed to the assignees for the benefit of Blessing’s creditors would, in effect, deprive Johnson & Son of a portion of the security which Blessing had obligated himself to give Johnson & Son and which contract clearly shows the parties thereto intended that Johnson & Son should have. If -the case were one between Johnson & Son ánd Blessing alone, it is clear, we think, that Johnson & Son would have a lien on the judgment for-the deficiency; and as an assignee for the benefit of creditors is not a bona fide purchaser for value of thé assigned property, but stands in the
The fact that Blessing’s assignees were permitted to recover of Salyer in no way affects the question. Johnson & Son were not parties to that action and their rights were not concluded thereby, nor did Johnson & Son lose their right to the damages recovered merely because they did not intervene in the action and assert a claim thereto. When the chancellor adjudged that Blessing’s assignees should have credit for the attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses incident to the suit, substantial justice was done between the parties.
The next question concerns the amount of balance due Johnson & Son. It is insisted that when the deed was made by the Beaver Tie Company and Blessing to Johnson & Son the amount of the mortgage debt should be credited by the actual value of the assets embraced in the deed. It must be remembered, however, that the original contract between Blessing and Johnson & Son provided that Blessing should manufacture the timber and sell it to Johnson & Son at certain stipulated prices. The mortgage was conditioned, not only for the payment of the $12,000.00 advanced by Johnson & Son, but for the faithful performance of this contract. After the original contract and mortgage were executed Blessing, in consideration of 95 shares of the capital stock of said corporation, conveyed the land purchased from Salyer to the Beaver Tie Company, which assumed the performance of the contract and the payment of the mortgage. Johnson &. Son did not consent to or acquiesce, in this arrangement. Some time-later Johnson & Son heard of the conveyance, and then it- was that the Beaver Tie Company and Blessing, on the one part, and Johnson & Son, on the other, entered into a written contract by which all of the land and personal property used in the manufacture of the timber were to be conveyed to Johnson & Son with power to complete the manufacture of the timber, sell all of the property involved, pay whatever sums were owing them, and the balance to the Beaver Tie Company. Pursuant to this contract, the deed of conveyance was made. Both the contract and the deed provided that the mortgage was not to be
It is insisted that certain sums advanced by Johnson & Son to Blessing to meet his pay-roll are not covered by the mortgage. This contention is more technical than substantial. For the purpose of keeping the account straight, Johnson & Son credited Blessing with all the ties and lumber received and charged him with the advancements for his pay-roll. It was the contract between the parties that Blessing was to bear the expense of manufacturing, and he was, therefore, entitled to credit on the amount of ties and lumber furnished only after this expense was paid. Johnson & Son, therefore, had the right to credit Blessing only with the difference between the value of the ties and lumber furnished and the cost of manufacture, which they themselves had borne. Had they done this, the mortgage would have covered the difference between the face of the debt and the actual credits thereon. The fact that the books were
Nor is there any merit in the contention that certain lien notes on certain saw mills which Johnson & Son discharged should not be charged to Blessing. Blessing contracted to manufacture the lumber. The contract was secured by the mortgage. The saw mills were purchased and were necessary for the performance of the contract. Johnson & Son, who were substituted for Blessing and the tie company, had to have saw mills to complete Blessing’s contract. It was cheaper to pay the lien notes on the saw mills than to purchase new mills. When the work of manufacture was completed, the saw mills were sold and the entire proceeds credited to the tie company and Blessing. It follows that there was no prejudicial error in this method of adjusting the account.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.