Russell v. Lewis
Russell v. Lewis
Opinion of the Court
The demandant having recovered judgment against the former owners of the demanded premises, caused his execution to be duly extended thereon ; whereby all the debtor’s right and title was transferred to him and he became seised thereof in fee ; unless by operation of law it was vested in one Bachelder, who it appears was in equity entitled to the fruits of the judgment and execution, the demandant being only a nominal plaintiff in that action, or if he had any beneficial interest in the demand when the action was commenced, he had afterwards relinquished it to Bachelder. It is however clear, by the express words of the statute of 1783, c. 57, § 2, that the legal estate vested in the demandant, he being the judgment creditor, and that Bachelder had only a trust estate. This was not a trust or use executed by the statute of uses, (27 Hen. 8, c. 10,) but a trust according to the understanding of the term since the passing of that statute. 7 Bac. Abr. tit. Trusts, C; Lamplugh v. Lamplugh, 1 P. Wms. 112 ; Shep. Touch, c. 24, p. 506, 507 ; Gascoigne v. Thwing, 1 Vern. 366 ; Foote v. Colvin, 3 Johns. R. 216.
Two questions therefore are raised; 1st, whether on the
As to the first question, it is perfectly clear that the plea of nul disseisin puts in issue the legal title, and as this is in the demandant, he is entitled to judgment. Though the cestui que trust may have a right to the rents and profits, and may compel the trustee to execute such conveyances of the !and as the terms of the trust may require, yet until such com eyance the cestui que trust is tenant at will to the trustee ant cannot call in question his legal title.
If the tenant had pleaded specially, setting forth the trus* and averring that he was in possession as tenant at will only, receiving the rents and profits in pursuance of the trust, and could have sustained such a plea by evidence, it would have been fatal to the action, and if justice required it, we might, on terms, allow the tenant to replead ; but we are satisfied that such a plea would not avail him, and could not be maintained on the facts reported by the judge, because, secondly, a trust estate cannot be taken on execution, and the tenant’s possession was tortious.
By the principles of the common law there was.no process but against legal estates, so that uses and trusts, and equities of redemption, and all merely equitable interests in lands or personal property, were considered only as creatures of equity, and were not liable to be taken and sold on execution. 1 Cruise’s Dig. tit. 11, c. 2, § 33 ; Scott v. Scholey et al., 8 East, 467 ; Cadogan v. Kennett, Cowp. 432 ; Bac. Abr. Execution, C, 4 ; Wilkes v. Ferris, 5 Johns. R. 335. Equitable interests are only to be reached by resorting to a court of equity ; and where it is clothed with sufficient powers to grant relief in all cases, creditors cannot be prejudiced. But this defect of the common law, as it certainly is, cannot oe supplied in all cases by the limited powers of this Court as a court of equity. In the present case probably relief may be had, if the tenant can show himself entitled to relief by the rules of equity, as the declaration of trust was made ny deed. But cases may frequently occur, where property max
JVeto trial granted.
New York the interest in lands of a cestui que trust may be sold on execution. Jackson v. Walker, 4 Wendell, 462 ; 1 Revis. Laws. 74. So the interest of a cestui que trust in land, will pass by the extent of an execution upon the land, as his estate, in New Hampshire. Pritchard v. Brown, 4 N. Hamp. R. 397
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Benjamin Russell versus John Lewis
- Status
- Published