Dennett v. Atkins
Dennett v. Atkins
Opinion of the Court
The report in this case presents the question whether the demurrer to the bill as amended should have been sustained or properly was overruled.
The plaintiff seeks to set aside an alleged fraudulent conveyance through which the defendant obtained title to the land described in the first paragraph of the bill. The bill alleges in substance that on September 15,1888, the plaintiff and his wife, Alice H. Dennett,
It is further recited that in “a motion to amend the supplemental bill” it was alleged that the plaintiffs had received notice from the mortgagee that he would sell the land described in the bill November 9,1891; that the time fixed for the sale was not sufficient to enable the mortgagee to publish such further notices as would ■protect the mortgagor; that the mortgagee proceeded with the sale and the property was purchased by one Porter who afterwards conveyed it to Atkins (the defendant in the present suit); that upon the bill as amended a decree was entered by a single justice of this court on May 20, 1892, providing that “the sale be set aside so far as the same might otherwise affect the plaintiffs’ right of redemption; that the plaintiffs be allowed to redeem upon paying to said Atkins within forty-five days ‘from the entry of this decree the principal sum of nine thousand dollars due upon the said mortgage and interest on the said sum/ interest on the first mortgage, taxes, insurance, repairs on the premises and costs of suit.”
This bill further alleges that the plaintiffs in the suit above referred to asked for a decree allowing them to redeem by paying the amounts found to be due “at any time before a valid and effectual foreclosure of said mortgage by a new execution of the power of sale therein, or otherwise;” that the single justice refused to enter a decree in that form and inserted a provision that in default of such payment within the time fixed by the decree the
From the foregoing recitals in the bill it appears that the plaintiffs in the original suit elected to bring a bill to redeem because of an invalid execution of the power of sale; that they were allowed to redeem upon paying to the defendant the amounts described in the decree within forty-five days from the entry thereof. There is no allegation in this bill that the plaintiff complied with its terms or attempted to do so, and it is not contended that in fact the decree has been complied with. Under these circumstances it is plain that this bill cannot be maintained. The allegation that the mortgage was purchased by Robert Codman, Jr., with money furnished by the defendant at his request and was held by the purchaser as the representative and trustee of the defendant, is not an allegation of fraud practised either upon the plaintiff or upon the court in the original proceedings; there is nothing to show that it was not a perfectly proper and legitimate agreement which the parties lawfully could enter into, and the bill fails to disclose any allegations of fraud which entitle the plaintiff to equitable relief. The tenders of the amount due made to the mortgagee in February and in June, 1891, by the plaintiffs in the original bill, were made at a time when nothing was due, as the debt did not mature until September 15, 1891; and besides, they were made before the bill to redeem was filed and a decree entered
It follows that, as the plaintiff has not stated in the bill such a cause as entitles him to relief in equity, a decree must be entered sustaining the demurrer on the first ground and dismissing the bill with costs.
Ordered accordingly.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Herbert E. Dennett v. Edwin F. Atkins
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published