Mayo v. Hamlin
Mayo v. Hamlin
Opinion of the Court
The widow of the late Gideon Mayo demands her dower in certain real estate comprising what formerly were three parcels of land, viz: (1,) Her husband’s original homestead, of about twenty-four acres with buildings ; (2,) the "Palmer lot,” of seven acres ; and (3,) "White acre.” The defendant admits the demandant’s right of dower in the second and third parcels, but denies it in the first.
The demandant’s marriage, on October 14, 1861, the death of her husband, on December 25, 1876, and a seasonable demand are admitted. The case comes up on report, the court "to draw such inferences from the evidence which is admissible as a jury might, and determine the legal rights of the parties.”
The principal contention is, whether the husband had such a seizin in the original homestead, at any time after the marriage, as would entitle the demandant to dower therein. To sustain the allegation of the husband’s seizin, the demandant putin evidence a quit-claim deed of the homestead, from one Van Damme to her husband, dated January 22, 1849, with testimony that she and her husband occupied the premises from the time of the marriage until his decease, thus establishing a prima facie case. Knight v. Mains, 12 Maine, 41; Mann v. Edson, 39 Maine, 25.
While the defendant does not deny Mayo’s seizin before the marriage, he does contend that he was not seized at any time during the coverture of the demandant; and as tending to establish.it, the defendant put into the case the legal evidence of an attachment of the homestead, made on December 16, 1857, on a writ in favor of Orono Bank v. Gideon Mayo, judgment thereon August 27, 1861, and a levy of the execution September 25, 1861, twenty days prior to the marriage. Assuming, therefore, that the levy was legal and that it has never been redeemed, there would seem to have been no seizin in Mayo since the marriage, the statute conveyance having been made prior thereto. Brown v. Williams, 31 Maine, 403.
Was the homestead ever redeemed from ■ the levy and the claim under it extinguished? We have no doubt it was, and that it was so understood by all the parties connected with the negotiations.
• Applying well settled law to the foregoing facts, we conclude that the demandant is entitled to dower in the homestead of her husband. The bank directors could extend by parol the time of redeeming the levy. Chase v. McLellan, 49 Maine, 375. And having received the sum due under the levy, though after the expiration of the year, vacated the levy if paid by Mayo or his agent. Randall v. Farnham, 36 Maine, 86, 88. But whether Blake was or not the agent of Mayo in paying the money to the bank, he paid it in accordance with his agreement and as a part of the consideration of the deed of warranty, and such payment operated as a discharge of the levy notwithstanding he took a release to himself. Bolton v. Ballard, 13 Mass. 227; Hatch v. Palmer, 58 Maine, 271, 273 ; Wedge v. Moore, 6 Cush.
Judgment for dower.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Sarah J. H. Mayo v. George H. Hamlin
- Status
- Published