Cedar County v. Williams
Cedar County v. Williams
Opinion of the Court
Cedar county sold certain swamp lands to one Musgrove, who gave his bond and security for the purchase money, as required by law. Afterward, with the consent
The question for consideration is: Did the plaintiff have a vendor’s lien for the purchase money, under the law; and if so, then was that lien lost or waived by any act of the plaintiff or by operation of law ?
There seems to have been some irregularity at least m the manner of sale. The law required the swamp lands to be sold or offered for sale at specified times and place at public vendue ; (Local Acts 1855, p. 350, § 2;) whereas it seems to have been at private sale, so far as the record shows. Then the law required the clerk to make a deed when the purchase money should be fully paid; (Ib., p. 351, § 12;) whereas it was made by Horton as commissioner. And there was a variance in the manner of sale in some other respects. But however that may be, the defendants are in no condition to question the validity of the sale, be
Section 11 of the Local Acts 1855, page 350, reserves a lien to the county for the purchase money, which the county has no right or power to relinquish. Answer to the Governor, 37 Mo. 129; Lewis v. Chapman, 59 Mo. 371. By the act authorizing the sale, (§ 11, supra,) a statutory lien for the purchase money is reserved; and if the county could not directly relinquish such lien, was it lost or waived by anything subsequent to the sale? The act authorized a sale by the county on credit. There could be no lien for the purchase money unless the sale was on credit. Section 12, page 351, Local Acts 1855, contemplates a sale on credit. Section 6, Revised Code 1855, page 1406, contemplates and provides for sales on credit; which section is made applicable to swamp land sales by section 1, page 349, Local Acts 1855. The deed of Horton, county commissioner, to Mus-grove, shows that Musgrove executed his bond for the payment of the purchase money, and an examination thereof by Abbott and Johnson-would have shown them enough to put them upon inquiry. Inquiry would have shown them that this bond was credited by $421, and the county took Williams’ bond, and held that against the land they bought from Williams. Hence, they cannot claim to be purchasers for value without notice. These deeds were immediately in the line of their title, which could not be examined without disclosing the fact that the land was swamp land purchased from the county ; that the county by law had a lien for the purchase money ; that it had not been paid, but was still shown by the records to be due. Linville v. Savage, 58 Mo. 248; Scott v. McCullock, 13 Mo. 13; Digman v. McCollum, 47 Mo. 372; Speck v. Riggin, 40 Mo. 405; Adams v. Cowherd, 30 Mo. 458; Orrick v. Durham, ante, p. 174. The circuit court should have found for the plaintiff and entered judgment subjecting the land to sale by special fi. fa. for the payment of the purchase money and interest as required by law. For failing to do
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