Brandon v. Brandon
Brandon v. Brandon
Opinion of the Court
The appellee in 1869, filed in the chancery court of Wilkinson county, her bill of complaint against the appellant. A demurrer by the latter was sustained, and the complainant filed an amended bill, which states, in substá'iice, that Louisa S. Brandon, complainant, is the widow of Matthew ÍT. Brandon, deceased; that deceased died seized and pos
To tte amended bill the defendant W. L. Brandon demurred, stating as causes therefor, want of equity on the face of the bill, remedy at law, and because the bill does not show such performance of the contract by complainant as to entitle her to the relief prayed for.
This demurrer was overruled with leave to answer, and from this decree the defendant, W. L. Brandon, appealed, assigning for error here the action of the court in overruling the demurrer. The deed from the administrator of Matthew K. Brandon to L. S. Brandon; the articles of agreement between W. L. Brandon and L. S. Brandon, and the deed of trust from L. S. Brandon to H. H. Davis are made exhibits. The deed of trust recites that the conveyance is “on the following trust and condition, that is to say, the said Henry H. Davis to hold said property in trust : 1st. To secure the said Louisa S. Brandon in the prompt and faithful performance by the said W. L. Brandon of all his undertakings to the said Louisa S. Brandon, and for her benefit set forth and contained in articles of agreement, entered into between the said Louisa S. Brandon and W. L. Brandon bearing even date” with said deed; 2d. To secure the estate and heirs of Thomas S. Herbert, deceased, and others against certain liabilities; 3d. To secure certain sureties of W. L. Brandon against liability; 4th. To secure the children of W. L. Brandon certain sums that may be now due, or hereafter to become due on account of the use of their property by W. L. Brandon; 5th. After the accomplishment of these trusts the property to be held by the trustee for the use of W. L. Brandon and his heirs for ever. The said W. L. Brandon was to have possession and control of the property. Power to appoint another trustee is provided for in case of the failure or declination of Davis.
The objection that the bill is without equity on its face in view of the statements admitted by demurrer of an aged
The allegations of the bill, that all the trusts mentioned in the deed, except the stipulations in favor of complainant, have been fully performed and are inoperative are ample and frequently repeated. So, too, full performance on the part of complainant is explicitly averred. There is, therefore, in fact, and as is apparently conceded in the written argument of counsel, but the single question in the case, whether there is to complainant ample remedy at law. On this point we are referred by counsel to art. 12, p. 308, Code of 1857, which provides for the sale by execution of the interest of cesttoi que trusts in trust property.
Comparing this provision of the Code with the averments of the bill, it will be seen that the complainant can have adequate remedy only in a court of chancery. W. L. Brandon is alleged to be insolvent and without other property than the real estate held in trust, as herein set forth, and to turn the complainant over to a court of law, and to his interest in the property claimed in the bill to be forfeited by his own conduct toward the grantor, would be like casting a stone when bread is demanded and due. A court of equity clearly has jurisdiction of the subject-matter of this suit, and we hold the demurrer not well taken for any of its causes.
The decree is affirmed, with leave to defendant to answer within forty days from this date.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- W. L. Brandon v. Louisa S. Brandon
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Chancerx — JtrEiSDiCTlON—case nsf point. — A court of equity has juris diction of a loill for relief, exhibited by one -who had conveyed property to a trustee, upon certain conditions, and among others, for the payment to complainant of a certain sum annuaUy, in reference to which annual payments default had been made, 2. Same — same—-same.—Where real and personal property were conveyed to D. as trustee, on certain specified conditions, and among others, that B. should pay to the grantor in the deed a certain sum annually, and after payment by B. for several years he ceased to pay and became insolvent, and no part of the subject of the conveyance,but the land remained: Heidi, that a court of equity had jurisdiction of a bill by the grantor in said deed to obtain relief.