Chaffe v. Halpin & Bonham

Mississippi Supreme Court
Chaffe v. Halpin & Bonham, 62 Miss. 1 (Miss. 1884)
Campbell

Chaffe v. Halpin & Bonham

Opinion of the Court

Campbell C. J.,

deliveréd the opinion of the court.

The creditors and purchasers, to whom an unrecorded instrument of which they have no notice, is void, are creditors of and purchasers from the grantor in the instrument. As to all others, recording is unnecessary, and the instrument is valid without it. The appellants were not creditors of or purchasers from Mrs. Harrison, who owned the land, apparently, and mortgaged it to the appellees. They were creditors of Mr. Harrison,, and by exhibiting their bill on the 9th March, and procuring service of process under it on the 11th March, they acquired a lien on the land as. against all but bona fid,e purchasers before that date. The appellees claim under a deed of trust, bearing date- the 2d March, and purporting to be for a present consideration of two thousand five hundred dollars. The deed was not acknowledged until the 22d of March, and was recorded. 26th July afterward, but it was good between the parties and all except creditors of and purchasers from its grantor, •Mrs. Harrison, from its date, in the absence of evidence that its delivery occurred afterward. Delivery is presumed to be contemporaneous with the date of a deed in the absence of any evidence when delivery was actually made.

The appellees holding a deed importing a valuable consideration, and bearing date anterior to the acquisition of a lien by the appellants on the land, in the absence of any evidence affecting the *5presumptions arising from the face of the papers, had precedence as to the land.

The strongest view in favor of the appellants is, that Chaffe, by his purchase of the land at the sale under the decree, became a purchaser from Mrs. Harrison, defendant in the suit; but this view is not maintainable, it being settled that such purchasers are not entitled to protection as bona fide purchasers, but are mere volunteers.

Judgment affirmed.

Reference

Full Case Name
John Chaffe v. Halpin & Bonham
Cited By
1 case
Status
Published
Syllabus
1. Deed. When necessary to record. Ch-editors and purchasers affected thereby. The creditors and purchasers as to whom an unrecorded deed of which they have no notice is void, under our statute, are only creditors of and purchasers from the grantor in the deed. As to all others, recording is not necessary to the validity of the deed. 2. Same. Who not creditors of grantor. The judgment creditors of one who in fraud of their rights has procured the title to a tract of land to be taken in the name of his wife are not the creditors of the wife, and her conveyance of such title to a bona fide purchaser is valid against them, though they have no notice by record or otherwise of its existence, if it be made before they have acquired a lien on the land by the filing of a creditor’s bill in chancery and the service of a summons upon the defendants, as provided by statute. 3. Same. Presumption as to delivery. The delivery of a deed is presumed to be contemporaneous with its date, in the absence of evidence to the contrary. 4. Purchaser. Whether bona fide or volunteer. The purchaser under a decree, in favor of a husband’s creditors, subjecting land which he has caused to be fraudulently conveyed to his wife, to the payment of their judgments, is not a bona fide purchaser from the wife, but is as to her a mere volunteer.