In re McConnell
In re McConnell
Opinion of the Court
In 1902, the bankrupt, Joseph A. McConnell, who is a cousin of said Eliza Carr, had noticed a vacant lot in the city of Watertown which was for sale. He conceived the idea that money could be made by purchasing same and dividing it up into building lots and reselling. He did not have the money with which to purchase. McConnell thereupon went to Eliza Carr and informed her that in his judgment money could be made by purchasing the tract and that it could be divided up into three lots and sold in his opinion for $700 each, and that the property could be purchased for $1,400. He also informed Miss Carr that he did not have the money and that if she would furnish the money they would buy the property together; that he would look after the business part of the transaction and procure purchasers and attend to the sale; and that when the lots were sold they would divide the profits. Miss Carr had money in the Savings Bank and so informed McConnell. She inquired of him what security she would have for the money she was advancing to purchase his share, and he informed her that he would give her a note, and that the note would be evidence as to his actual interest in the property. Miss Carr inquired if that would be suf
“Persons who jointly purchase land to hold it for a rise in value are not partners, but are tenants in common, and either party can .sue the other at law for reimbursement of allowances made by him on the joint account without there first having been a final settlement and the. striking of a balance.”
This case is cited, approved, and followed in Miller v. Ahrens (C. C.) 163 Fed. 870, 875. See, also, Pillsbury v. Pillsbury, 20 N. H. 90, Farrand v. Gleason, 56 Vt. 633, and Winslow v. Young, 94 Me. 145, 160, 47 Atl. 149, to the same effect.
If two persons purchase real estate and take the deed to themselves as tenants in common, and one pays nine-tenths of the purchase money and the other one-tenth, and it is orally agreed that when the property is sold the one shall have nine-tenths of the proceeds and the other one-tenth, can it be that, in the absence of a bona fide purchaser for value or liens, the agreement is not enforceable, and that the tenant in common who put in the nine-tenths of the purchase money may not claim it when a sale is made ? I think not. If Miss Carr had loaned the $700 to McConnell out and out and taken his note as evidence of the debt, the case would be different. True, she took his note for $700, but not as evidence of a simple loan or debt. True, she let McConnell have not alone $700, but $1,400, with which to purchase this real estate and take a deed in their names. However, the transaction and agreement was that when the property was sold Miss Carr was first to have her $1,400 out of the proceeds with 3 per cent, interest added on $700 and her share of the increase in value, if any. This' represented her interest in this property as one of the two tenants in common. If it should sell “for more than $1,400, McConnell had an interest to the extent of one-half of such surplus. If it should not sell for more, he had no interest.
“Where a conveyance to purchasers of a tenancy In common is silent as to the interest of each, such interests are ordinarily presumed to be equal. But such presumption is rebuttable. There is a presumption that purchasers of a common estate hold shares therein in proportion to their contribution to the purchase price, if the contributions to. the purchase price be shown to have been unequal; but, if the deed to purchasers does not show their respective interests in the common property, the presumption arising from the deed may be overcome by the presumption arising from the amount of contribution.” Bittle v. Clement, supra.
There will be a decree accordingly.
Reference
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- In re McCONNELL
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- Syllabus
- 1. Tenancy in Common § 3*) — Property—.Purchase of Realty by TWo Persons — Title Acquired. Where two persons purchase real estate for speculation, taking a deed to themselves, and one pays the full- price under an agreement that the ■ proceeds on a resale shall reimburse him with interest on one-half of the price as evidenced by a note executed by the other, and the balance-equally divided between them, they are tenants in common only, and, in the absence of any evidence on the subject, their shares are equal. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Tenancv in Common, Cent. Dig. §§ 5-7; Dec. Dig. § 3.*] 2. Bankruptcy (§ 155*) — Title of Trustee in Bankruptcy. A trustee in bankruptcy takes the interest of the bankrupt subject to all equities existing against the bankrupt in favor of third persons. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Bankruptcy, Dec. Dig. § 155.*] 3. Tenancy in- Common (§ 4*) — Acquisition of Title — Presumptions. The presumption that, where a deed to two or more persons is silent on the subject, their shares are equal, is not conclusive, but may be rebutted and the true interest of each shown. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Tenancy in Common, Cent. Dig. § 4; Dec. Dig. § 4.*] 4. Bankruptcy (§ 155*) — Interest of Tenant in Common. Where two persons purchased real estate for speculation and took a deed to themselves and one paid the price under an agreement that it should be repaid, with interest on one-half, on a resale, and the balance, if any, equally divided, and the other subsequently became a bankrupt, the latter’s interest, in the absence of bona fide purchasers and liens, was only to the extent of one-half of the surplus after reimbursing the former, and general creditors of the bankrupt had no claim superior to the former growing out of the form of the deed failing to disclose the actual interests of the parties. [Ed. Note. — For other cases, see Bankruptcy, Dec. Dig. § 155.*]