Hecker ex rel. Magee v. Mourer
Hecker ex rel. Magee v. Mourer
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
On the 14th of November, 1896, Hecker, the legal plaintiff, by a contract in writing, agreed to sell and convey to Mourer, the defendant, certain real estate therein described, for the sum of $800, $10.00 cash, receipt of which was acknowledged “ and a further sum of seven hundred and ninety dollars to be paid April 1, 1897, to satisfy a judgment of record against said property in favor of George W. Magee, amounting to eight hundred dol
On January 16, 1897, a judgment was entered at the suit of the commonwealth in a scire facias upon a recognizance wherein Hecker was surety for one Limbert, which said recognizance was forfeited June 13, 1896. Upon the trial, the court reserved this question of law, among others: “ 3d. Did the assignment of. the article between J. E. Hecker and Daniel Mourer to George W. Magee, said assignment dated November 23, 1896, and the delivery of the deed of J. E. Hecker and wife to Daniel Mourer to George W. Magee on November 23, 1896, divest the title of J. E. Hecker in the land in question, so that the judgment in favor of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania against William Limbert and J. E. Hecker, entered January 16, 1897, was not an encumbrance on the title?” Upon this and other questions of law reserved the court below entered judgment in favor of the plaintiff for the sum of $826.88 and costs.
The only error complained of is the entry of judgment upon the third reserved question above stated.
The single and simple question for us to determine is, Had Hecker any estate, legal or equitable, in the property agreed to be conveyed to Mourer on November 16, 1896, and for which he delivered a deed to Mourer to Magee, November 23, 1896, which was bound by the judgment of the Commonwealth v. Limbert & Hecker, entered January 16, 1897? He certainly had no equitable estate. The entire balance of the purchase money due under the agreement with Mourer was, by the terms of the 'agreement itself, payable to Magee. Hecker, therefore, had no real interest whatever in the property. Had
Possession, equitable interest and legal estate had all, therefore, passed from Hecker before the entry of the judgment of the commonwealth. What was there in him to which the judgment could attach or become a lien? Nothing whatever. Everything had passed from him irrevocably and Magee simply held the deed as a mere trustee for Mourer. This legal title, all the remaining estate being already in him, Mourer had a right to receive upon the payment of the purchase money stipulated to be paid by him in the original agreement to Magee.
The judgment was properly entered and is, therefore, affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.