Lessee of Huston v. Hamilton
Lessee of Huston v. Hamilton
Opinion of the Court
In this case two questions arise. 1st. Did Patrick Moore take an estate for life or in fee simple, under the trust deed from himself and his wife to Robert MiClenachan, his wife having died before him, leaving issue a child which also died before him? 2d. If he took but an estate for life, was his estate strengthened or enlarged by the deed to him from Robert MiClenachan?
1. It is agreed that the trust deed is to be construed liberally, so as best to effectuate the intent of the parties. The question is, what was that intent? It is evident that after giving the estate to the husband and wife for their joint lives, there was a design to provide for the moment when the marriage should be dissolved by the death of either of them. If the wife survived, she was to take the fee-simple. If she died first and left issue, the husband was to have an estate for his life; but if no issue, then in fee. As to the children, inasmuch as the father was to hold the estate during his life., nothing was to vest in them until his death; and then the estate" was to vest in such children as should be at that time
But we are asked by the defendant’s counsel, to strain the construction of these words dying -without issue, and to understand by them a death leaving issue, which should die in the life of the father. I say, to strain the construction; because, if we adopt this sense, we must reject those words which confine the dying without issue, to the time when the joint estate is determined. Besides, although in point of law, Mrs. Moore may be said to have died without issue before her husband, notwithstanding she in fact left issue at the time of her death, yet that is not the most obvious meaning of those expressions. It is a construction introduced for the purpose of preventing the general intent of an instrument of
2. The second point was founded on an idea, that even supposing that Patrick Moore took but an estate for life, yet he obtained an indefeasible estate in fee by the conveyance of Robert MiClenachan the trustee, who it was supposed took not only the whole legal estate by virtue of the trust deed, but also all that part of the equitable estate, which was not disposed, of by the deed. This point has, upon reflection, been very candidly abandoned by the counsel for the defendant. It certainly was not tenable. It was the manifest intention of the parties, that the trustee should take no beneficial interest by this deed. The consideration of ten shillings was merely nominal, and inserted for no other purpose than to raise an use, by which the legal estate might be vested in the trustee. This being the case, a Resulting trust arose by implication of law, for the benefit of Mrs. Moore, to whom the property belonged, for all such part of the equitable estate, as was not disposed of by the ¿Leed. It follows, that the lessor of the plaintiff, who is the heir both o.f Mrs. Moore and her child, is entitled to call on the defendant for a conveyance of the legal estate. I am therefore of opinion that the motion for a new trial should be denied, and that judgment should be entered for the plaintiff.
Motion denied, and Judgment for plaintiff.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The Lessee of Huston against Hamilton
- Status
- Published