Wallace v. Duffield
Wallace v. Duffield
Opinion of the Court
No facts appear.but such as are mentioned in the charge of the Court; so that the only question is, whether there be error in law'in the opinion delivered on those facts. Josiah Wallace deceased, by his will, dated 26th April, 1776, appointed his wife Ann, and his son William? his executors, and authorised .them to sell the plantation on which’he lived, in Chester county. If they chose to live on it, and keep the family together, they were permitted to do so ; but, in case the. land should be sold, they were to give security to the testamentary guardian of the testator’s other children, if. required, for the shares devised to them by the
Another exception is made to that part of the charge which relates to the act of limitations. It was left to the jury to decide from all circumstances, whether, from the length of time between the purchase of the land in dispute and the bringing of this ejectment, it might not reasonably be inferred that the plaintiffs considered the estate as belonging to the' defendants. It is contended that the act of limitations is a positive bar. But there are no facts on the record to warrant us in saying so. It does indeed appear that there was an interval of thirty-one years between the purchase of the land and the commencement of this suit. But it does not appear in what manner the possession has gone. The-Judge refers to circumstances respecting the situation of the family which were given in evidence, but are noton the record. We may imagine many circumstances which would rebut the presumption arising from length of time. Trusts are not strictly within the act of limitations: but equity has wisely adopted the principle of the act. Nevertheless, in equity, as well as at law, it may be shewn from circumstances, that the possession of the defendant ought not to be considered as adverse. Not knowing what were the circumstances alluded to in the charge, we cannot judge of the weight of them. Neither can
We must judge of this case from the facts disclosed in the charge. The jury were instructed, that at least 1800 pounds of the consideration money paid for the lands in question, was identified to be the same money as had been received on the sale of the lands in Chester county; and that no evidence had been given of the widow or son having any property but what arose from the testator’s estate: that William Wallace, the active contracting party, had declared, that if the money had not been so invested, the girls might have gone and whistled .for their fortunes,, and that'the money would have all perished: and the question of fact was submitted to the jury, whether an express trust-was not proved to their satisfaction, and manifested by all the circumstances of the case. The jury were told explicitly, that some intention must appear by parol or other declarations, so as to raise the trust, or it might be derived by necessary implication from the nature of the acts proved. I can' see-nothing incorrect herein, nor in assimilating the case to German v. Gabbald, 3 Binn. 302. Let us transport ourselves back to the period of time -when the different transactions took place. -The circulating medium of the country was fluctuating; and though different persons ascribed depreciation to different causes, all agreed that it was sinking in value in 1779. It can- excite no surprise, that the widow and eldest son of the testator should be anxious to invest.the proceeds of the Chester county property in lands here ; and, acting as executors, should take- the conveyance in their own names. They were bound by every tie of duty to take the best measures to promote the best interests of the family. The verdict.of the jury concludes us on this point, by establishing the trusts' on the facts fairly submitted to their decision.
The jurors were truly told that trust estates are not within the act of limitations; but that presumptions of acquiescence might be raised from the lapse of thirty-one years, which
This case differs in an important feature from Gregory’s lessee v. Salter, 1 Dall. 193. and German v. Gabbald, 3 Binn. 302. which carried the doctrine of resulting trusts quite far enough. In each of the two last, the whole consideration moved from the person, to whom the trust was held to result: in this, more than a moiety of the purchase money was paid by the executors with their own funds. A resulting trust, properly so called, arises where the purchaser of land pays the purchase money, but takes the conveyance in another person’s name ; but where a trustee purchases with the trust fund, and takes the conveyance in his own name, there is, properly speaking, no resulting trust, though it is usually called so; for there is in equity a very substantial difference between them both in the quality and extent of the relief that can be called for. In the former, the trustee will be compelled to execute the trust by a conveyance of the land: in the latter, chancery will raise the money out of the land, by a sale of the whole, or such part of it as may be necessary to produce the sum withdrawn from the trust; and this mode is peculiarly convenient where only a part of the consideration has been taken from the trust fund. In Kirk v. Webb, Prec. in Ch. 84. and Halcott v. Markant, Prec. in Ch. 168. it was said money has no earmark, and that chancery oannot, therefore, follow it into the land where it has been invested; but it is certainly law that it may be pursued where the purchaser stood as a trustee in relation to the fund. This was decided in Deg v. Deg, 2 p. Wms. 414. and in. one or
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Wallace and another against Duffield and wife
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- 11 cases
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