Decker ex rel. Frytenberger v. Eisenhauer
Decker ex rel. Frytenberger v. Eisenhauer
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from the Circuit Court, held by justice Huston, for the county of Union, in April last. The appellant moves this court for a new trial, on the ground that the verdict is against the weight of evidence in the cause, and the law arising from it. In order that the case and the decision of the court may be understood, it may be necessary to state somewhat minutely the prominent facts in the cause, as they appeared in evidence.
Peter Decker, about the beginning of April, 1818, purchased from Frederick Stees, a farm near Middle creek, in Union county, adjoining lands of Henry Bolander and others. This farm consisted of several pieces or tracts o’f land, all adjoining and-making but one plantation.
On the 23d of April, 1818, Peter Decker mortgaged this land to Frederick Stees, to secure a part of the original purchase money. On the 14th of June. 1819, he sold and conveyed to Abraham Eisenhauer, a son-in-law of Henry Bolander, twenty-seven acres and one hundred and fourteen perches of the land covered by the mortgage, for the consideration of one thousand and seventy-seven dollars and seventy-three cents, a small part of which, to wit, about one hundred and thirty dollars was paid in cash. For the residue, (upwards of nine hundred dollars,) Eisenhauer gave nine single bills, (the subject of this suit,) with Henry Bolander as security. Abraham Eisenhaum• took possession of his purchase, and remained thereon, until sometime in 1829, when the mortgage was put in suit, judgment recovered, and the said twenty-seven acres and one hundred and fourteen perches, were sold to Barbara Mourer, a daughter of Henry Bolander, for four hundred and ninety dollars.
Sometime before the 1st of July, 1820, (the precise time does not appear from the evidence,) John Frytenberger went to live with Peter Decker, and loaned him three hundred pounds. He did not remain long with Decker, but being dissatisfied, went to Henry Bolander's, and while he was living there, Eisenhauer and Bolander both told him there was a mortgage against Decker. Peter Decker swears; (and he is not contradicted,) that Eisenhaur knew of the mortgage to Stees, when he purchased the twenty-seven acres and one hundred and fourteen perches, and in consequence of it, insisted upon having a good and sufficient bond oi indemnity; that a bond of indemnity was accordingly executed and left with the deed; that Eisenhauer was not satisfied with the bond, because bail was not in it, but took it, together with the deed, gave his bills as above mentioned, and about six years afterwards said he had burnt the bond pf indemnity.
On the 1st of July, 1820, Decker, Frytenberger, Eisenhauer, and Bolander met together, when Decker assigned the single bilk in
The obligor cannot be compelled to pay a bond, or single bill, given on the purchase of land, the title to which proves to be bad: although the assignee is in no better condition in general than the obligee, yet' if the obligor has promoted and encouraged the assignment, the case is different. This distinction was fully recognized by the learned judge before whom the cause was tried, but it would appear that it was not regarded by the jury. It therefore becomes necessary, in order to prevent injustice, to set aside their verdict and grant another trial. The defendants say, they ought not to pay the single bills, because they were given for the purchase money of land incumbered by a mortgage, for which it was eventually sold. The appéllant, however, replies, that although this would have availed you as respects Decker; yet as you stood by, and saw him assign these bills to me for a valuable consideration, without informing me of the defect of title, as you, on the contrary, carefully concealed it from me, and assisted in preparing the assignments, your defence in the present action is inequitable and unjust. In Rudy and wife v. Wenner, 16 Serg, & Rawle, 21, justice Rogers, in delivering the opinion of this court, says, that if, before the assignment, the assignee calls on the obligor, and informs him, that he is about to take an assignment of his bond, and the obligor acknowledges it is due, without any allegation of defence, he shall not be permitted to take defence against the assignee.' And this whether his silence proceeds from ignorance or design. The present chief justice, in Davis v. Barr, 9 Serg. & Rawle, 141, says, “ that to exclude all transactions between the original parties it is necessary, that it should appear the assignee took the assignment at the’ instance of the obligor, or at least, that the latter stood by with full knowledge of his rights, and without disclosing them. Now in this case, we find, that both Bolander and the other defendant, Eisenhauer, whilst Frytenberger lived with the former, knew of the incumbrance; Decker swears, that when he sold the twenty-seven acres, Eisenhauer knew of the mortgage to Stees, and for that reason, insisted on having a good and sufficient bond of indemnity, although to an entire stranger, it might appear uncertain, from the face of the mortgage as written, whether the
It often happens that judges differ in opinion as to a particular case, much oftener than on general principles. The court in granting new trials, ought to be very careful in their statement of facts, for it is read to the jury, and by them, too often, considered as evidence of such facts. I say this, because in the statement of the facts of this case by the judge, there is much which was not proved so strongly as here stated; some things not proved at all, and it is said a point was not contradicted, which was the turning point in the cause, and which, certainly, the jury found to be different from what is here assumed. The cause turned on whether.Hochetibury or Decker, was to be believed; or whether Bolander knew of the mortgage, when the bonds were assigned; and the cause was left to the jury on those facts. I heard the teslimo
New trial granted.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PETER DECKER, for the use of JOHN FRYTENBERGER, against ABRAHAM EISENHAUER and HENRY BOLANDER
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published