Fox v. Mensch
Fox v. Mensch
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
This case comes before us on bills of exception to evidence.
The first, second, and third bills raise the question, whether the defendant was entitled to go into evidence that the bond was given on Sunday, and was therefore void. A defence of this kind is one which, without previous notice, the plaintiff would be so little likely to anticipate or provide for, that he was entitled to the full
The defendant showed that this bond was given on account of the purchase money of land sold by order of the Orphans’ Court, to the defendant, at public sale, as the estate of Henry Leisir deceased, which sale had been regularly confirmed by the Orphans’ Court. He then offered evidence to show that the administrator Mensch induced him to buy, by representing that possession would be given to him on the 1st of April following the sale, whereas Henry Leisir had only a reversionary interest, and no possession could be obtained during the life of the tenant for life, who was still living and in possession. It is to be observed that the property was expressly sold as the right, title and interest of Henry Leisir; and the title would seem, as far as we can judge from the record, to have been truly described in the proceedings in the Orphans’ Court. It is now settled that the administrator’s sale is a judicial sale, and that it is not competent to the purchaser to object to the payment of the purchase money on the ground of insufficiency of title. Caveat emptor is the rule in such cases. One designing to buy must employ the usual means of knowledge from records, wills and otherwise; and if he chooses to purchase, he does so at his own risk. The administrator is like the sheriff, and does not warrant the title; nor is he authorized to do so; nor does the Orphans’ Court, in oi’dering a- sale. If the purchaser haá a complaint, he ought to make it to the Orphans’ Court before confirmation. Nor are the representations of the administrator to the purchaser, in relation to the property, relevant. As is said in Bashore v. Whis
The remaining bill of exceptions is to the rejection by the court below of Samuel Moyer as a witness for the defendant. His evidence went to the same points which have been already considered, and was, therefore, properly overruled.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Fox against Mensch
- Cited By
- 12 cases
- Status
- Published