Elliott's Appeal
Elliott's Appeal
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
The testatrix, Mary Elliott, having devised certain real estate to her son, David Elliott, and an adjoining tract of woodland to her daughters, Margaret, Martha, and Sarah intermarried with Cadwallader Jones, empowers her executors, if they and the heirs can agree, and they think it most to their advantage, to sell the said land, and make a sufficient deed of conveyance to the purchaser. . Without any previous consultation, so far as appears, the surviving executor entered into an agreement for the sale of the whole tract, including the 106 acres devised as aforesaid, with a proviso that the other parties in interest should join in the conveyance. In consideration thereof, the purchaser covenants to pay the vendor $27 for each and every acre, neat measure, the same to be surveyed by a competent surveyor, chosen by the parties before the execution of the deed. They further agree as to the time and manner of paying the purchase money. The devisees, Margaret and Sarah, and Cadwallader Jones her husband, Martha being dead, assent to the sale in the following words: “We, Margaret Elliott, and Cadwallader Jones, and Sarah Jones, wife of the said Cadwallader, hereby assent and agree to the within and foregoing article of agreement, and all the covenants and provisions therein mentioned; and we do covenant and agree to join in executing a deed, on or before the 1st day of April next, with David Elliott to Samuel Zeigler, agreeably to the terms and conditions of said- article of agreement.” ' * ■
The property, it must be observed, is sold by the acre, and the purchaser agrees to pay, instead of a sum in gross, $27 for each and every acre, without any discrimination whatever as to its value, arising either from situation or quality, or taking into consideration whether the same is arable, meadow, or woodland. With the agreement before them, (for their assent is endorsed on the article), the appellees consent to the sale for the price stipulated, and bind themselves to perform all and singular the covenants and provisions therein mentioned. And in consideration
The testatrix seems to have had an eye to the sale of the land as one tract, under the belief, no doubt, that it'would enhance the value; and it is very likely that this reason operated on the vendors and the vendee. For we can readily understand that the value of a tract destitute of wood, is much increased by joining to it a tract chiefly valuable on account of its timber, and vice versa. They will usually, as is well known, command a much greater price than if sold in separate parcels. The property was used by the testatrix as one tract, and the improvements, of course, would be made with a view to its being one farm, which would be an additional reason for selling .it together. If this be so, David has lost nothing. On the contrary, he has effected a sale of his own portion, for a price greater than otherwise could have been obtained for it. And as, therefore, the sale was mutually beneficial, the appellant is deprived of all just cause of complaint.
Decree affirmed, with costs.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.