Blood v. Crew Levick Co.
Blood v. Crew Levick Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The judgment now appealed from was entered for want of a sufficient affidavit of defense. The original and supplemental affidavits of defense are therefore to be examined to see if they set forth any ground of defense good against the Brown Oil Company. Looking at them as constituting together a state?
The second line of defense is equally unavailing. It is not alleged that anything was omitted from, or added to, the deed by fraud, accident or mistake. It is not alleged that it was incorrectly read or explained to the defendant. It is in substance an averment that the defendant understood the stipulation that it was not to look after the individual notes secured by the mortgage as relieving it from its express covenant to pay the mortgage itself. This construction was not adopted in Blood v. Crew Levick Co., supra, and cannot be sustained. The parties dealt at arms’ length. The amount of this mortgage was part of the purchase money which the defendant agreed to pay for the property it purchased. It was to be paid, not to Blood, but to Ins creditor; and this was expressly provided for by the covenant in the deed. In the absence of any definite allegation of fraud or mistake, it is elementary law that the written covenant must prevail. The allegation of “res adjudicata” does not rest on any such statement of the case, or of the point decided in the equity proceeding, as would enable us to determine whether the court below was in error or not. It may well be that the bill was dismissed because the plaintiff’s remedy was thought to be at law and in just such a form of action as we now have before us. The averment in the affidavit of defense is “ that the said bill was so proceeded in that it was by the court dismissed.” This does not show us what was decided, or the reason for which the bill was not entertained. This brings us to the fourth and last line of defense, viz, the existence of cross demands against A. R. Blood. If this action was brought for the recovery of purchase money belonging to A. R. Blood, and payable to him as owner, a cross demand could be properly set up against him. But while it is for purchase money for property sold to the defendant by Blood, it is for the use, of one to whom so much of the purchase money as is now in contro
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Clara S. Blood, etc. of A. R. Blood, for the use in part of the Brown Oil Company v. Crew Levick Company
- Cited By
- 12 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Deeds — Covenants and conditions — Effect of acceptance of deed. When a grantor conveys land by his deed upon terms and conditions stated therein, the grantee by accepting the deed consents to its conditions, and he is bound by them as íul ly as he could have bound himself by signing and sealing the covenants and conditions contained in the deed, and they may be enforced by the persons in whose behalf they are made with substantially the same effect. Deeds subject to lien of mortgage — Purchase money. A grantee of land who accepts a deed made “under and subject to the lien ” of a mortgage given by his grantor and “ subject to the payment of the mortgage ” is a purchaser as between himself and his grantor of the entire estate, and is liable to pay the mortgage as part of the purchase money due from him. Deeds — Parol evidence to vary written instrument — Affidavit of defense —Mortgage. A vendee of land accepted a deed from his vendor in which it was stipulated that the vendee should pay a mortgage on the land made by the vendor to secure the payment of vendor’s notes, but the vendee was not to be personally liable for the notes. In an action by the vendor to the use of the mortgagee against the vendee to recover the amount of the mortgage, the affidavit of defense contained an averment that the vendee understood the stipulation that he was not to look after the individual notes secured by the mortgage, as relieving him from his express covenant to pay the mortgage. It was not alleged that anything was omitted from, or added to the deed by fraud, accident or mistake, and it was not alleged that it was incorrectly read or explained to the defendant. Meld, that the affidavit of defense was insufficient to prevent judgment. Dismissal of bill in equity — Bes adjudicóla. An affidavit of defense is insufficient to prevent judgment which avers that the controversy had already been adjudicated in an equity suit, and avers that the bill in the equity suit “ was so proceeded in, that it was by the court dismissed.” In such a ease it may be that the bill was dismissed because the plaintiff’s remedy was thought to be at law, and in just such a form of action as that in which the affidavit of defense was filed. Deeds — General warranty — -Agreement to pay mortgage. A grantee in a deed agreed to pay off a mortgage created by his vendor. The deed contained a covenant of general warranty. There were other incumbrances upon the property besides the mortgage. Meld, that the failure of the grantor to pay the other incumbrances did not relieve the grantee of his liability to pay the amount of the mortgage to the mortgagee.