Prado v. Estate of Río
Prado v. Estate of Río
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The question involved in this appeal relates to a tacit legal mortgage. María de la Encarnación Prado, widow of Suro, brought a suit against the Succession of Alonso del Rio, naming in the complaint the persons who formed said succession. The complaint sets up in substance that the complainant inherited from her parents and her brother a share in the plantation “Encarnación” belonging to the heirs of Prado,, which share amounted to $7,279.39 Spanish currency, and that during 'her marriage her legitimate husband, Juan Snro, received the said share or coownership for the purpose of administration by a real and express delivery, the said. $7,279.39 being a part of the total value of the farm amounting to $130,000; that on March 28, 1862, before the notary, Lajara, the complainant being subject to the power of 'her husband, and upon his counsel and consent, sold her co-ownership of the aforesaid plantation to one Pablo Soliveras for the said sum of $7,279.39, which she stated that she had. received before the execution, without explaining whether she
The defendants answered admitting the execution of the deed of March 28, 1862, before the notary, Lajara, setting up that in that deed the complainant acknowledged having received the price previous to the execution, and that in that deed the husband only appeared to give his consent which the law requires as an indispensable requisite; also admitting that Alonso del Rio acquired the property which formed part of the plantation ‘‘Maria,” and also that Juan Suro died in Yega Baja on December 13, 1871, and practically denying all the other facts of the complaint. The answer also set up that Juan Suro died in 1871, leaving a piece of property by the name of “Maria”; that when Juan Suro died his property was subject to a mortgage of $8,675; that eight years after the death of the husband the complainant acknowledged that she owed to Joaquin Julia, the widow and heir of José Borrell in whose favor the said mortgage was executed, the sum of $25,473.84; that portions of the two farms forming the plantation “Maria” were sold in payment of taxes and were acquired by Alonso del Rio, some directly and others by purchase from the other bidders, and that also
At the trial on June 11, 1907, in order to prove the delivery from the wife to the husband, a deed was presented by which María Aureliana de la Encarnación Prado, the plaintiff here, sold her private property to Pablo Soliveras, in which deed her husband limits himself to grant the marital permission required by law, and, therefore, this deed does not demonstrate the delivery to the 'husband of the proceeds of the sale. On February 10, 1869, the plaintiff made a power of attorney to some third person in order that the latter may represent her at a meeting of creditors. In this document the plaintiff sets forth the following, namely, the exclusive right which she had to the property of the aforesaid husband on account of the property which she brought to the marriage and her right to recover with absolute preference. She executed this deed before Alonso del Rio who is now defendant and who was a witness of this power of attorney and by reason of his acting in these capacities she charges him with a knowledge of her preferential right for her para-phernal property, and that he may not be considered as a third person or innocent purchaser for value without notice. This was the earliest date at which the plaintiff made known her intention. The court below did not give much force or credence to the testimony of the wife by reason of the facts of the assertion in the power of attorney having been made at
We do not think that the proof in this ease shows the express delivery which the law requires. (See decision of this court in the case of Amy v. Amy, of June, 1909.) We- agree with the court below, moreover, that with respect to third persons this assertion that Mrs. Suro made could only take effect from the date of its being made, namely, February 10, 1869. The fact that it was executed before him and that he was a witness of the same, does not deprive him of his capacity as a third person. Such an act is merely a formal one and the law requires some act or admission on his part which would show a knowledge of the alleged legal tacit mortgage existing in favor of the wife of Juan Suro. To this effect is the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Amy v. Amy, supra. This property was acquired by Alonso del Rio, as the evidence shows, partly by purchase at the said auction sales for failure to pay taxes, and partly from the execution sale made on the mortgage which was executed by Juan Suro in favor of José Borrell on May 11, 1867. The property was so acquired before 1869, and before it could be charged with a tacit legal mortgage some more definite knowledge on the part of the defendant must be proved.
We find no error in the judgment of the court below and the same must be affirmed.
Affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.