Ayer v. Hughes
Ayer v. Hughes
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the Court was delivered by
In this action for partition the appellants, P. K. Plughes and Savilla Hughes, excepted to the report of the commissioners and sought to have sold the land assigned to the other parties in interest, alleging that the portions of land assigned to themselves had been greatly overvalued, and the portions assigned to the other parties greatly undervalued. In the complaint t’he plaintiffs demanded that the land be partitioned in kind, while the defendant P. K. Hughes in his answer demanded a sale of the land and a division of the proceeds. Other issues were'made in the pleadings with respect to a mortgage on the interests of some of the parties held by P. K. Hughes. All these differences between the parties were finally adjusted by an order for partition, consented to by all concerned, in which it was specially provided that there should be an actual division of the land made by commissioners to be binding on all parties as follows: “It shall be the duty of the commissioners in making said partition and division to first make a survey of the entire tract of land and fix the value thereon, then partition and divide said lands in the manner following: That portion of the said tract of land where the late Mrs. Olivia E. Plughes resided, in the northeast portion, so as to include the buildings thereon, they shall cut off for the said P. K. Plughes such of said tract as will equal in value five-elevenths of the wdiole tract, taking into consideration the buildings and improvements thereon. Next the commissioners shall cut off adjoining said tract provided *384 and cut off for the said P. K. Hughes, such a portion of said land as shall equal in value one-eleventh of the whole tract for iSavilla Hughes, defendant herein. The remaining portion of said land shall be divided in five lots or tracts so that each lot or tract shall be equal in value and shall be numbered from one to five, and a plat shall be made by said surveyor showing the entire survey made. These last five lots or tracts shall be allotted in the following manner: The numbers of the lots shall be written on slips of paper and placed in a hat and drawn Out by a child that cannot read' the numbers. The first drawn shall be allotted to Mrs. Carrie Ayer, the second to Mrs. Annie Rentz, third to Mrs. Sal-lie Smith, fourth to the children of the said Ella Hughes, deceased, George Folk, Bessie Folk, H-ammie Folk, John Folk and Flossie Folk, fifth to the children of the said Sarah H. Ayer, deceased, T. J. Ayer, Hattie Hutto, F. C. Ayer, R. A. Ayer, Frank Ayer, and Virginia Ayer. * * .* And the work of these commissioners, the partition and division of said lands made by them, shall be binding upon all -the parties herein.”
The commissioners, who were agreed on by counsel according to another provision of the order, found that the tract of land contained- five hundred and six acres of the value of $6,600; and they- set apart to P. K. Hughes as his five-elevenths interest a tract containing one hundred and eighty-five acres valued at $3,000, and to Savilla Hughes, as her -one-eleventh interest, a tract of forty-nine and one-half acres valued at $600. The remainder of the land was divided into a number of tracts which were valued and set off to the other .parties in interest.
In support of his contention that the return of the commissioners should be set aside as grossly unequal and unjust, P. K. Hughes submitted -a large number of affidavits, all to the effect that the portions of the land assigned to him and Savilla Hughes were worth much less, and the portions assigned to the other parties were worth considerably more *385 than the value as assessed by the commissioners. In further support of his position P. K. Hughes submitted to the Court the following offers :
I. “To exchange the five shares which the commissioners have cut off for me, the said P. K. Hughes, for the other five shares cut off by the commissioners for Mrs. Carrie Ayer, estate of Mrs. Sallie Ayer deceased, Mrs. Sallie Smith, estate of Mrs. Ella Folk, deceased, and Mrs. Annie Rentz (one tract for each of the said parties respectively), and will pay in cash the sum of $1,000 in the exchange.
II. “P. K. Hughes offers to purchase and pay in cash the sum of $4,000 for the five shares above mentioned.
III. “P. K. Hughes offers to purchase Mrs. 'Carrie Ayer’s tract at $900'; the tract cut off for the estate of Mrs. Sallie Ayer, $750q 'Sallie Smith’s tract, $750'; the estate of Mrs. Ella Folk’s tract, $800; and Mrs. Annie Rentz, $800.
IV. “P. K. Hughes offers to purchase the tract cut off for Mrs. Savilla Hughes for $200 cash.
“The above offers are made reserving, however, the question of the mortgage indebtedness to me from the estate of Mrs. Sallie Ayer, and with the further proviso that all liens of whatever kind or nature are removed from the five tracts above mentioned.
“The above offers are made to pay cash immediately upon the delivery of goods and sufficient deeds to the property named.”
To this paper was attached the following guaranty: “Bamberg, S. C., July 8, 1909. To whom these presents may concern: The Peoples Bank, Bamberg, S. C., hereby guarantees the faithful performance of the attached offer to purchase real estate made by P. K. Hughes, the amount not (o exceed $4,000.
PPopuPs’ Bank, Bamberg, S. C.,
W. P. Riley, Cashier.”
*386 On 'behalf of the other parties numerous affidavits were submitted to the effect that the valuation of the several tracts made by the commissioners was correct and fair. The appeal is from an order of the Circuit Court overruling the exceptions and confirming the report of the commissioners.
*387
It is the judgment of this Court that the judgment of the Circuit Court be affirmed.
Reference
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- Syllabus
- 1. Partition. — Where an order of partition allows commissioners to recommend a sale any party considering himself aggrieved may bring the land to sale by making and securing a bid for a material advance in price, but he must offer to subject to sale also the part allotted to him. 3. Guaranty. — A bank- has no power to guarantee an undertaking by another unless expressly authorized by law. 3. Partition.- — Where parties to a partition suit consent to an order directing commissioners to be selected by them to divide lands in kind and providing that such allotment shall be- binding on all parties, one party cannot have the land brought to sale after allotment by commissioners unless he can show they did not exercise their honest judgment.