Bass v. Wheless
Bass v. Wheless
Opinion of the Court
— The facts developed in these cases -are that on the 27th of May, 1857, John Sigler and wife sold and conveyed to “Martha W. Bilbo, her heirs and assigns forever,” the land in controversy, for the consideration of $4,800, of which $1,000 were paid in cash, and the residue secured by the two notes of the said Martha W. Bilbo and William N. Bilbo, her husband, at one and two 3rears, for $1,900, which notes were afterwards paid at maturity. On the 6th of April, 1860, William N. Bilbo and Martha W., his wife, by deed of that date, duly proved and registered, with the privy examination of the wife in due form, sold and conveyed said land to Joseph Wheless in fee, the consideration recited being $2,000 in cash, and $5,000 to be paid at the expiration of twelve months, for
Upon the foregoing facts the complainants would be clearly entitled to the relief sought. The land under the Sigler deed vested absolutely in Martha W. Bilbo, and the consideration advanced to the husband would, if there were nothing else in the case, be sufficient to sustain the mortgage as against her. It would be the ordinary case of the mortgage, by the wife, of her land to secure the husband’s debt. McFerrin v. White and wife, 6 Coldw. 499.
The bills are filed against the personal representative of William N. Bilbo, he having died, Martha W. Bilbo, and the children of William N. and Martha W. Bilbo, the children being made defendants upon the suggestion that some claim was set up in their behalf to the land. The defence set up for them and Martha W. Bilbo is that the land, although con
This deed was acknowledged by William N. Bilbo, before the clerk of the probate court of Lowndes county, Mississippi, on the 27th of January, 1847, and registered in the office of that clerk on the next day. A copy was afterwards, on the 27th of January, 1852, registered in this county.
The argument, based upon this instrument and proof of the pecuniary condition of William N. Bilbo, is that the land: in controversy was bought with the proceeds of Martha W. Bilbo’s property, whereby a trust, resulting or otherwise,, arose in her favor to her sole and separate use for life, with, remainder to her children, and that the wife and children, are entitled to set up this trust against these complainants.
The argument rests, it will be noticed, upon the idea that the instrument above recited is, in legal effect, a settlement of her property upon the said Martha W. Bilbo, to her sole- and separate use for life, with remainder to her children. But the instrument is, in reality, only a limitation of the marital rights of William N. Bilbo, in the event of the marriage, except in one contingency, the death of the wife without leaving a child living at her death. He renounces, in every other contingency, all his marital rights for the benefit of his wife and children. The closing clause of the instrument, quoted above in full, declares the intention of its execution to the same effect. Young v. Smith, L. R. 1 Eq. 180.
The idea that a future husband, by any instrument executed by him alone, in anticipation of marriage, can tie up the property of his future wife so as to place it beyond her control, and settle it in strict limitation upon her and her children, has no warrant in any principle of law of which I have any knowledge. No person can be deprived of his or her property, or limited in the legal control of it, by any instrument whatsoever not executed by him or her, and where there is no consideration to sustain the concession of a right. The authorities relied upon by the learned counsel for the
But if the law were otherwise, and the property of Martha W. Bilbo was impressed by the trusts relied on, and the trust funds were distinctly traced into the property in dispute, the defence would be of no avail. At most, it would be a resulting trust, or a trust to be implied from the use of the trust funds. But it is well settled that such trusts will not avail against a bona fide purchaser for value and without notice. 1 White & Tudor L. C. 335 (4th Am. ed.); Sandford v. Weeden, 2 Heisk. 81. There is no pretence that either Wheless or the testators of complainants had any notice of any such trusts previous to the execution of the deed by Bilbo and wife to Wheless, and the receipt of the money on Wheless’ notes by Bilbo. The advance of money upon the faith of a mortgage of land is pro tanto a sale, and gives such a mortgagee, to the extent of the money advanced, all the rights of a bona fide purchaser for value and without notice. A mortgage or trust to secure a preexisting debt would stand on a different footing altogether, and it is the latter class of authorities which are referred to in the argument in behalf of the defendant on this point.
The complainants are entitled to the relief sought, with costs.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.