Brimingham v. Tapscott
Brimingham v. Tapscott
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The complainant seeks -by his bill to enforce his lien as vendor • of a lot in Hhion City for unpaid purchase money. He had sold the lot in question to defendant in 1868 for the sum of one thousand dollars, for which defendant executed several notes, and among them one for six hundred dollars. The complainant alleges that the last note of six hundred dollars had been paid, except the sum of forty-eight dollars fifty cents, which, with interest to the- time of the filing of the bill, amounted to the sum of fifty dollars and ninety-two cents. As the only evidence of debt, he exhibits the defendant’s note for forty-seven dollars, due November 9th, 1868, the same being, as it recites, “the last payment for a lot of land situated in Hnion City.” He states that in the execution of this note there was a mistake in calculation of one dollar and fifty cents, whereby the note was made for forty-seven dollars instead of forty-eight dollars and fifty cents, the true balance due to him at
The complainant appealed.
Without determining the main question made in the argument as to the jurisdiction of a Court of Chancery in enforcing the lien of vendors of land, where the amount of purchase money due is less than fifty dollars, we hold that the bill in this case was improperly dismissed upon other and well settled principles. The bill makes a prima facie case of jurisdiction. It shows upon its face a balance of purchase money due, more than fifty dollars. This made a question - of account between the parties as to what was really due, which should have been heard upon its merits, vide Spurlock v. Fulks, 1 Swan, 289. In, that case it is held, that if the debt or demand set forth in the bill exceed
The decree of the Chancellor is reversed, and the cause will be remanded for further proceedings.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.