Spence v. Armour
Spence v. Armour
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
The bill in this cause was filed to foreclose a mortgage upon a lot or parcel of ground in the city of Memphis. The lot was sold on the 29th April, 1867, pursuant to the decree of the Chancery Court of Memphis, and was purchased by W. F. Hardin. The sale was confirmed upon the Master’s report, on the 2d July, 1867, without exception thereto.
The mortgage, decree ordering the sale, and the advertisement of the sale describe the lot as follows: Beginning at a point on or near Monroe street, which is the south-east corner of Samuel Mansfield’s lot, purchased by him from Vm. Houston, running thence westwardly on, and with the north line of Monroe street, one hundred feet thence,” &c.
The application to set aside the sale is resisted, upon the ground that Hardin knew before his purchase, and before the execution .of bis. notes and the confirmation of the sale, the facts now alleged as the grounds upon which he seeks to be released, and with full .knowledge of these facts executed his notes, took no exceptions to the Master’s report of sale, nor sought
It appears from the record that the notes for the purchase money were not executed upon the day of. sale, but several weeks afterward. Before confirmation of a sale, the proper mode to have it set aside is by filing a petition in the cause for that purpose. After the sale has been confirmed and the term of the court at which the confirmation is had is passed, it can only be set aside for fraud, accident, mistake, or other sufficient ground, which the party was deprived of the opportunity of pleading or relying upon in the original cause, without fault or negligence on his part, to be set out in an original bill, so that the parties may have opportunity to make defense by demurrer, plea or answer.
Conceding that the petition in this case may be treated as an original bill, we are of opinion that the petitioner is not entitled to be relieved of his purchase upon the ground set forth in his petition. He complains only that the lot purchased by him does not begin on Mansfield’s corner on Monroe street, nor run with the line of the said street, but that there is a small strip of land belonging to Johnson lying between Monroe street and the lot purchased.
If Hardin had insisted upon being relieved from his purchase when he ascertained this fact, he would have been entitled to a rescission of his purchase.
We are therefore of opinion that with full knowledge of all the facts constituting his right to relief, he elected to hold on to his purchase, waived his right to a cancellation of the trade, and must abide by it.
The Chancellor’s decree will be affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.