Whitehurst v. Yandall
Whitehurst v. Yandall
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
In September, 1870, the complainant sold to defendants, S. D. and W. W. Yandall, a tract of 1,113 acres of land, in Gibson county, for $10,000. At the
The purchase money for the tract sold to the Yandalls was payable 25th December, 1870, 1871, and 1872, and three notes of Walker, 1,500 each, were made payable to complainant, and the notes of the Yandalls were executed for the balance of the purchase money.
Complainant executed his bond for title, binding himself to the Yandalls to make a warrantee deed in payment of the several notes, the bond having recited as the consideration for the land the three several notes of the said Yandalls, and also the several notes of said J. R. S. Walker.
S. D. Yandall also bound himself to convey the tract sold to Walker when the notes to complainant were paid.
On the 23d December, 1871, the complainant executed his deed to the Yandalls for the tract of land of 1,113 acres, as recited in the deed, for the considertion of notes on Moore & Hutchison, endorsed by S. D. Yandall, and the three notes on Walker.
This bill is filed by the complainant in the Chancery Court at Trenton, claiming a lien upon the tract of land of 1,113 acres, sold by him to the Yandalls, and also upon the tract sold by Yandall to Walker, for the three notes of Walker which ■ remain unpaid. The bill prays specifically for the sale of the land sold by complainant to the Yandalls, and for general relief.
Defendants S. D. & W. W. Yandall filed their
The material question, therefore, in this case is, did the complainant relinquish his vendor’s lien upon the-land sold to the Yandall’s, or has he the right to enforce such lien against the 1,113 acre tract sold by him to the Yandalls for the satisfaction of Walker’s notes.
S. D. Yandall was examined as a witness, and states that he and W. W. Yandall bought the land of complainant at $10,000, with the understanding that he would take the Booth land, being the tract sold to Walker at $4,500, as that much paid on the land,, and witness was to be in no way liable for Walker’s notes. All witness agreed to do was to have a good title made for the land; that learning complainant was about to move to Kansas, and desiring to get a deed before he left, he made an arrangement to give Moore & Hutchison’s notes for his and W. W. Yandall’s, and complainant executed the deed. The notes of Moore & Hutchison have been in some way settled between the parties, and the only question arising in the casé-is in respect to the Walker notes.
S. D. Sandford states that the day the notes and title bonds were executed, he was present and heard.
W. H. Kellough states that he was called upon to draw the several title bonds and notes between complainants Yandalls and Walker. The first instrument he drew was the title bond from complainant to Yan-dalls, and while writing it, and at that part stating the consideration, complainant and Yandall got into a dispute, complainant insisting that Yandall should take the notes of Walker payable to himself, and endorse them to him, which Yandall refused to do. While they were still disputing, witness went out of the house and told them when they agreed to call him. In ten or fifteen minutes he was called back and finished the title bond and other instruments. When he left the house Walker, and one or two of complainant’s sons, were in the house with complainant and Yandall.
M. F. Whitehurst states that Yandall insisted upon his taking the Walker notes as a payment on the land, but he refused to do so. Yandall then agreed that the notes should be a lien on the land sold him, and we completed the trade. Witness states he did not agree to receive the notes as a payment as money.
• Walker states that Kellough and Sandford had walked out before the trade was closed, and it was closed in the presence of himself, Whitehurst, and his son, and complainant took his, witness’, three notes in lieu of Yandall’s noles; that he did not take them as so much money paid on the land, but the agreement was that Whitehurst was to hold a lien on the land he sold to Yandall until the said three notes executed by witness were paid.
Where land is sold and conveyed, and the whole or part of the purchase money remains unpaid, it is presumed that the vendor intends to retain a lien upon the conveyed premises for the unpaid purchase money: 2 Hum., 248; 3 Hum., 616. But where the party selling real estate gives bond to make title when the purchase money is paid, the law regards the legal title as having been retained as absolute security for the purchase money; and it would require very strong evidence to establish that the vendee’s right to an absolute conveyance, free from the vendor’s lien, was dependant upon other or different conditions than the payment of the purchase money: 9 Hum., 508; 2 Heis., 401.
There was then no waiver or relinquishment of the vendor’s lien by any recital in the bond, on the contrary, it is expressly reserved. And the weight of the evidence supports the recitals of the bond.
Was there, then, any waiver of the lien reserved
When the deed was executed the proof does not show that there was any new agreement as to the Walker notes. They were recited in the title bond as part consideration of the land, when the lien for-their payment was expressly retained. In the deed they are, also recited as having been received as part consideration of the land, but there is no where any proof at this time of any express waiver or act amounting to waiver of the lien for their payment.
The taking of the deed does not waive the lien retained in the title bond: 2 Heis., 159.
We are of opinion, therefore, that the decree of the Chancellor, declaring that the complainant had no lien on the land sold to Yandall for the amount of
The costs will be paid out of proceeds, of sale of the land.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.