Nichols v. Gordon
Nichols v. Gordon
Opinion of the Court
—If there is a cause of action stated in the petition, the verdict and judgment in this case must stand.
It is a suit against appellant, to recover an amount of money upon a warranty in a deed executed by her while femme covert, and to foreclose a mortgage upon two negroes, executed by her at the same time, to secure a title to the land described in the deed.
The petition alleges, that she and her husband bargained and sold, and conveyed the land by deed, “ a copy of which deed of conveyance is hereunto annexed and herewith filed, marked exhibit A, and is prayed to be taken as a part of this petition; which deed was duly acknowledged and delivered by said George W. Nichols and Rachael S. Nichols to the said Grinage,” (appellee’s intestate.) The deed exhibited has attached to it a certificate of private and separate examination of the wife, which does not state that the deed was explained to her, and that she declared that she did not wish to retract it.
Although this case may be different in its facts from that of Nichols v. Stewart, in 15 Tex., 235, it is not necessary now to consider the questions arising upon the defects of the certificate, or whether or not they are such as may be obviated> by explanatory evidence; because the judgment is rendered foreclosing the mortgage, and that is made an exhibit of in the petition in the same way as the deed, and is no acknowledgment of the mortgage whatever by the wife, nor is there any allegation in the petition -that she acknowledged the mortgage to be her act and deed privately and apart from her husband, or in any manner whatever. There is attached to the mortgage exhibited an affidavit of a witness, proving the execution of it in the usual mode of making such proof,
For this manifest defect in the cause of action, as presented in the petition, the judgment is
Beversed and the cause remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- George W. Nichols v. John F. Gordon, of Alfred Grinage
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Where the wife joined her husband in the execution of the mortgage of her separate property, but made no acknowledgment separate and apart from her husband, as required by the act of the 3d February, 1841, and substantially re-enacted 30th April, 1846, (Paschal’s Dig., Art. 1003, Note 427,) it was error to admit the mortgage in evidence upon a mere affidavit of a subscribing witness, made for the purpose of registration. (Paschal’s Dig., ' Art. 4982.) The statute requiring a separate acknowledgment of the wife cannot be disregarded.