McIntosh v. Green
McIntosh v. Green
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court:
This is an appeal from a decree dismissing a bill to declare a trust in certain lands in the District of Columbia, and compel a conveyance of the legal title.
The bill alleged that in June, 1902, complainant, Albert McIntosh, through an agent, entered into an agreement with the
Defendant’s answer denied the alleged agreement, and averred the purchase of the property wholly with money obtained and advanced by defendant, and for his own benefit.
It is unnecessary to review the evidence on behalf of the parties respectively, as we concur in the views expressed by Mr. Justice Gould, who presided in the equity court, in the following extract from his opinion that has been made part of the record: “Without passing upon the question of fact involved in this testimony, or considering whether the testimony preponderates in plaintiff’s favor or not, I am of the opinion that plaintiff’s bill must be dismissed. His case is obviously bottomed upon the theory of a resulting trust, which arises when the purchaser of an estate pays the purchase money, and takes the title in the •name of a third person. ... In this case, plaintiff himself testified that he did not contribute a cent towards the payment for the real estate; he certainly assumed no liability on the
The learned justice was clearly right in the conclusion that there was no foundation upon which to raise up a resulting trust, and that the case resolved itself into an attempt to create an express trust in land by parol against the prohibition of the statute of frauds. Howland v. Blake, 97 U. S. 624, 628, 24 L. ed. 1027, 1029; 1 Perry, Tr. 4th ed. sec. 134; McCartney v. Fletcher, 11 App. D. C. 1, 20.
In Howland v. Blake the claim was that one Taylor, under a mortgage executed to him by Howland, had purchased the mortgaged property at foreclosure sale, and taken a conveyance under an oral agreement with Howland that the premises should still be held as security for the money due, and reconveyed upon extinguishment of the debt. Taylor, needing the money shortly thereafter, requested Howland to procure its advance by some other purchaser. Howland informed Blake and Elliott of the aforesaid facts, and requested them to advance the money and take Taylor’s place under an absolute conveyance. They paid
Tbe facts in tbe case at bar bring it entirely within tbe rule above declared, and tbe decree must be affirmed, with costs. It is so ordered. Affirmed.
Reference
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Equity; Resulting Trusts; Parol Agreements. A parol agreement by one to purchase land in his own name, to pay for it with his own money, and to hold it for the benefit of another person, will not, if executed, create a resulting trust in such other person, but is void under the statute of frauds as an attempt to create by parol an express trust in land.