Mills v. Bell
Mills v. Bell
Opinion of the Court
delivered the resolution of the Court, as follows:
The foundation of this suit is an agreement entered into, in February, 1778, between David Bell and Robert Mills, both since dead, by which Bell agreed to sell to Mills, two tracts of land, which he hought of Wylie and John Francis; which he agreed should contain three hundred acres, and for which, he was to make Mills a sufficient title the next November. Mills was to pay 5001. Virginia money, and 100/. down; 60/. the next November, and 60/. every year following, until the whole was paid. The prompt payment was made, and so were those of November following, and that of November, 1779, but none of the subsequent payments were made. That for the GO<f. payable November, 1780, was tendered, in June, 1781, when the depreciation, according to the scale, had increased from 74 to 250, and, in December, 1781, that 60/. and the 60/. for November, 1781, were tendered; when either the paper was called out of circulation, or which is the same thing, the scale was at 1000 for one. If the subsequent payments had been made in specie, Bell Would have been made amends for former disappointments; and there appeal’s some reason to suppose such was the intention of the parties, but it is not so sufficiently proved as to be the ground of a decree. The depositions prove the tender of the paper money, and two witnesses say, that whilst the suit of Francis v. Mills, was depending, in conversation, Joseph Bell. said if Mills would parade the money, he thought he was still able to make a title to the land; and, after that suit was tried, Bell told Mills, the plaintiff, that, if he would comply with his uncle’s agreement, he was willing to receive the money; upon which, Mills said here is your money, agreeable to the scale, if you will make me a title. Bell replied, you are going to take advantage of me, and hastily went out of the room; upon which, Mills put a sum of specie into the hands of one of the witnesses, who counted it, and found it sufficient to discharge the debt, according to Mills’ report of the amount, but the sum is not mentioned. This evidence of a tender is too uncertain to enable the Court to say that the non-payment was owing to the creditor, so as to relieve the debtor under the fifth section of the Scaling act. - And, upon the whole, the contract is to he adjusted according to the second section of that act. It appears,
This Court having fixed the rule of compensation, and that the contract is subject to the legal scale, proceeded to adjust the dispute between the parties, in this manner; The 500/. purchase money reduced at five for one, is 100/.. the proportion of 210 acres lost so reduced is 70/., leaving 30/. specie to be paid for the 90 acres. Mills paid 220/.; which, reduced by the same scale, is 44/.; so that he overpaid 14/. in November, 1779; which he is certainly entitled to recover, with interest. The mesne profits and costs are rejected, because he received the profits himself, and should have paid them, without suit. The damages for his disappointment are also rejected; because, if he had been punctual in his payments, the title of Francis might have been purchased in, and a loss prevented. Therefore, the decree of dismission ought to be reversed, with costs, and a decree entered for Mills for 28/. (being the 14/. and interest for twenty years;) and the decree, as to the conveyance of the ninety acres, affirmed. The costs, in both Courts, in Chancery, to be borne equally by the parties.
The decree was as follows:
“ The Court is of opinion, that the purchase money, agreed to be paid by Robert Mills, for the lands in the proceedings mentioned, ought to be reduced to specie, according to the legal scale at the time of the contract, since none other appears to have been contemplated by the parties at the time; and that, as the contract remained executory at the time the appellant was evicted of part of the land, since it is probable that the title of Francis might have been purchased in, and the dispute avoided, if Robert Mills, or the appellant, had been punctual in their payments, the compensation to the appellant for the lost land ought to be adjusted according to the value at the time of the agreement, of which there is no evidence, except the consideration agreed to be paid; which, therefore, ought to be the rule; and that proportioned according to the quantities of the lands lost and saved, which allots to the land lost seventy pounds specie, and to the ninety acres saved, thirty pounds; and the appellant having paid two hundred and twenty pounds, which reduced amounts to forty-four pounds specie, by which fourteen pounds are
[* See Nelson v. Matthews, 2 H. & M. 164; Humphrey's adm'r. v. M'Clenachan's admr. 1 Munf. 500; Crenshaw v. Smith & Co. 5 Munf. 415, and the recent case of Stout v. Jackson, (Dec’r. 15, 1823,) 2 Rand. 132-174, in which this subject was much discussed, though not finally settled. Judge Green, after a very elaborate consideration of the question, expressed his opinion, that, “ the measure of damages is, and ought to be the same, in case of eviction, whether they he claimed in an action upon a warranty, or covenant of seisin, or of power to convey, or for quiet enjoyment; that this measure was settled hy the common law, upon principles of justice and sound policy, to be the value at the time of the contract, without regard to the increased or diminished value, or to improvements ; and the rents and profits, for which the tenant is responsible to the successful owner 5 that, as to any rents and profits, for which he maynotbe so responsible, the vendor would not he responsible, since the purchaser would have enjoyed them by virtue of his contract; and as to his improvements, if reasonable, they will be discounted against the rents and profits; if not, the vendor should not be responsible for them, and so the vendor cannot, in any case, lie responsible for improvements; and <Uat, with us, the value ought to he ascertained, (owing to the circumstances of our country,) not by the English rule, according to the issues beyond reprises, but according to the value in gross, the best standard of which is, in general, the price agreed upon by the parties, at the time of the sale. And, that when it does not otherwise ap~ pear what was the value of the rents and profits recovered from the purchaser, or for which he may be responsible, interest upon the purchase money from the time that such responsibility for rents and profits existed, should be given in lieu of rents and profits.53— Judge Brooke’s impressions accorded with the opinion of Judge Green: See the opinion of Luther Martin, in Sumner v. Williams, 4 Hall's Am. Law Journ. 129, 147, &c.; Staats v. Ten-Eyck's ex'rs., 1 Caine’s N Y. Rep. 111; Pitcher v. Livingston, 4 Johns. R 1; Bender v Fromberger, 4 Dall. R. 441; and Talbott v. Bedford's heirs, (Sup. Ct. Tenn.) 5 Hall's Am. Law Journ. 330. Judge Coalter, was of a contrary opinion: See Bickford v Page, 2 Mass. R. 455; Gore v. Brazier, 3 Mass. R. 523; Caswell v Wendall, 4 Mass. R. 108; Harris et al. v. Newell, 8 Mass. R. 262; Horsford et al. v. Wright, Kirby’s Conn. R. 3; Liber et ux. v. Parson’s ex'rs. 1 Bay’s R. 19; Guerard's ex'rs. v. Rivers, Ibid. 265.]
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.