In re Straub
In re Straub
Opinion of the Court
On the 23d day of February, 1888, Charles H. Straub purchased lot No. 107, in the town of Grafton, and on the 25th day of May following executed a deed of trust thereon to secure George W. Barnes a note for $1,400, payable four years thereafter. On June 29, 1891, Straub conveyed, with covenants of'general warranty, this property to his father, John P. Straub, for $3,250 in hand paid. By the will of John P. Straub, dated March 3, 1895, this property was by him devised jointly to his two children, the said Charles H. Straub and Mary F. Straub, now Simmons. On August 26, 1897, George W. Barnes died testate, and Kate Barnes qualified as his executrix. On May 25, 1898, Charles H. Straub executed to said Kate Barnes his note for $500, payable one day after date, in lieu of and for the unpaid balance of said original $1,400 debt. Charles H. Straub has been declared bankrupt, and in the settlement of his estate
I think the referee was clearly right in holding that there was no novation of the original debt and no extinguishment of the trust lien upon lot No. 107 to secure its payment. The debt was originally the debt of the bankrupt, and whether or not his father, when he took over the property, assumed to pay it, is not material here. It is very -clear he gave no new obligation to either Barnes or to his executrix therefor nor did he secure any release of the lien. This lien was of record, and therefore he took the property from his son with full notice of this lien, but without. personal assumption thereof. There could be no novation of the debt such as to destroy this lien without concurrent action on the part of the holder, Barnes, or his personal representative. The taking of a new note for the debt, or for an unpaid portion thereof, could work no such novation. A novation is the substitution of a new obligation for an old one, which is thereby extinguished, and its requisites are a valid prior obligation to be displaced, the consent of all parties to the substitution, the extinction of the old obligation, and the creation of a valid new one. The substitution may be in the debt or contract, in the debtor or in the creditor. 4 Current Taw, 838; In re Fuller & Bennett (D. C.) 152 Fed. 538. Here the same party executed the two notes to the same creditor (the executrix standing for the testator), the one for the. original debt the other for its unpaid balance and novation could not arise.
I think, however, the referee did err to the prejudice of the executrix in holding that she could only collect one half of this debt out of the proceeds of the sale of the bankrupt’s half interest in this property. It is to be remembered that this deed of trust constituted a conveyance of the legal title to this property and every part of it; that John P. Straub by his deed only took the equity of redemption, and by his will could only devise the equity of redemption back to his son and daughter; and that the creditors of either of these could only subject this equity of redemption to payment of their debts. The trust, being thus a conveyance of title held in security, the statutory, bar of limitation might bar the personal liability of the maker of the note, but could have no such effect to destroy the lien upon the property. In such case the holder of the lien cannot be required to surrender to unsecured creditors any single part of the property so held in trust by him until the whole of his debt is paid, unless he consent
The order of the referee will be reversed, and the case remanded to him, with directions to enter decree in accordance with this opinion.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In re STRAUB
- Status
- Published