Law Commons^™

Deed-Conditions Subsequent-Is An Estate Forfeited On Ceasing To Use Land For Purposes Specified In Grant?

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Real Property--Use Of "Descend" In Deed--Word Of Limitation, William J. Moore

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Landlord And Tenant-Interference With Possession Of Tenant As Basis For Suit By Landlord-Injunction

Michigan Law Review

In the recent case of Petty v. Langan the South Dakota court granted to a landlord an injunction restraining a third party who claimed the right to a lease, "from going upon the land or interfering witμ the right of plaintiff and his tenant to the possession thereof." No authority was cited by the court for the position it took, and the result is hard to square with orthodox views, but the holding appears sound on principle and desirable.

Mortgages - Exchange For Deed With Option To Repurchase Or Sell To A Third Person And Take The Excess Of Purchase Money

Michigan Law Review

There is no principle more firmly established in equity than the one that the right of redemption constitutes an integral part of every mortgage. Neither by a stipulation in the mortgage itself, nor by any separate contemporaneous agreement, nor by giving a deed intended as a mortgage is it possible for the mortgagor to waive his equitable right to redeem. The application of this principle makes ineffectual the delivery of a deed in escrow at the time the note and mortgage are given, on condition that if the mortgagor does not pay his debt promptly the deed shall be delivered …

Adverse Possession-Possession By Church Corporation

Michigan Law Review

This was an action in ejectment. The defendant, a church corporation, claimed title to the land in question, which adjoined the church, by virtue of adverse possession. Held, that the rule that a corporation can show possession only by proving formal corporate acts is inapplicable to a church organization, members of which constitute the corporation, and that the acts of the members of the church in using this property to park cars on, for social purposes, etc., were, in effect, corporate acts of the church so as to vest title in that organization. Davy v. Trustees of Protestant Episcopal …

Contracts-Liability Of Assignee For Unfullfilled Duties Of His Assigned

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff contracted for the sale of lands with H., title being reserved in the plaintiff. The contract purported to bind the assigns of both parties, and contained an acceleration provision in favor of the plaintiff on default of any payment. Under North Dakota law the parties were substantially in the position of vendor-mortgagee and vendee-mortgagor. H then assigned to the defendant who made payments to the plaintiff, and there was also testimony indicating that in the printed form of the assignment defend ant had promised the assignor to assume the duties under the original contract. Upon default and foreclosure sale …

Estates-Tenancy By Entireties--Ability Of Judgment Creditor To Reach Tenant's Interest

Michigan Law Review

Shortly after the plaintiff's judgment had been docketted and a fruitless attempt made to have it satisfied, the defendant and his wife became devisees of some land, holding it as tenants by entireties. Knowing his wife to be in poor health and fearing he might survive her, the defendant persuaded her to join in a conveyance to their granddaughter for only a nominal consideration. Both women were unaware of the defendant's real motive, but the defendant himself understood the effect of what he was doing and was anxious to place the land beyond the plaintiff's reach. Held, that the …

Negligence-Spread Of Fire-"New York Rule."

Michigan Law Review

The properties of plaintiff and defendant were separated by a city street. While filling a gasoline tank on his premises defendant allowed the tank to overflow, the escaping gasoline ignited, the fire spread to a warehouse on defendant's property and thence, across the street, to plaintiff's buildings. Held, that the negligence of the defendant was the proximate cause of the injury to the plaintiff, within the so-called "New York Rule" of limited liability in such cases, inasmuch as the titles of the two parties ran to the center of the street. Homac Corporation v. Sun Oil Co., 244 …

Property-Meander Lines As Boundaries

Michigan Law Review

In a recent decision the supreme court of Michigan has considered anew, and with refreshing insight, the significance of a meander line as a boundary. The case arose on a bill to foreclose a land contract to which the defendant filed a cross-bill alleging fraud in the sale. The property which abutted on Lake Michigan was represented by plaintiff's agent as extending to a point about one hundred feet from the shore of the lake. The meander line was two hundred seventy-seven feet from the water's edge. On the theory that the plaintiff had no interest in the strip between …

Adverse Possession-Grantor Against Grantee-Requirement Of Notice

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff owning a fee deeded it to his wife in 1893. The wife died in 1911, and plaintiff continued lo reside on the land ever since. Shortly after the wife's death plaintiff told defendants, his daughters, that he and his wife had held the land by" entirety, and that he was, therefore, the sole owner by right of survivorship. Defendants never learned of the deed to the wife until the instigation of this suit. Plaintiff claimed that he had reacquired ownership by adverse possession, and brought a bill to cancel the deed to his wife and remove the cloud from …

Adverse Possession-Interests Thereby Created And Extinguished

Michigan Law Review

One F., the owner of premises, executed a lease thereof to T. from year to year. A. took possession under T. as a tenant at will, and remained for more than the period of the statute of limitations. (Under the applicable statute the possession of a tenant at will becomes adverse after the first year.) F. then died and the land was sold by the executors to T. Upon T's death, plaintiff, his successor in interest, brought action to recover possession from the widow of A. who had recently died. The defendant claimed that since she was entitled to notice …

Bailment-Fungible Goods-Conversion

Michigan Law Review

Defendant conducted a grain elevator business, storing grains of like quality in one common bin. During a period of several months, the total grain on hand in the elevator was insufficient to meet all outstanding storage receipts. Previous to the plaintiff's demand, the defendant acquired sufficient grain to meet all outstanding claims. Held, the conversion was "cured." State ex rel. Hermann v. Farmers' Elevator Co. et al. ("N.D. 1930) 231 N.W. 725.

Landlord And Tenant-Liability For Taxes

Michigan Law Review

Defendant, a lessee, covenanted to pay all taxes assessed against the property. After having been transferred to several parties successively, the lease was surrendered on April 7, 1928, to the original lessor, under an agreement providing that, "the original lessee, and its assigns, shall be released from all further obligations imposed upon lessee in said lease contract." Taxes which had become a. lien. on the property by assessment Jan. 1, 1928, were due in three equal installments payable the following April 15th, July 15th, and Oct. 15th, respectively, Upon the failure of the original lessee to pay the taxes, the …

Sales-Passage Of Title Before Payment Of Purchase Price

Michigan Law Review

In January, S agreed to sell his business to the plaintiff, who went into possession, took over the lease, and operated the business. He did not have sufficient money to pay the purchase price at the time, and no bill of sale was given. A creditor of S took judgment on a promissory note made by S, of the existence of which note the plaintiff first became aware in February, and levied execution on the goods in the store. The plaintiff filed a claim of property. Held, that there was no sale at the time of the transfer of …

Easements-Creation By Implied Reservation

Michigan Law Review

The owner oi a tract of land subdivided it into five lots and saved a twelve-foot strip for a driveway along the rear of each, making the lots accessible from a side street. The plaintiff and the defendant were purchasers of two of these lots. Some time after the sale of the defendant acquired all the original owner's interest in the driveway by a quitclaim deed and immediately began to erect a garage on the drive, thus preventing the plaintiff from using it. Held, that an easement arose by implied grant and that the plaintiff was, therefore, entitled to …

Condemnation-Property Rights In Space Under Sidewalk

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Receivers-Appointment Without Notice-Sufficient Cause--Plaintiff

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Contracts--Risk Of Loss Under Executory Land Contract--Disposition Of Insurance Process.

Michigan Law Review

When buildings, which are part of the subject matter of an executory contract for the sale of land, are accidentally destroyed by fire, there immediately arises the question of who, as between the vendor and the purchase, shall bear the loss. The majority of courts in this country place it on the purchaser. This was the result reached in the leading English case of Paine v. Meller and has been adopted in the following states: California, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and West Virginia. …

Trusts-Devices For Defeating Rights Of Creditors

Michigan Law Review

Attempts to protect property rights from the claims of creditors are faced at common law with the initial objection that restraints on the power of alienation are wholly ineffective. An exception has been recognized in this country in the case of equitable interests for life or for years. This exception, criticized severely at the time it was first recognized, has established itself in the law of most states in this country, though rejected in two jurisdictions.

Contracts-Breach Of Implied Warranty That Construction Be Usable For Purpose Intended

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff and defendant entered into a contract by the terms of which defendant was to assign to plaintiff an equity in a land contract to purchase a lot. The plaintiff was to complete the payments and sell to the defendant on a land contract this same lot with a house and garage to be erected by the plaintiff, an experienced builder, according to plans and specifications to be drawn by the latter. The defendant was to be given credit for the amount he had previously paid on the lot, and the price was further reduced by the defendant doing the …

Contracts-Rescission For Substantial Breach-Lien For Improvements Given Vendee

Michigan Law Review

For statement of facts see preceding note in this issue, Younger v. Caroselli, 251 Mich. 533, 232 N.W. 378.

According to the majority view in the United States, a builder, whose substantial breach of contract (the instant case can hardly be considered one of substantial performance) is merely negligent and in good faith, can recover the value of his labor and materials less the damage caused the promisee.

Deeds-Side Of Lake As Boundary-Presumption That Grantee Takes To Center

Michigan Law Review

ln a conveyance of land adjoining a lake, the description read in part, "thence running northerly * * * to the Rockland Lake thence westwardly along the south side of the Rockland Lake." Held, that the grantee took to the center of the lake. White v. Knickerbocker Ice Co. et al. (N. Y. 1930) 172 N.E. 452.

Conflict Of Laws Treatment Of Interpretation And Construction Of Deeds In Reference To Covenants, Raymond J. Hellman

Michigan Law Review

It is submitted that the terms "interpretation" and "construction" and the verbs "interpret" and "construe" should be used with distinct significations. There are two types of problems with reference to which these terms are used, often ambiguously and unclearly. In one type of problem a question is presented and sought to be answered as to what someone actually or apparently intended. There is an effort to reach a result which was actually desired even though the data tending to show this may be of limited utility. In the other type of problem it is recognized or realized either that there …

Land Title Registration-Effect Of Registration Of Forged Deed And Transfer To Bona Fide Purchaser Under Torrens Act

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiffs, purchasers of land previously brought under Illinois Torrens Act, delivered certificate of title to party under agreement to sell, who forged deed to himself, had certificate issued in his name, and then conveyed to defendants who were good faith purchasers for value. Plaintiffs informed registrar of the forgery after the defendants had bought, and demanded cancellation of the deeds and certificates, and the reissue of a certificate to themselves. The registrar refused, and this petition was brought to compel such action. Held, plaintiffs having voluntarily bought land brought under Torrens system, there was a waiver of any constitutional …

Public Purpose In Taxation And Eminent Domain, Julius R. Bell

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

La Prescripción Adquisitiva En Las Servidumbres, Mario Palacio De La Cruz

Mario Diaz Cruz Pamphlets

Orientación que en las modernas legislaciones se le esta dando una opinión de Mario Palacio de la Cruz

Legal Concepts In Cases Of Eminent Domain, Joseph M. Cormack

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mortgages-Foreclosure-Default In Interest

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff was a mortgagee of certain real property. A clause in the mortgage provided that the whole amount should become due after default for twenty days in the payment of any installment of interest. Through an arithmetical error of its clerk, the defendant corporation, owner of the equity of redemption, paid $401.87 less than the amount of interest due on one installment. The total interest due was $4621.56. The clerk discovered the error and notified the mortgagee that it would be corrected as soon as the president of the corporation, who alone was authorized to sign checks, returned from Europe. …

Reformation Of Instruments-Mistake Of Facts Underlying Intention

Michigan Law Review

A debtor determined to mortgage all his property for the benefit of several creditors. His son, commissioned to draw the instrument, was informed that a note to the plaintiff, indorsed by the debtor, would be taken care of by the party primarily liable. So he intentionally omitted the plaintiff's note from the mortgage executed to the other creditors. The note was never paid. After foreclosure of the mortgage, leaving no surplus, the plaintiff sought reformation of the mortgage so as to be included as mortgagee, claiming that the debtor's intention to secure all bank creditors was not executed through mistake …

Under The Lien Theory Of Mortgages Is The Mortgage Only A Power Of Sale?, Bernard C. Gavit

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.