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(- Miss.-, 106 So. 99.)

of lawyers, presenting two distinct theories upon which it is thought this court erred.

First. Assuming to be correct our holding that, when a mortgagor conveys mortgaged premises to a purchaser and such purchaser in the deed to him assumes to pay his grantor's mortgage debt, said purchaser becomes primarily liable for

the debt thus assumed, upon the acceptance or ratification of the situation thus created by the original mortgagee. It is now urged that the court, having erred in granting a peremptory instruction to C. R. Smith, G. B. McLemore, and Leslie Poe, and at the same time the issue as to whether J. L. Smith and H. E. Smith had been released verbally by Gilliam et al. or not, told the jury that the jury were influenced by this error in granting a peremptory instruction in favor of McLemore et al. to find the verdict in favor of J. L. and H. E. Smith, and that therefore, for this error, the court should reverse and remand the case for a new trial upon the issue of whether or not J. L. and H. E. Smith were released by the verbal agreement set up by them as a defense to the suit.

This very plausible and ingenious presentation of the contention that an error in favor of one joint defendant whose defense was separate should operate in favor of the other defendant who had a different defense, it having resulted that this court held the second defendant's successful defense operated to release the first defendant, is present ed with some force, but without citation of authority to support the

same.

J. L. and H. E. Smith had no concern, so far as the issue then on trial before the court was concerned, with whether Gilliam et al. were released or not. The sole issue submitted to the jury was as stated above, and for us to say that the granting of the peremptory instruction wrongfully to McLemore et al. prejudiced the jury, in deciding the issue submitted to them in

favor of J. L. and H. E. Smith, we should be compelled to say that the jury had been influenced by that which had not been submitted to them and to impute to them bad faith, which we are not permitted to do until that clearly appears in a given case, which is not here made.

The argument that the jury were influenced by a peremptory instruction given other defendants, while possible, but a fortiori the fact that McLemore and Smith who had paid an immense amount cash on this place would be interested in Smith's securing a verdict on the issue, most likely would have been stronger with the jury in rendering the verdict they did in favor of Smith, in order that McLemore might surely be released from what might have appeared to the jury to be a just adjudication of the situation. But neither of these views are tenable or permitted, be- Appealing mere speculation, because pre-instruc sumably the jury tried the case on the testimony and the instruction of the court on the issue submitted to them. So that we think this contention cannot be sustained.

erroneous

instruction

Second. The other suggestion of error may be stated thus: That the defendant, Leslie Poe, received scant attention from the court in the main opinion, and this is true. But he was scarcely mentioned in the briefs of counsel, or in the evidence taken in the case, and that error was committed in not holding that the plaintiffs were entitled to recover from Leslie Poe the full

amount of the mortgage debt assumed by him in the deed made to him and accepted by him.

It will be remembered that Gilliam, Blum, et al., conveyed lands to McLemore and Smith, and gave a mortgage to their grantors for the balance of the unpaid purchase money, and thereafter in turn McLemore and Smith conveyed the

same lands to Leslie Poe, J. L. and H. E. Smith, who accepted from McLemore et al. a deed in which they

assumed to pay McLemore and Smith's mortgage debt to Gilliam, Blum, et al.; and thereafter in turn Leslie Poe conveyed the same land to his associates, J. L. and H. E. Smith, with the provision that he should pay the original mortgage debt to Gilliam, Blum, et al. Thereafter all of the above parties named, except Leslie Poe, entered into an extension contract by which Gilliam, Blum, et al. extended the time of payment, to which written extension contract Leslie Poe was not a party. Thereafter, according to the decision of this court, affirming the judgment rendered upon the verdict of the jury, Gilliam, Blum, et al. released J. L. and H. E. Smith verbally for a valuable consideration, and Gilliam, Blum, et al. entered upon the land, the subject-matter of the mortgage debt, and took possession thereof sometime before foreclosure. Then in a short time Gilliam, Blum, et al. proceeded to have foreclosed their mortgage, and, after having bought in the property, leaving a balance unpaid of $194,634, after applying the proceeds of the sale to the mortgage debt.

It will be noted that Leslie Poe offered to become primarily liable for this debt along with J. L. and H. E. Smith; that plaintiffs, Gilliam, Blum, et al., never knew in fact that Leslie Poe had made this offer un. til the filing of the declaration in this case. In the meantime Poe's offer to pay the debt and become primarily liable therefor had been changed, and there had been substituted therefor J. L. and H. E. Smith's offer to become primarily liable therefor, and Poe to become surety therefor, which offer of J. L. and H. E. Smith was accepted by the plaintiffs, Gilliam, Blum, et al., as evidenced by their extension agreement. This is one material change in the status of the parties after Poe's offer to become primarily liable.

The next change is that the plaintiffs released J. L. and H. E. Smith at a time when they did not know that Poe had ever been liable to them. The next important change

is that the lands were sold by foreclosure under the mortgage, which resulted in a balance as stated above. After these important changes in the status of the parties had taken place, can Poe be held liable because of a ratification evidenced only by the bringing of this suit?

We think it is absolutely sound in law to hold that there must be an acceptance by the mortgagee of the proposition as made by the grantee on Mortgagethe terms and under grantee as the conditions of primary debtor the proposition, and

acceptance of

that the acceptance must take place before the relation of the parties has been changed, with reference to the subject-matter, to the injury of the grantee. As we stated in the original opinion, there is a line of authority which holds that, upon the assumption of the mortgage debt by accepting a deed containing a clause of assumption, the grantee becomes primarily liable without notice to the mortgagee. But we declined to follow this line of decisions, and held that acceptance and notice was necessary to create the relation of primary debtor between the subsequent grantee and the mortgagee.

Conceding that the bringing of a suit would be an acceptance by the mortgagee of the subsequent grantee as his primary debtor, certain it is that the want of knowledge of the situation on the part -primary of the mortgagee debtor-noncannot be availed of acceptance. to make a new contract for the grantee, a wholly different contract, with a wholly different liability, with no prospect of recoupment, with no chance to protect himself in dealing with those who became his principals, with no chance to protect himself as to the extension of agreement. We are constrained to say that the bringing of a suit under such conditions was not an acceptance of Leslie Poe as a primary debtor. It comes too late, unfortunate though it may be. We take the record here at face value, but it is passing strange that the agreement could be entered into between all the parties except Poe, and the several deeds passing under review, and the very deed by which it is sought to bind Poe escaped the attention of the grantees, the plaintiffs here. In Western U. Teleg. Co. v. Douglass, 104 Tex. 66, 133 S. W. 877, we find this statement: "A plaintiff, who sues upon a contract executed by another for his benefit, must, of course, accept the contract as it was made."

(-Miss.-, 106 So. 99.)

Likewise, in Blake v. Atlantic Nat, Bank, 33 R. I. 464, 39 L.R.A. (N.S.) 874, 82 Atl. 225, the court said: "However, the third person acquires no rights under the promise made for his benefit until he accedes to it. It must clearly appear, by suit brought upon the agreement or in some other manner, that the third person knows of the promise in his favor, or the assumption by a stranger of the debt due to him, accepts the new agreement, and assents to its terms. Until such circumstances appear, showing acces

sion on his part, the third person is not in position to avail himself of any benefit under the agreement. Before such accession on his part, his right to insist upon the performance of the promise in his favor may be lost by revocation or release between the parties to the agreement, or by the intervention of the rights of others. Wood v. Moriarty, 16 R. I. 201, 14 Atl. 855."

We are contented to rest this matter on the statement that the bringing of this suit after the release of J. L. and H. E. Smith, Poe's cograntees, and the foreclosure of this mortgage, was not an acceptance of the offer to pay the debt made by Leslie Poe, and that it is too late, after the status of the parties had been changed materially, after there has been a revocation or release in part of the very agreement to which he was a party, then to accept Poe as a primary debtor. The suggestion of error is overruled.

ΑΝΝΟΤΑTION.

Release of mortgagor (or intermediate grantee who has assumed the mort

gage) by dealings between his grantee and mortgagee.

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H. ROY WAUGH, Judge, et al.

West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals - September 22, 1925.
(99 W. Va. 665, 129 S. E. 703.)

Replevin, § 23 - bond - expense of storage.

Where plaintiff, at the institution of an action of detinue, gives bond

Headnote by MILLER, J.

and takes into possession the property in controversy, pursuant to § 6 of chapter 102 of the Code, he cannot, on a finding in his favor, recover as damages expenses incurred by him for storing such property pending the trial of the action; and where such damages are included in the judgment, prohibition will lie to restrain the execution of so much of such judgment as pertains to the improper damages included therein.

[See annotation on this question beginning on page 92.]

APPLICATION for a writ of prohibition to prevent respondents from enforcing against petitioners part of a judgment rendered by the Circuit Court for Randolph County. Writ awarded.

The facts are stated in the opinion of the court.
Messrs. R. H. Allen and Talbott &

Hoover, for petitioners:

Prohibition is the proper remedy to prevent enforcement by execution of an unauthorized judgment for costs.

State ex rel. Citizen's Nat. Bank v. Graham, 68 W. Va. 1, 69 S. W. 301; West Virginia Cent. Gas Co. v. Holt, 66 W. Va. 516, 66 S. Е. 717.

The general rule is that, unless a statute allows costs, none can be given. These were not recoverable at common law.

West v. Ferguson, 16 Gratt. 270; Roberts v. Paul, 50 W. Va. 531, 40 S. E. 470; Wilkinson v. Hoke, 39 W. Va. 403, 19 S. E. 520; Bice v. Boothsville Teleph. Co. 62 W. Va. 521, 125 Am. St. Rep. 986, 59 S. E. 501, 13 Ann. Cas. 1046; West Virginia Cent. Gas Co. v. Holt, supra.

While trial courts are given a certain discretion in the allowance of costs, they are not permitted to select certain items not made costs by statute, and under the name of costs grant a recovery therefor, when no statute authorizes it.

Gurnee v. Bausemer, 80 Va. 867; Citizens Nat. Bank v. Manoni, 76 Va. 802; Temple v. Lawson, 19 Ark. 148; Nutter v. Brown, 58 W. Va. 237, 1 L.R.A. (N.S.) 1083, 52 S. E. 88, 6 Ann. Cas. 94; 11 Сус. 24; Chambers Cline, 60 W. Va. 588, 55 S. E. 999; State ex rel. Citizen's Nat. Bank v. Graham, 68 W. Va. 1, 69 S. W. 301.

V.

Messrs. W. B. Maxwell, E. L. Maxwell, and Claude W. Maxwell for respondent Commercial Investment Trust.

Miller, J., delivered the opinion of the court:

Petitioners for this writ of prohibition allege that pursuant to judgments secured by them against

a common debtor, executions were levied by the sheriff and a constable of the county upon a certain automobile then in possession of their said debtor, by virtue of which executions the sheriff and constable took into possession the property levied upon. Thereupon the Commercial Investment Trust, a corporation, one of the respondents herein, instituted its action of detinue against the petitioners and said officers to recover possession of the automobile. At the beginning of the action, the plaintiff therein gave bond as provided by statute and took into possession the property in question. From the allegations of the petition it appears that the plaintiff placed the automobile in storage, where it remained until the time of the trial, and that plaintiff incurred thereby storage charges to the amount of $146.25.

The action of detinue was by agreement submitted to the circuit court in lieu of a jury, who found for the plaintiff therein: the order entering judgment on the finding further reciting: "And it appearing to the court that the plaintiff, upon taking possession of the automobile in controversy, placed the same in storage to abide the judgment of the court and in doing so incurred an expense up until this date of $146.25, and which expense of $146.25 the court is of opinion should be allowed to plaintiff as costs or damages, therefore, it is further adjudged that the plaintiff recover from said three defendants the said sum of $146.25, and the

(99 W. Va. 665, 129 S. E. 703.)

clerk is directed to tax the same as part of plaintiff's costs."

Petitioners admit that the finding of the court as to right of possession in plaintiff was correct, but charge that the finding of $146.25 against them as "costs or damages" was beyond the jurisdiction of the court, and that it and the respondent should be prohibited from enforcing against them the judgment complained of as to that amount.

Respondents admit that, as held in State ex rel. Welsh v. Kittle, 90 W. Va. 19, 110 S. E. 438, and in our cases cited in the opinion therein, costs are purely statutory, none being allowed at common law, and that this court has uniformly held that prohibition will lie to judgments for costs not authorized by some statutory enactment; but they say that the action of the trial court in adjudging as "costs" an amount which should have been adjudged as "damages" is a technical error not sufficient to disturb the judgment as to that amount.

Upon the trial it was agreed by the parties to the action that "at the time the car was taken by plaintiff under its detinue or forthcoming bond, the value of the car was $950.00; it is now of the value of $750.00; that the Randolph Garage has a storage bill against said car, incurred by plaintiff, for $131.25 to March 1, 1925, and at the rate of $7.50 per month since said date."

But was respondent's claim for storage charges an element of damages recoverable in an action of detinue; and did not the trial court exceed its jurisdiction in adjudging as damages the amount thus incurred by respondent, even if we may waive the alleged irregularity in the language of the judgment complained of?

The statute, § 6 of chapter 102 of the Code, provides that where the verdict is for plaintiff, and he is not already in possession of the property in question, he shall "recover the damages assessed by the jury for the detention of said property, and his costs in such action. And it

shall be the duty of the jury in such cases to ascertain and assess such damages, as the plaintiff has sustained by reason of the detention of such property by the defendant. If the plaintiff be already in possession of such property the judgment shall be that he retain the possession thereof, and for damages and costs, as aforesaid."

But here there is no allegation of any damages to plaintiff before it gave bond and took the property into possession at the beginning of the suit, the only items alleged to be proved, or agreed to, being the amount incurred by plaintiff for storage, and the depreciation in value of the automobile; but the latter item was not carried into the judgment as damages. Has the plaintiff in a detinue suit right to recover as damages expense incurred by him in preserving the property in controversy, or for depreciation in the value thereof, after the property has come into his hands by virtue of the statutory bond provided for in such cases?

There is nothing in the record to show that plaintiff in the detinue action suffered any damages while the automobile was in defendant's possession. Our statute provides that plaintiff, when he recovers possession of the property sued for, is entitled to damages for the unlawful detention thereof by the defendant. And usually in detinue or replevin the plaintiff is entitled to damages for depreciation in the value of the property, and for reasonable compensation for being deprived of the use thereof, while in possession of the defendant; but where the property has been taken into possession by plaintiff in replevin, or by giving bond in an action of detinue, no damages accrue to him after possession obtained. Burnett v. Bealmear, 79 Md. 36, 28 Atl. 898; Truitt v. Revill, 4 Harr. 71; Just v. Porter, 64 Mich. 565, 31 N. W. 444; Wildman v. Sterritt, 80 Mich. 651, 45 N. W. 657; Gordon v. Jenney, 16 Mass. 465; 4 Sutherland,

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