Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-01-19
Who Owns Your Home7


You think you do but are you sure2 al
have Decd" you say. Very likely, but
that may not bo worth the paper on which il
is written. A case to the point has just
been reported to us, and though we may NOT
have all the particulars correct, the essential
features are as here given. Some years ago
man owning large tract of land among and
around few struggling houses, known per.
haps as the "Corners," mortgaged it as secu.
rity for few thousand dollars loan. BY
and by railroad was built through the
"Corncrs," and village sprang up parties
purchased building lots of this large owner of
real estate, and builded houses; the man
failed to meet his engagements, the mortgage
was foreclOsed, the time for redemption ex.
pired and it was not redeemed, and decree
has been secured in court by which the
mortgagee has been in possession of all that
real estate, and the mortgagor debarred all
right OF ownership, and consequently those
village lots and buildings for which the peo-
pie have paid, in part or in full, pass forever
from their hands, so far as any legal right or
title to them Is concerned. The mortgage
may allow them to pay him the original
mortgage, with accrued interest, costs of
foreclosure, etc., and then give them valid
titles to their homes But this is wholly
optional with him. This is not an imaginary
case, but the record of events which trans.
pired in one of our Vermont villages within
short time, as reported to us by lawyer
familiar with all the proceedings.
The strange and unaccountable part of the
proceeding is, that the purchasers of those
building lots knew at the time of purchase
there were encumbrances on the property,
but trusted the owners ability and integrity
to meet them at the proper time. They also
knew, we are Informed, about the foreclosure
OF the mortgage, but still trusted, and soon
forgetting all about it, were amazed aud con-
founded not long since to learn tn at their |
titles to their homes were worthless. Such |
carelessness and neglect deserves but little
better than loss of their homes, but wo must |
remember that wives and children will suffer
for tho criminal neglect of husbands aud
fathers, and it may be unsuspecting widows
are made homeless and poor because they
trusted some friend to advise them in the
matter. No condemnation of the gross care
lessness Of these men can well be too
severe, and we make note Of it thus freely to
call the attention Of the owners OF real estate
to their own deeds .aRd titles. There are
farms and village places by the score, if not
by the hundreds, in this state, of which the
titles held are no better than those above de.
scrbed.
We asked an owner of village home, n
year or two since, how his lot was described
on his deed, and his reply was as follows, in
"On the west by highway, south
by T. ii. Jones, east by r. N. Mills and G.
p. Styles, on the north by Howard & Co."
iholo was Ho meullOu VI tnc dimensions OF nlH |
lot, in rods, links, ETC., aud consequently as
years pass on trouble will arise as to where
the line is between him and Jones, or How.
ard Il Co., and there is no positive evidence
rs to where it should be. We have looked
1t deeds Of farms no moro definite than one
inds in the village. We never owned but
'ne piece OF real estate, and before purchase,
We had the records carefully examined and
certified by the registrar to the intent that
he lot was free from ineumbrance, and then
Il was "run out" by the most compe ent man
70 be had, every bearing Of the compass with
Every road chain and link specified in the
Iced as we'll on the ending boundaries, as
.he streets, etc. No other method is safe or
wise, and in case Of dispute new survey
would settle it all. But we pen this article
TO awaken men to the importance of k,,ovi,ig
whether their titles are good or not wheth.
or mortgages which they have paid have
been so recorded, as a man not long since
came near losing his farm from such neglect
rs that. Again We ask, "Nho owns your
home ?"