Source: http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/318/318mass723.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 23:48:50+00:00

Document:
ST. GEORGE'S EBENEZER PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCH OF METHUEN vs. THE PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCH OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, EASTERN CONFERENCE, & others.
On an issue whether a deed of gift of land running to trustees of a "conference" of churches was by mistake so made instead of to one of the member churches, as alleged by that church, the journals and year books of the "conference" during thirty-nine years between the time of the conveyance and the time of the commencement of the proceeding involving such issue, which had been distributed to the church and contained recitals showing the land as an asset of the "conference," were competent to show an admission by the church of title in the trustees through its long inactivity to challenge that title; and a letter from the donor of the land to the "conference" referring to "land already deeded to you," which was acted on at a meeting of the church shortly after the conveyance and was included in its records, was competent in the circumstances to show acquiescence of the church in the conveyance.
PETITION, filed in the Land Court on August 8, 1941.
Following the decision reported in 315 Mass. 202, there was a second hearing of the case by Courtney, J.
M. A. Cregg, for the petitioner, submitted a brief.
J. C. Johnston, (J. Friedberg & S. Baker with him,) for the respondents.
to the trustees of the Eastern Conference of the Primitive Methodist Church, hereinafter called the trustees, and the issuance of a new certificate to the petitioner on the ground that one Searles, the former owner of the locus, title to which had been previously registered in his name, intended to convey the premises to the petitioner but through the mistake of the scrivener conveyed them on October 20, 1902, to the trustees. The judge found against the petitioner.
and that he knew that the petitioner as a member of the conference would have the use of the locus. He ruled that the adverse claim of the petitioner was invalid and ordered the cancellation of the registration of this claim. He also ordered that the petition seeking the revocation of the outstanding certificate of title and the issuance of a new certificate to the petitioner be dismissed.
The petitioner alleged various exceptions but we consider only those that the petitioner has argued in its brief. Boston v. Dolan, 298 Mass. 346, 355-356. Commonwealth v. Gale, 317 Mass. 274, 276.
All of the findings of the judge are supported by the evidence and cannot be disturbed. Hartt v. Rueter, 223 Mass. 207, 212. Holmes v. Barrett, 269 Mass. 497. Sutcliffe v. Burns, 294 Mass. 126.
There was no error in the admission of the journal and year books of the conference for the years 1903 to 1941, inclusive. It could be found that copies of these records were distributed at the annual conferences to the member churches, including the petitioner. In all of them the locus was carried as an asset of the conference, and some of them stated that the locus had been deeded to the trustees. The judge found that the petitioner knew that the grantees in the deed of the locus were the trustees. The inactivity of the petitioner during all these years to challenge the claim of the trustees as owners of the locus could be found to be an admission on the part of the petitioner. Warner v. Fuller, 245 Mass. 520, 528. Kenyon v. Vogel, 250 Mass. 341. Popkin v. Goldman, 266 Mass. 531, 535.
to the district committee of the annual conference. The letter and the records of the proceedings were competent to show that the petitioner knew that the locus had been conveyed by Searles to the trustees or the conference and acquiesced in this action of Searles, and that this position was inconsistent with the present attitude of the petitioner in claiming an interest in the locus. Holden v. Hoyt, 134 Mass. 181, 184. Nashua Iron & Brass Foundry Co. v. Chandler Adjustable Chair & Desk Co. 166 Mass. 419. Clarke v. Warwick Cycle Manuf. Co. 174 Mass. 434.

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