Source: http://masscases.com/cases/sjc/299/299mass51.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 10:27:40+00:00

Document:
SHEEHAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY vs. BURTON E. DUDLEY.
Res Judicata. Summary Process. Land Court, Findings by judge.
An action of summary process to recover possession of land claimed to have been purchased by the plaintiff at a sale in foreclosure of a mortgage put in issue the title as well as the right of possession.
rendered the title to the land res judicata in favor of his grantee, the demandant in a later writ of entry against the one who had been the defendant in summary process and the plaintiff in equity.
In a writ of entry, judgment for the demandant without allowance for the tenant's claimed improvements imported a finding that no improvements were made, which was final in the absence of a report of the evidence.
WRIT OF ENTRY in the Land Court, dated November 12, 1935.
There was a decision by Corbett, J., ordering judgment for the demandant. The tenant appealed. A motion to dismiss the appeal was denied by this court, as reported ante, 48.
M. M. Frankel, for the tenant.
H. F. Marks, for the demandant.
RUGG, C.J. After the denial of the motion of the demandant to dismiss the appeal, the writ of entry was argued on its merits. The history of the title is set forth to some extent in the opinion of this court when the motion to dismiss the appeal was considered. The demandant asserts title through a deed of the premises from William F. Hayes to it dated April 21, 1934, and duly recorded. Hayes derived his title by deed from Alice C. Barry dated April 5, 1933, and duly recorded. Alice C. Barry acquired her title under a foreclosure deed. As assignee of a mortgage on the demanded premises she sold the same to herself at a foreclosure sale under the power in the mortgage and gave to herself a foreclosure deed dated April 13, 1932, which was duly recorded. Shortly thereafter, she brought a writ of summary process in the appropriate district court against the present tenant. That proceeding was tried on appeal in the Superior Court and came to this court, where it was held that "the direction of a verdict for the plaintiff in the Superior Court, on the appeal from a district court, was right upon the conceded facts." Barry v. Dudley, 282 Mass. 258. Thus it appears that the demandant is the owner of the record title to the demanded premises.
The findings of fact made by the judge of the Land Court, unless tainted by some error of law, must be accepted as final. Commercial Credit Co. v. M. McDonough Co. 238 Mass. 73, 78. Moss v. Old Colony Trust Co. 246 Mass. 139, 143.
245 Mass. 135. Dayton v. Brannelly, 255 Mass. 551. There is no inconsistency between these decisions and the principle declared in cases like New England Mutual Life Ins. Co. v. Wing, 191 Mass. 192, 195, where it was expressly held that in "an action under summary process by the purchaser at a mortgagee's sale the legal title may be put in issue . . . ." It follows that the title was in issue in the proceeding in summary process in Barry v. Dudley, 282 Mass. 258. The tenant in the present proceeding asserts title in opposition to the validity of the foreclosure on which the demandant bases its right. That question has been settled against the tenant and in favor of the predecessor in title of the demandant.
The judge of the Land Court rightly held that this matter had become res judicata as to the issue raised in the case at bar and was not here open to controversy. The facts render that principle applicable to the present proceeding in favor of the demandant. McCarthy v. William H. Wood Lumber Co. 219 Mass. 566, 567. Giedrewicz v. Donovan, 277 Mass. 563. Sandler v. Silk, 292 Mass. 493, 498-500. Shapiro v. Park Trust Co. 253 Mass. 383, 389. Foye v. Patch, 132 Mass. 105, 110. The same principle is applicable to the decision in the equity suit described in the opinion on the motion to dismiss. The title to the demanded premises was there in issue between the same parties or those in privity with those to the present proceeding. The judge of the Land Court correctly interpreted the law of res judicata in its application to the facts before him. Old Dominion Copper Mining & Smelting Co. v. Bigelow, 203 Mass. 159, 211, 218.
The failure of the judge of the Land Court to make a finding touching improvements claimed to have been made by the tenant was the equivalent of a finding that no improvements were made. Since the evidence is not reported, this decision must be accepted as final. Vye v. Medford, 266 Mass. 208, 213. Bacon v. Kenneson, 290 Mass. 14, 15.
All questions argued by the tenant have been considered. Other matters need not be discussed. There appears to be no error.
Order of judgment for the demandant affirmed.

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