Case Name: John J. Jenkins and others, appellants v. Sarah M. Pye and Edward Arell Pye, infants, by James B. Pye, their father and next friend, Appellees
Court: Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1838-01
Citations: 12 Pet. 241
Docket Number: 
Parties: John J. Jenkins and others, appellants v. Sarah M. Pye and Edward Arell Pye, infants, by James B. Pye, their father and next friend, Appellees.
Judges: 
Reporter: United States Reports
Volume: 37
Pages: 241–263

Head Matter:
John J. Jenkins and others, appellants v. Sarah M. Pye and Edward Arell Pye, infants, by James B. Pye, their father and next friend, Appellees.
The complainants in their bill allege, that á conveyance of her real estate was made by a daughter to her father, for a nominal consideration. The answer denied the' matter stated in the bill; and the defendants gave evidence of the transfer of stock', to the value of two thousand dollars, on the day the conveyance was made', claiming that this was also the consideration in the deed. Held, that this evidence was admissible, without an amendment of the answer. It rebutted the allegation in the bill, that the deed was made wholly withouj. consideration.
The complainants, as the ground to invalidate a deed, made by a daughter, of twenty-three years of age, to her father, by which she conveyed the estate of her deceased mother, to her father; he having a life estate; as tenant by the curtesy, in the same; asserted that sucha deed ought, upon considerations of public policy, growing out of the relations of the parties, be deemed void. The Court said: We do not deem it necessary to travel over all the English authorities which have been cited; we have looked into the leading cases, and cannot discover any thing to warrant the broad and unqualified doctrine asserted. All the cases are accompanied with some ingredient, showing undue influence exercised by the parent, operating on the' fears or hopes of the child; and sufficient to show reasonable grounds to presume, that the act was not,perfectly free and voluntary, on the part of the child; and in some cases, although there may be circumstances tending, in some small degree, to show undue influence; yet if the agreement appears reasonable, it has been considered enough to outweigh slight circumstances, so as not'to affect the validity of the deed. It becomes less necessary for the Court to go into a critical examination of the English chancery doctrine on this subject; for, should the cases be found to countenance it, we-should not be disposed to adopt or sanction the broad principle, that the deed of a child to a parent, is to be deemed, prima facie, void.
To consider a parent disqualified to take a voluntary deed from his child, without consideration, on account of their relationship, is opening a principle, at war with all filial, as well as parental duty and affection; and acting on the presumption that a parent, instead of wishing to promote the interest and welfare, would be.seeking to overreach and .defraud his child. Whereas, the presumption ought to be, in the absence of all proof tending to a contrary conclusion, that the advancement of the interest of. the child was the object in view; and to presume the existencé of circumstances conducing to that result. Such a presumption -harmonizes with the moral obligations of a parent to provide for his child; and is founded upon the same .benign principle that governs cases of .purchases made by parents, in the name of á child. The natural arid reasonable presumption- in all transactions of. this kind is, that a benefit was intended the child, because in the discharge of a mo-' ral and parental duty.
In the year 1813, a daughter, twenty-three years old,'cdnveyed all her remainder in ■ the real estate which had belonged to her mo-her, to her father, for a nominal consideration. She married two years afterwards, and died in 1818. No complaint of the transaction was made in the lifetime of the daughter, nor during the life time of the father, who died in 1831. Lapse.of time, and the death of the parties to a deed, have always been'considered, in a court of chancery, entitled to great weight; and almost controlling circumstances in cased of this kind.
ON'appeal from -the circuit pourt-of the United States of the District- pf Columbia, for the county of Alexandria.,
In the circuit court, the appellees, filed their bill against John J. Jenkins, and Mary, the wife of Robert Morrow, children of George Jenkins by a second wife; the said George Jenkins having died on the 8th-day of April, 1831; to set aside.a certain deed execüted by Eleanor Jenkins, who'was the daughter-of George Jenkins and the mother of the complainants, and who died in 1818. George Jenkins had first intermarried with Mary Arell, who,- as one of the heirs of - Richard Arell, was entitled to .considerable real estate; of which partition was-made in 1797. . She died; leaving'but one child, the mother of .the complainants; and her 'estate descended to her daughter, subject- to a life estate in George Jenkins, as tenant by the curtesy. George Jenkins, after her decease, married.'and had children by his second wife, one of whom is-one of the appellants in the case. The deed was duly executed by the mother of the complainants, on the 15th of March, 1813, and recorded on the 3d of November, in the same year,; and conveyed in fee simple to George Jenkins, for-a nominal consideration; all the-real estate and ground rents to which she was entitled as'the heir .of her mother. The- bill also sought to recover the value of certain real estate,- part of that conveyed to George Jenkins, which was afterwards sold by him to different pe'rsons; and also the- rents of part of the real- estate left unsold at the death of George’ Jenkins, and received by the executor, after his decease. The complainants’ charge in their bill, that the deed executed by their mother, being made wholly without, consideration, operated to create a resulting trust in favour, of Eleanor Jenkins-and. her heirs: and they claim, if this cahnot be sustained, that the deed was obtained by the.undue influence of paternal authority; 'and was therefore void against.the grantor and her heirs,.in equity:'and ask that it be vacated as, to all the property conveyed by it, which was unsold at the decease of George Jenkins.
The answer of the defendants denies that any undue influence was exercised by George Jenkins over his daughter;- who, when she executed the deed, was twenty-three years of age, and was at the time -yell acquainted with her'rights, and with, the value of the property. On the trial it was admitted, that no undue influence.was exercised by the father; and it was in.-evidence, that when the deed was, recorded, George-Jenkins gave-to his daughter two thousand dollars in baqk stock. , This, and,-the further Consideration that the daughter was to receive a proportionate- pa'rt of.- her father’s estate, who,.in addition to .the property conveyed by the deed, was wealthy; and the estate conveyed being such as-required large expenses for its preservation and improvement; were asserted do be a. valuable consideration for the deed..
The circuit court decreed the deed to be null and void;' because the same was made wjthout “any consideration',” and because the samé yas obtained “soon after the minority of said Eleanor, and while she yet remained under his power and control, and uninformed- of the nature and extent of. her rights;” and having, decreed also, that- one of the appellants, John J. Jenkins, as', administrator aforesaid, should pay three thousand six hundred and seventy-seven dollars and one cent',, being a balance dqe, after deducting two thousand dollars, paid on the 3d of November, 1813, with interest from 8th of April, 1831, orí account of .money -received for sales of part of said property; and also, the sum .of one thousand' one; hundred and sixty-seven dollars and five cents, amount of rents alleged'to have been received since the death of the said George. Jenkins; and also, the sum of eighteen dollars and twenty-five cents, with interest from said 8th of April, 1831, which hadheen received by George Jenkins on the .partition of the estate', for owelty of partition, awarded in 1797.
■ The defendants appealed to this Court. The case was argued by Mr. Robert I; Brent and Mr. Jones for the appellants, and by Mrl Simmés, and Coxe for the appellees.
Mr. Brent contended,
1st. That there can be no resulting trust as charged in the bill; because that doctrine is confined to cases where the trust results to a purchaser taking a conveyance in the name of a third person, or similar cases; 2 Atkyn’s Rep. 256; 2 Mad. Chan. Prac. 113.; 4 Kent’s Com. (ed. 1832,) 305..
2d. The bill takes' the alternative ground, in case -the resulting trust fails; that the deed of Mgrch, 1813, executed by Eleanor Jenkins (the daughter) to George Jenkihs, (the father,) was obtained by the undue influence of paternal authority.
The answer of the ‘ defendants positively denies the charge of undue influence; and this denial is. conclusive to negative the charge in the ábsenee of all other testimony.
■ The case of the complainants stands alone on the broad and naked principie that all transactions or dealings between parent and Child ,by which a benefit passes to the former'is interdicted, “ipso facto;” by the policy of the law. We deny that sucjh is the settled rule of law, and confidently assert, that in every adjudged case .there was some, circumstance of undue influence proved, and required by the court as a material ingredient.' Huguenir v. Basely, 14 Vesey, 291; 2 Atkyns, 254, 258; 1 Peere Williams, 607; 1 Peere Williams, 639; 1 Atkyns; 402; 2 Atkyns, 85; 2 Atkyns, 160; 1 Mad. Chan. Prac. 309; Green v. Green, 1 Bros. Parl. Cas. 143; Lewis v. Pead, l Ves. Jr., 19; Pratt v. Barker, 1 Simon’s Rep. 1; King v. Hamlett; 2 Mylne and Keene, 474, 480; Pothier, Oblig. (old edit.) 22.
3d. Admitting that this deed -was.purely voluntary, an absolute gift of. all the property by a daughter twenty-three years of age to her father; still the conveyance ought to be sustained, because it may have been the true interest of Eleanor Jenkins to place herself on the same footing with her brother and sister by a different mother; her father was a man of largé fortune, and it might be greatly to her benefit to divest herself of her remote reversion, and come in, share and share alike, with her brother and sister.
At air events, such.a settlement would be reasonable and just towards her half-brother and sistér; and on that ground alone-would be valid; 1 Atkyns, 5, 6.
4th.' Whatéver may have been the abuse of parental authority by George Jenkins in procuring the deed of March, 1813; the equity of the complainants is josh by the lapse of time, .(nineteen years,) and the circumstances of the case,
On this point it appear^ that Eleanor Jenkins was not married for two years after the date of the deed; and that she lived several years after her intermarriage with James Pye (the next friend of the infant complainants); that George Jenkins lived, until 1831; and that not a word of complaint against the fairness of the deed of March, 1813, was ever uttered in the lifetime of either of the original parties to that-deed. The Court would make wild work, to unravel the transaction” under such circumstances. Bower v. Carter, 5 Vesey, 875, 879; 17 Vesey, 97, 100; 1 Jac. & Walk. 63.
5th. But conceding all pre, ious' propositions, it appears that, two thousand dollars was paid by .George Jenkins to Eleanor Jenkins on the SdNevember, 1813, the day of recording the deed; this wasafull and adequate-consideration for the reversion dependant on a robust life, and considering the dilapidated'situation of. the property. And it farther appears, that George jenkins applied one thousand dollars to the education of Sarah M. Pye (one of the complainants); these facts prove the consideration paid, and. to be paid, for the purchase of Eleanor Jenkins’ reversionary interest.
8th. Oh the hypothesis thát the deed of March; 1813 is to be annulled, then the court below erred in not allowing the appellánts interest' on -the sum of two thousand dollars paid to Eleanor Jenkins, on the 3d of November; 1813; and in not crediting Georgé Jenkins’ estate with the advances made by him to the children óf Eleanor Jenkins; and which could not be considered in the light of donations, if this deed is pronounced invalid. Slocum v. Marshal, 2 Wash. C. C. R. 401.
7th. The court erred in charging George Jenkins’ estate with a sum of money paid him in 1797, in right of his wife, (the mother of Eleanor. Jenkins) for owelty of. partition; because, first, the bill did not claim it, 9 Cranch, 19; second, the husband was entitled tp the money as personalty not realty, 1 Har. & Gill, 277.
■Mr.. Jones stated that there was nothing in this case, upon the.bill, answer and evidence, but the ease of a. daughter of fuH age) having conveyed he»- residuary interest in her estate to her father; he having an intermediate estate for life in the property, .as "a tenant -by the curtesy. At the time of the conveyance, he was in full life and health;.and he actually lived eighteen years after the conveyance was made,. There is no allegation of undue parental influence. This is disclaimed; and the high character of the father forbids such á belief. The father appropriated two thousand dollars of stock to the benefit of the daughter, on. the day the conveyance was recorded; which amount he received from the sale, in fee simple, of a part of the estate,, which was at the same time sold for three thousand dollars.
If the deed is to be set aside, it will be on the principle that such a conveyance by á daughter to. a father cannot be made. That the . relations of a child to a parent are such, as to forbid her the exercise of a. fair and just'discretion and judgment ; and that a court of chan eery will presume all such conveyances fraudulent,,and will avoid them.
Mr.. Jones denied that such principles were just to the relations of a-parent to a child; and he'denied that any such rule had been established by the decisions of courts of chancery.
No case had been cited, and none could be found, in which the mere fact of such a conveyance furnished a ground to vacate it. In all the cases there had been other matters which satisfied the ehancellor that the deed should be avoided.
, The presumption áhould be. in favour of such a transaction as that before the Court. ' It was between a father and his child; between •one who had every inducement, from nature and from diity, to take ■care of and protect and promote the interests of his child. Would' the Go’urt, against these bonds of union, against the influence of a relationship which' Should- be believed to operate only for the benefit of the child, infer the violation óf every duty, and believe that alTthese feelings were disregarded? Would they apply a rule to such a case, which could -have had no origin but in a bosom devoid of etery •affection which should prevail in it? A court of chancery, to adopt such principles, must disregard the best and the most influential sympathies and affections of our nature; and must look at man as wanting in all that ornaments and'dignifies him.
Mr. Semmes, for the appellees,
after fully stating the facts,.regretted that his absence from the Court during the opening argument, of-«the counsel for the appellants on the previous day, would limit his remarks to a consideration of the causes of error assigned by the appellants in their printed brief. These assignments of error he would, however, take up seriatim-, and felt confident that an investigation of them would disclose, the whole merits of the controversy, both, on the law and the facts.
The appellants contend that the decree ought to be reversed for the following reasons:
1st. That the court below erred in refusing to allow the appellants to amend their answer, upon newly discovered evidence, so- as to plead the fact of a valuable consideration having been paid for the property conveyed in the deed, in order to let in proof of the same.
The prayer of the petition was properly refused. It was made after .the hearing — after the court had pronounced their opinion in the case, and were about proceeding to enter a final decree. Petitions to amend the pleadings bbth- at law and in equity are addressed to the sounu' discretion of the Court; when that discretion has once been exercised, it is absolute, and admits of no question. A refusal to permit such amendments can never be assigned as error in an appellate court. Were the action of the court below subject to such revision, it would cease to have a discretion in the matter. Amendments in an answer will never be permitted after the hearing. -Cited 1 Harr. Chan. Prac. 226, et seq.; Rawlins v. Powell, 1 P. Wms. 297; Calloway v. Dobson, 1 Brockenborough, 191.
But the petition was rightly refused on the face of it. It does not allege the discovery of new evidence; but is in truth a-prayer to amend, that a new version may be given to a fact already.before the court, and on which they had judicially passed. The amendment desired was, that they might allege a transfer of two- thousand dollars in bank stock, made Novémber 3d, 18l3, to be the .consideration of the deed executed on March 15th, 1813. It was a petition for a new argument on the state of facts already considered by the court. The answer of Jenkins had alleged the transfer of large amounts of bank stock; the report of the master commissioner, and the-certificate of the bank clerk, had ascertained that amount to have been the two thousand dollars, in question; this was then before the'court; was claimed as an offset in the court below by the appellants; and when, two years after the commissioner’s report; the court were about proceeding to a final decree, this petition was put in for an amendment, by which a fact so well known might be wrested to a purpose that the zealous defence of the appellants below had never until that mpment contemplated. . This transfer of bank stock, which can never be admitted as the consideration of the deed from Eleanor to her father; -will assume a more important aspect in considering the next .cause of error in the appellants’ brief.
The petition was, riioreover, defective in a material point. While it alleged that this bank stock was the consideration of the deed, and prayed the-amendment to let in proof of that fact; it did not allege the existence of evidence to substantiate the position, nor show a probable case to the court that such was likely to be proven. The petition to amend was, under all the circumstances,-properly refused.
The next cause of error is: ■
2dly. That said deed does not operate as a resulting ;frust, as charged in this case.
Although it is perfectly competent for the appellees to insist that in this case á trust did technically result to'die grantor and her heirs, yet they .do not consider it necessary to rely on that poiht. That such ■ trust on the facts of this case would have resulted, cited 2 Story’s Equity, 440.
The facts show that the original parties to the deed must have contemplated a trust. The twO thousand- dollars now sought to be made the-consideration of the deed, was part of the larger sum of three thousand dollars; for which one of the lots, covered by.it, was sold a few days before to Harper & Davis. Here was a direct application by the grantee, to the use of the grantor; of part of the pro ceeds of the property..
It was a direct recognition of the implied trust by George Jenkins; and alone woüld warrant the inference that such was the contemplation of the.parties. But this point in the appellants’ brief, as well as the next, which is:
3dly.' That there was no -£< undue influence” used, as charged in this case; and that the evidence- upon this point, so far as- it goes, shows the reverse, may be properly included under the fourth; which is-the only material question.presented by the record. It may be as .well, ho'weyer, here to remark, that the appellees do not rely on any allegation of actual “ undue, influence;” they do not impugn the, validity, of this deed, on any-charge of actual fraud.. The grounds on which they contend for its nullity, .will be.'presently considered. ■The answer.of Jenkins is conclusive as to the point of restraint and coercion-. Being responsive to the bill, and uncontradicted by testimony, it disposes of that question; The appellees, then, must resort to higher arid sterner principles of equity jurisprudence to sustain their case.
The next, and only important point made by the appellants, is:
4thly. That said deed is valid, both in law and in equity.
No doctrine of the law is more firmly established, or mdse frequently acted op by courts of equity, than that all agreements, contracts, and,conveyances procured by fraud, imposition, or undue influence, are null and void. \ As the rule is imperative where actual fraud is established [ so is it equally binding when- the circumstances of the case, or the relations subsisting between the parties, are such as' to raise the. presumption of implied fraud, or to warrant the inference.that One of the contracting parties might have been subjected to oppression, or undue influence. The rule may appear arbitrary and unjust at first sight, as calculated -to impair ttie fi\ e exercise of volition in persons, competent to contract; and as having a tendency to destroy vested rights, and operate injuriously on innocent third persons.. Correctly viewed, however, it will not appear obnoxious to-such 'objections. The policy of the law must lay out and define certain general principles as guides of action, and rales for construing all instrumente and agreements.
Another broad department of equity jurisdiction is comprised in the protection it holds' out to .parties whom the law does not. consider as altogether-sui juris, in respect to the exercise of proprietary rights; or as liable to be influenced by circumstances peculiar to their age; capacity, or situation.' Protecting weak, and incapacitated persons from the. effects of their, own injudicious contracts, it well becomes the jealous spirits of the courts to have marked out certain social relations as peculiarly subject to suspicion and caution, in respect to all. agreements between persons affected by .considerations or motives arising out of the relationship in question. Where one-party is not perfectly free to act, and the other party has availed himself of his power and influence in procuring a conveyance or contract, courts of equity dispense with proof of actual, fraud or imposition; but inferring constraint from the relations of the parties, will Set aside such contract or conveyance, as contrary to public policy. In all cases, the onus probandi is-on the party setting up such contract, to show an adequate consideration, and the bona fide character of' the transaction. The relations between guardian and ward, parent and childsolicitor or attorney and client, trustee and cestui que trust, master and servant, and the cases of expect-' ant heirs, arid of reversioners, are jealously watched; and all contracts made during its existence, by the minor party, in each of these relations to the supérior, are scrutinized jealously; and, in some cases, on bare suspicion of undue influence; in others; on the mere-relation of the parties, fraud is'inferred; and the contract or conveyance set aside. Contracts made soon after the termination, of such relations, are, oh- the same principle of policy, subjected to the operation of the same wholesome rule. Nor will lapse of time, or the death of the fraudulent .purchaser, so affect the case as to preclude the grantor, and those-claiming under him, from setting aside the contract. Authorities cited, Morse v. Royal, 12 Ves. 371; Wright v. Proud, 13 Ves. 137; Murray v. Palmer, 2 Sch. and Lef. 474; Osmond v. Fitzroy, 3 P. Wms. 131; Huguenin v. Baseley 14 Ves. 273; 2 Eden, 286; Rhodes v. Cook, 2 Sim. and Stu. 448; Davis v. Duke of Marlborough, 2 Swanst. 139; Gowland v. De Faria, 17 Ves. 40; Peacock v. Evans, 16 Ves. 512; Evans v. Lewellen; 1 Cox’s Rep. 333; S. C. 2 Bro. C. C. 120; Gwynne v. Heaton, 1 Bro. C. C. 1; Bell v. Howard, 9 Mod. 302; Young v. Peachy; 2 Atk. 254; and the case of Glissen v. Ogden, therein referred to; Heron v. Heron, 2 Atk. 160; Blunden v. Barker, 1 P. Wms. 639; S. C. 10 Mod. 451; Broderick v. Broderick, 1 P. Wms. 239; Scrope v. Offley, 1 Bro. P. C. 275; Gould v. Okeden, 4 Bro. P. C. 198; Twisleton v. Griffith, 1 P. Wms. 310; Jeremy’s Equity, 394, et seq.; 1 Story’s Equity, 304 to 324, inclusive; and Waller v. Armistead’s Administrators, 2 Leigh, 11.
The case at bar, is one peculiarly calling for the application of the principles recognised and established by the authorities cited. The case is that of, a deed made without consideration; from a young daughter, not tvv.enty-three years of age, to her wealthy father, with whom she resided r conveying all h.er property^ Her father was tenant by the curtésy, and held the particular .life estate; her estate •was the reversion.descended to her from her mother, and dependent thereon. She was then both under the parental influence, and presented ' the case, of a young heir dealing for an expectancy with -a party owning the particular estate, for no consideration, and with no declaration- of trust; a party whose position peculiarly subjected the present contrafet to the implication of fraud, or the suspicion of imposition.
The ground assumed by the appellants, that this is a voluntary deed, and therefore good against the grantor, and all claiming under her, cannot, on this aspect of the case, be maintained. The general ’principle introduced by the statutes 13. and 27 Eliz., re-enacted in most of the states, that voluntary deeds, so far only as existing creditors and.subsequent bona fide-and unnoticed purchasers are concerned, are void, is admitted by law. The exception which the courts imply from* the terms of the statute, and the usual motive to defraud creditors in all such conveyances, as against" the grantor and his sub-claimants, seeking to recover the property, or vacate the conveyance, is the sole exception to this general rule. A part}* who has conveyed away his property to evade the payment of his just debts, shall not be permitted to take advantage of his own wrong, and reclaim his property, against the will of his grantee, the partner in the fraud; when the claims of creditors may have been otherwise, satis-. fied, or a necessity for their interference .has passed away. This principle, with that other plain rule, giving any party competent to contract,' and uninfluenced by fraud, duress, or undue advantages taken by the grantee,, a free disposition over his property, cannot be applied to the present case. • A voluntary* deed, to be good, must be made ceteris paribus. If the party grantor be an infant, lunatic, or subjected to the operation of those relations so jealously watched by courts of equity; in some cases fr'om the absolute nullity of the’contract; in others on the principles of public policy, that contract will be set aside. JBy a voluntary deed, is meant a gift without consideration : would then a voluntary deed, Executed under duress, be sustained? The relation of the parties assimilates the present deed to one obtained by actual fraud, or undue influence. •
The remaining eauses of error were in reference to improper items in the master commissioner’s account; questions as to the effect of evidence; the allowance of interest and costs; and the right to credits in the nature of offsets. Though material to the merits, the discussion of these pointshs not of sufficient general importance to be set out in the argument.

Opinion:
Mr. Justice Thompson
delivered the opinion of the- Court.
This case comes up on appeal from the circuit court of the District of Columbia, for the county of Alexandria. The appellees were the. complainants in the court below; and as heirs at law of their mother, Eleanor Jenkins, filed their bill, by their father, James B. Pye, as next friend,.to set aside a deed given by their mother, to George Jenkins, her father, bearing date the 15th of March, 1813.- The' bill charges, that the deed was made wholly without consideration,, and operated only to create a resulting trust in favour of the grantor and her heirs; and if their claim cannot be sustained on that ground, they charge that the- deed was obtained by the undue influence of parental authority, and therefore void in equity, against the said Eleanor Jenkins and her heirs.
The consideration expressed in the deed is one dollar; and as to the allegation of undue influence, the bill charges that the said Eleanor inherited, as heir of her mother, the land conveyed to her father, and in which her father was entitled to a life estate. That at the time of her mother's death, she was an infant of very tender years, residing with her father, and continued to reside with him until her marriage.. That she never was informed of the extent of her property, to which she became entitled on the death of her mother; and having led' a life of great seclusion, in the coyn'try, at a distance from Alexandria, where the. lands, are' situated, she had no means of acquiring information on the subject That very spon after the said Eleanor had attained the age of twenty-one years, and whilst she still resided with her father, and remained-in ignorance of the extent and valué of her rights; the said"George Jenkins, availing himself of his parental authority; and of the habit of implicit obedience, and submission on the part of his child, procured from her the deed in question.
The answers of-the appellant's deny every material charge and specification in the bill, tending to show that any undue influence was exercised by the father, to obtain the deed from his daughter; but that the act was voluntary and free on her part. That she was well acquainted' with her rights, and the value of the property, That at the time of executing the deed, she was twenty-three years of age; and that the; same was not done in expectation of her marriage, as. she was not married for two years afterwards.
The mere nominal consideration expressed on the face of the deed was'enough to pass the estate to, the grantee, no uses being declared' in the deed'. .It is true, as a general proposition, «that he who pays the consideration, means, in the absence of all rebutting circumstances to purchase for his own benefit ;" and there may be a resulting trust, for the use of the party paying the consideration. But this is founded upon a mere implication of law, and may bé rebutted by evidence, showing that Such was not the intention of the parties. And in the present case, the evidence is conclusive to show that no such resulting use was intended. But it is unnecessary particularly to notice this evidence, as-this part of the case was not very much pressed at the argument. And in addition to this, the evidence shows that ou the 3d of November;1813, the day her deed was offered for.record in Alexandria, George Jenkins paid to his daughter two thousand dollars; which, uhder the situation of the property, might well be considered nearly, if not quite, an adequate consideration. The property being ih a dilapidated state, requiring great, expense in repairs; and the 'grantee, George Jenkins, having a life estate in it, which, from the circumstance of his living eighteen years after the date of the deed, there is reason to conclude, that the state of his health and constitution Was such at that time, as justly to estimate his life estate of considerable value.
The.evidence of the payment of two thousand dollars, in addition to the'nominab consideration of one dollar mentioned in the deed, was admissible; without any amendment of the answer. It rebutted the allegation in the bill, that the deed was made wholly without consideration.
But the grounds mainly relied upon to invalidate.the deed, were, that being from a daughter to her father, rendered it at.least, prima facie,- void; And if not void on this ground, it was so because it was obtained by the undue influence of paternal authority.
- The first ground of objection seeks to-establish' the broad priflci-. pie, that a deed from a child tó a parent, conveying the real estáte of the child, ought, upon considerations of public policy, growing.out' of the relation of the parties, to be deemed void: and numerous cases in the English chancery have been referred to,, which are supposed to establish -this principle. We do not deem it necessary-tb -travel over all. these authorities; we have looked into the leading: cases, and cannot discover any thing to warrant the broad- and -tin-' qualified doctrine contended for on the part of the appellees. All the. cases are accompanied with some.ingredient, showing undue influence exercised' by the parent, operating upon the- fears or hopes of the child; and. sufficient to show reasonable grounds to presume that the act was not perfectly free and voluntary on the part of -the child; and in some cases,.although there may be circumstances tending, in some small degree, to show, undue influence; yet if the agreement appears reasonable, it has been considered enough to outweigh light circumstances, so as not to affect' the validity of the deed.
It becomes the less necessary for us to go into a critical examination of the English chancery doctrine on this subject, for should the cases.be found- to countenance it, we should not be disposed to adopt child Or sanction the broad principle contended for, that the deed of a to á parent is to be deemed, prima facie, void. It is .undoubtedly the -duty of courts carefully to watch .and examine the'circumstances attending transactions of this kind, when brought under review before them, to discover if any undüe influence has been exercised in obtaining the conveyance. . But to consider a parent disqualified to-take a voluiltary deed from his child, without consideration, on account of their relationship; is assuming a principle at war with all filial as well as parental duty and affection; and acting on the presumption, that a parent, instead of wishing to promote the interest and welfare, would be seeking to overreach and defraud his child. Whereas, the presumption ought to be, in the absence of all proof tending to á contrary conclusion, {hat the advancement of the interest of the child was the object in view; and to presume the existence of circumstances conducing to that result. Such a presumption harmonizes with the moral obligations of a parent to provide for his child.; and is founded upon the same benign principle that governs eases of purchases made by parents in the name of a child. The prima facie presumption is, that it was intended as an advancement to the -child, and so not falling within fhe principle of a resulting trust. The natural and reasonable presumption in all transactions of this kind is, that a benefit was intended the child, because in the discharge of a moral and parental duty. And the interest of the child is abundantly guarded and protected, by keeping a watchful eye over the transaction, to see that no undue influence was brought to bear upon it.
In the present case, every allegation in the bill tending to show that any undue influence was used, is fully met and denied in the answer .'.nd is utterly without proof to sustain it. . And indeed this allegation seemed to be abandoned on the argument.
But if any thing was wanting to resist the cMm on the part of the appellees, and to establish the deed, and the interest derived under it, it will be found in the-lapse of time. The deed .bears date the 3d of November, 1813; the grantor, Eleanor Jenkins,.then being twenty-three years of age. She -was married about two years thereafter, and died in the year 1818;-and not a whisper of complaint was heard against the transaction during her lifetime. George Jenkins, the grantee, lived until the year 1831, and no complaint was made in. his lifetime; after a lapse of eighteen years, it is difficult, if .not impracticable, fully to explain the transaction.
Lapse of time, and the death of the parties to the deed, have always been considered in a court of chancery, entitled to great weight, and almost controlling circumstances, in cases of this kind.
But the circumstances, as disclosed by the proofs, not only rebut every presumption of unfairness on the part of George. Jenkins, but disclose circumstances, tending to show that he was governed by motives highly honourable and commendable. He was a man of large estate; the property conveyed to him by his daughter was in a dilapidated and unprofitable condition. He had a life estate in it. And it would have been unreasonable, if not unjust to his other children, to
have required him to incur great expenses in improving this property, which would enure to the exclusive benefit of this daughter. Hjs object, as well as that of his daughter, seems to have been to enable him the more easily and satisfactorily to make an equal distribution of his property among all his children; as well the said Eleanor, as those he had by a second marriage. This was a measure well calculated to promote harmony among his children: and his intention to carry th'at disposition of his property into execution, was manifested by the .will he made; which failed however of its full operation, by reason, of some informality in its execution. But the appellees have succeeded to a full and equal share of his estate, under the distribution which the law has made; which is all that in equityand justice they could claim.
This view of the case, renders it unnecessary to notice the poiiits made on the argument, in relation to the accounts which the appellees were called upon to render.
The decree of the court below is accordingly reversed, and-the bill' dismissed.-