Case Name: Hatch v. Morris and others
Court: New York Court of Chancery
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1839-04-22
Citations: 3 Edw. Ch. 313
Docket Number: 
Parties: Hatch v. Morris and others.
Judges: 
Reporter: Edwards' Chancery Reports
Volume: 3
Pages: 313–314

Head Matter:
Hatch v. Morris and others.
April 22, 1839.
¿ married woman, where husband did notJoln*
On a purchase hy and conveyance to a married woman, she made a mortgage hack to secure a portion of the purchase money, without her husband being a party to it. An after.purchaser bought with notice ; -and interposed a demurrer on a bill to foreclose. Held, that the mortgage, though informal, was an equitable lien; and the demurrer was overruled, with costs.
Bill of foreclosure; on a mortgage given by Margaret S. Morris, who was a married woman at the time she executed it. Her husband did not join. The mortgage was made to secure a part of the consideration money, on a purchase by the said Margaret S. Morris and conveyance taken in her name.
The defendant, Benjamin Russell, had become a purchaser of the mortgaged premises, subject to the mortgage; and he put in a demurrer, on the ground that the mortgage was invalid, as it was an act by a married woman in which her husband did not join.
There was a charge in the bill that Russell had purchased the premises with a.knowledge of the mortgage.
Mr. Elias H. Ely, in support of the demurrer.
Mr. Kimball, for the complainant.

Opinion:
The Vice-Chancellor :
Although the mortgage executed by the wife alone, without her husband, was informal and invalid as a legal instrument, yet, being intended to secure a portion of the purchase money upon a sale and conveyance to the wife, it may be upheld in equity as creating an equitable lien. Indeed, in equity there is a lien for unpaid purchase money as between vendor and vendee and all subsequent purchasers and mortgagees with notice. Here, the defendant Russell purchased with notice; and accepted a conveyance expressly subject to the mortgage which the wife had intended to create; thereby recognizing it as a mortgage or, at all events, as a lien or charge upon the premises for so much money. He cannot now be permitted to gainsay it. His demurrer to the bill must be overruled, with costs; but he may have twenty days to answer the bill.