Case Name: Boston & Maine Railroad v. Langdon & a.
Court: New Hampshire Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: New Hampshire
Decision Date: 1896-06
Citations: 68 N.H. 467
Docket Number: 
Parties: Boston & Maine Railroad v. Langdon & a.
Judges: Parsons, J., did not sit:- the others concurred.
Reporter: New Hampshire Reports
Volume: 68
Pages: 467–469

Head Matter:
Rockingham,
June, 1896.
Boston & Maine Railroad v. Langdon & a.
In proceedings for the partition, of real estate, a sale regularly made by a commissioner duly appointed will not be set aside, in the absence of fraud, accident, or mistake affecting the transaction.
It is not sufficient ground for setting aside such sale, that one of the owners was unable to procure counsel for the purpose of delaying it, purchased the interest of the petitioners with a belief that he could thereby control the proceedings regardless of non-petitioning owners, and acquired the interest of the remaining cotenants at a date subsequent to the sale.
Motion, by the plaintiffs, for confirmation of sale made by a commissioner in proceedings for partition of certain real estate, and for judgment on his report. Proceedings for partition were begun by two tenants in common, each owning one sixth of the realty in question, against the five tenants in common of the other four sixths. The estate not being divisible, the court decreed a sale and duly appointed a commissioner to sell it. Mary A. Langdon, one of the tenants in common, owning one sixth, for the purpose of preventing the sale, purchased prior thereto the shares owned by the petitioners in the original partition proceedings, and requested the commissioner not to proceed with the sale. She attempted negotiations with the other owners, but failed to agree upon the price. Two of these owners requested the commissioner to go on with the sale. Mrs. Langdon understood, until otherwise informed by the commissioner, that her purchase of the interest of the two petitioners would give her control of the proceedings. The commissioner informed her that unless she bought the interest of all the owners, he would be obliged to go on with the sale. She then made all reasonable efforts to see counsel and in some way stop the sale, but failed to see counsel before the sale on account of their absence. Understanding the Boston & Maine Railroad might bid, she notified the station agent before the sale that she objected to it, to which he replied, “ The property is advertised for sale, and we shall be there.” She attended the sale and bid upon the property, which was sold to the plaintiffs. The proceedings were regular and the price adequate. No fraud or misconduct by any person in relation to the sale is proved or alleged. Since the sale, Mrs. Langdon has made an agreement with all her cotenants to purchase their interests at the sum which they will receive in case the sale is confirmed, which is more than was offered them by her before the sale. All the owners appeared by counsel at the hearing on the motion to confirm the sale, in opposition thereto, and offered, in case the sale was set aside, to fully indemnify the plaintiffs for any expense they had been to on account thereof. The plaintiffs’ motion was granted, and the defendants excepted.
John S. U. Frink and Sigourney Butler (of Massachusetts), for the plaintiffs.
Sargent Hollis and Calvin Fage, for the defendants.

Opinion:
Wallace, J.