Opinion ID: 1209311
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Billy S. Davis

Text: On December 20, 1954, Davis agreed to buy from B.R. Cooley and his wife, Lucille Cooley, a house and lot for $8,200, making a down payment of $100. His agreement to purchase was conditioned, however, upon his being able to obtain a G.I. loan for $8,200 on the property. In the event he was unable to do so, the $100 was to be returned and the contract cancelled. It was not until April 13, 1955, or nine days after Council acted on the petition, that the sale was completed and deed delivered to the purchaser and recorded. Appellants have included all three of these parties on their list of freeholders on the theory that when Council acted on the petition on April 4, 1955, the Cooleys held the legal title and Davis the equitable title. But we think it is clear that all three cannot be counted. The most favorable view from appellants' standpoint would be to include the Cooleys, who would count as two, and exclude Davis. We think this should be done. Davis' obligation to purchase was wholly contingent. If he did not get the contemplated loan, his deposit of $100 was to be returned. Nor do we think that a vendee in an executory contract of sale who has made only a partial payment should be counted as a freeholder. While he may have an equitable interest in the property, Singleton v. Cuttino , 107 S.C. 465, 92 S.E. 1046, Epps v. McCallum Realty Co. , 139 S.C. 481, 138 S.E. 297, his rights, as pointed out in Good v. Jarrard , 93 S.C. 229, 76 S.E. 698, 43 L.R.A. (N.S.), 383, are conditioned on his compliance with the terms of his contract. The equitable estate may never ripen into a legal estate and the legal estate may never pass from the vendor. The term freeholder has received many definitions, Campbell v. Moran , 71 Neb. 615, 99 N.W. 498; Payne v. Fiscal Court of Carlisle County , 200 Ky. 41, 252 S.W. 127; Gill v. Board of Commissioners of Wake County , 160 N.C. 176, 76 S.E. 203, 43 L.R.A. (N.S.), 293; 37 C.J.S., p. 1373. It is apparent from the cases reviewed in Ann. Cas., Vol. 29, 1913D, commencing on page 327, that the decisions on the question who is a freeholder cannot be reconciled. This diversity of opinion extends to the question as to whether a vendee in an executory contract of sale may be considered a freeholder. An excellent discussion of this phase of the subject will be found in the leading and dissenting opinions in State ex rel. Dillman v. Weide , 29 S.D. 109, 135 N.W. 696. We need not determine in the instant case exactly what character of estate is necessary to constitute one a freeholder. Much would depend on the intention of the Legislature in the particular statute involved. Nor do we undertake to determine whether generally the owner of an equitable estate may be considered a freeholder. It is sufficient to say that under the statute here involved the holder of an executory contract to purchase land should not be considered a freeholder. We think the better reasoned cases sustain this view. People v. Hynds , 30 N.Y. 470; In re Cohn , 84 Neb. 230, 121 N.W. 107; Daniels v. Fossas , 152 Wash. 516, 278 P. 412.