Court Opinion

ID: 9810089
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 21:39:47.202413+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:39:23.057382
License: Public Domain

Pkarson, C. J.,
dissentiente. The question will suggest itself to evry plain man to whom the facts of this case are made known: what has Mason said or done that, should cause him to forfeit a valuable property (the title to which has been decided by the Supreme Court to be in him) for the benefit of Williams, whereby Mason will be subjected to account' for its value, as for a de-vastavit of trust funds ?
The result of the ease after it has been pending in the Courts for years and has been tried and argued over arid over again may, in the opinion of many seem to furnish an illustration of the fact, that good sense is sometimes shut out and smothered by too much learning.
It is not pretended, that Pescud was authorized directly or indirectly to sell the title of Mason. On the contrary, Pescud announced that he only offered for sale his own title and that of Jones, under their respective deeds of trust, and would *575make no warranty ; so the ground that the title of Mason passed, by reason of a personal agency, on the part of Pescad for Mason, is out of the case so far as that can be made the basis of an equitable estoppel, according to the bearing of many of the cases cited, which are put upon the idea of a personal agency or assent.
The second ground for the equitable estoppel by which Mason is to forfeit his title, is that, of actual or constructivo.fraud, actual fraud is not alleged. Williams was induced to bid, because Mason bid, such is the finding of the jury, for Williams had avowed his purpose not to let the property go, unless at a fair price ; in other words, he intended as a party interested under Peseud's title, to bid it in, so when Mason bid $260, Williams was induced to bid 8265. But this is not the good sense of the matter, and herein Mason has a right to complain that the case lias not been put upon its merits. So there has been a failure of justice which entitles him to a venire de now.
The question should have been presented to the jury in this point ot view: was it the intention of Mason to induce Williams to hid for the property \ Was Williams thereby misled to his prejudice? so as to fix upon Mason a constructivo fraud, by having intentionally or admittably, (as Mr. Phillips expressed it,) induced Williams to do an act to his injury so as to make it against conscience for Mason after he became certified, that the title was in him, to set up claim to the property ? I, of course, put out of the case the narrow view that Williams was induced to bid, because he did not intend to let Mason buy in Pescud’s title, at what he considered an inadequate price.
1, Was it the intention of Mason to induce Williams to bid for the property ? All of the evidence disproves this intention, so far from that being the case, it was Mason’s purpose to buy in the title of Pescud in order to remove a cloud and quiet his own title, so, of course he did not wish Williams or any -.one else to bid; and .but fora high sense of honor and fair *576dealing, he would have attempted to prevent it, by answering that, “he also held a deed of trust on the property, but would bid a small sum to get in Pescud’s supposed title, and whoever should bid against him must take the chances,” instead of pursuing this disingeneous course to try and get Pescud’s title at an under value, he bid, as far as he thought Pescud’s title was worth, and left the field open for Williams and all others who might choose to bid. Eor this, Mason is now charged with constructive fraud. I will venture to say, there is not one man in ten, who would have acted as fairly. Nine men out of ten, would have talked about their deed, case still pending in the Supreme Court, willing to make a bid to end the dispute by buying in the outstanding title, &c.
2. Was Williams misled by what Mason said and did, to his prejudice ? How was he misled by Mason, did he have any communication with Mason or confide in him? How was he misled by Mason 1 Pescud after talking to Mason consulted with his counsel and concluded to sell his title at auction, and communicated this fact to Williams. Williams being the party interested, determined to attend the sale and make the property bring a fair price or bid it in, thus far there is no semblance of misleading. Surely, the fact that Mason bid for the property after Pescud had announced that he sold only the title under the trust to him and Jones, had no tendency to mislead Williams. Williams has got what he bid for, to-wit: the title of Pescud and Jones — how can he now claim, under that bid, to have become entitled also to the title of Mason ?