Court Opinion

ID: 8309697
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-10-17 13:46:40.177926+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:44:40.620194
License: Public Domain

McCrary, C. J.
We are clearly of the opinion that upon the facts above stated, without more, it cannot be held that the complainants have divested themselves of the interest in the lands in controversy, which they acquired by inheritance from their brother, Charles F. Latham. It does not appear that either of the complainants were consulted about the sale of their interest to the defendant Barney and his associates, much less that they ever authorized the sale by such writing as the law requires, and the question, therefore, is whether the instrument signed by them and set forth in the foregoing statement can be held to be a valid release or conveyance, or effectual to estop complainants on the ground that it is a ratification or affirmance of the sale previously made by the said Barney. There can be no pretense that there was anything in the paper left with the complainant E. P. Latham that can be construed into an assent to or confirmation of such sale, for in that instrument there is no reference to any sale of the interest of the heirs in the lands, but only a charge for the interest of the heirs in the “Winona & St. Peter land sales.” There is, of course, a wide difference between the interest of the heirs in the land sales and their interést in the lands themselves. Let us assume, however, that both complainants are bound by all the statements signed by them, and thus view the question from the stand-point of the defendants. It is more than doubtful whether the release and schedule signed by complainants, considered merely with reference to its terms, can be construed as a release of their interest in the real estate in question. They were dealing with the administrator of their relative’s estate, and they must be presumed to have known that an administrator could deal only with the personal estate. This is not the less true because the defendant Barney was acting as such administrator without legal authority. He was at least bound by the rules which would apply to a lawful administrator.
With this rule in mind let us look at the instrument signed by complainants and now relied upon as a release of their interest in the lands in controversy. The very first recitation in this instrument is that “Charles E. Latham, late of the county of West Chester and state of New York, died intestate, leaving a considerable estate, consisting of personal property, to be distributed among his next of kin.” In. the subsequent recitals the property to be distributed is referred to both as “said estate” and as “the estate of said Charles E. La-*441tham,” and the release proper from the heirs to defendant Barney is, as will he seen by reference to the instrument, simply a release of said Barney from responsibility for the assets and property in his possession or under his control, and which had been “surrendered and delivered to the next of kin of said Latham.” Surely there is nothing in the recital of this instrument that can be construed into a ratification or approval of any previous sale by the defendant Barney of the interest of the heirs of Latham in any real estate, and there is very much which would lead even the most careful reader to conclude that it was a release only as to the assets or personal property which Barney had possessed, controlled, and distributed. We should be very reluctant to hold that the insertion of one item in the schedule which accompanies the release, by which defendant Barney charges himself with “Int. in W. & St. P. lands, estimated at $10,000,” was of itself sufficient to constitute the transaction a release by the heirs of all their interests in the lands, even if the release had been executed to a stranger with whom they were dealing at arms-length, and upon terms of equality. In this connection it is worthy of remark that another item in the same schedule is couched in the very same terms, and yet confessedly refers to the proceeds of land sales, and not to a sale of land. We refer to item of date July 27th, which reads: “Int. in W. & St. P. lands, $280. ” If, however, we assume that there was enough on the face of the instrument to advise complainants that they were receiving and giving a receipt and release for the proceeds of the sale by defendant Barney of all their interest in the lands in question, we are still of the opinion that it did not bind complainants so far as the sale of the land is concerned, nor estop them from claiming their interest therein, for the reason that even the most formal conveyance executed by heirs of Charles F. Latham to defendant Barney, while the latter had possession of the estate and was acting as administrator, would, under the circumstances, have been absolutely void.
The case of Michoud v. Girod, decided by the supreme court of the United States in 1846, (4 How. 503,) is very instructive, and satisfactory authority upon this question. It is there held that a purchase by executors .of property of the estáte, even though made at open sale, and where they were empowered by the will to sell the estate for the benefit of heirs and legatees, a part of which heirs and legatees they themselves were, carried fraud upon the face of it, and was void. The rule is laid down without qualification that a pei’son cannot legally purchase on his own account, or as an agent for others, that *442which his duty or trust requires him to sell on account of another. He is not allowed to unite the two opposite characters of buyer and seller, and the sale then under consideration was set aside, after a lapse of over 25 years, notwithstanding the admitted fact that “the sale wa,s a public auction, bona jide, and for a fair price.” “The inquiry,” say the court, “is. not whether there was or was not fraud in fact. The purchase is void, and will be set aside at the instance of the cestui que trust and a resale ordered, on the ground that the temptation to abuse, and the danger of imposition, are inaccessible to the eye of the court.” The court proceeds to discuss the question whether such sales are void, or only voidable, and while admitting that cases may be found asserting that they are voidable only, the court declares with emphasis that there should be no relaxation of the doctrine that an executor cannot become the purchaser of the property which he represents, or any portion of it, even for a fair price,, without fraud, and at a public sale; much less, of course, can he purchase from the heirs at private sale, and without disclosing to them any facts concerning the character or value of the property. Numerous other authorities to the same effect might be cited, but a single decision by the supreme court of the United States, directly in point, is sufficient.
It follows that the execution of' the release above mentioned, from complainant to defendant Barney, considered in the light of a sale of their interest in the lands by Barney to himself and associates, or as an agreement approving and ratifying such a sale previously made by him, was wholly invalid. It cannot be doubted that if the defendant Barney was incapable of acquiring the interest of the complainants by direct purchase, he could not acquire it by transferring the property to himself and others without the knowledge or consent of complainants, and afterwards obtaining from them a release from all liability on account of the lands. If complainants sold their interest to Barney, it was by the execution of the release. They were parties to no previous sale, and, so far as appears from the evidence, knew nothing of any such sale, except as advised by the face of the instrument itself.
Further argument is not needed to show that the complainants are not estopped to claim their interest in the lands, unless it is by something that has transpired since the execution of the release; and this brings us to the consideration of the defenses which have been pressed upon our consideration by the learned counsel for the defendants. They are: (1) That complainants have been guilty of laches, *443in that they did not, when advised of the fraud, at once rescind the contract, and tender hack the consideration received; (2) that the complainants have ratified and confirmed the sale by accepting, after being fully advised, a balance of purchase money from defendant Barney.
As to the defense of laches and failure to rescind and return consideration, it may be said in the first place that the transaction complained of, being, as we have seen, absolutely void, there is nothing to rescind. The complainants have never parted with any interest in the land. The contract under which it is claimed that they have done so, being contrary to sound morality and public policy, is in fact and in law no contract, and it is, to say the least, doubtful whether it is capable of confirmation or ratification, even by affirmative action. The only effect of a failure to rescind is to ratify and make valid that which is otherwise voidable. Equity regards a purchase by a trustee or executor of the property or estate placed in his hands to manage for others as immoral, and contrary to public policy; and so the supreme court declares, in the case above cited, that the general rule which prohibits such purchases “stands upon our great moral obligation to refrain from placing ourselves in relations which ordinarily excite a conflict between self-interest and integrity.” We should be very reluctant to hold that such a contract is ratified, confirmed, and made valid by the failure of the cestui que trust to rescind at once upon discovering the facts. It is not necessary to decide the question whether the heirs, in such a case as the present, can, after being fully advised, by an affirmative act confirm such a sale, for no such question is before us. The voluminous correspondence which is in evidence shows that complainants distinctly disaffirmed the sale as soon as they were fully advised, and that the parties entered into no negotiations respecting the repayment to defendant Barney of the sum distributed by him to the heirs as proceeds of the sale of the lands.
Again, we are of the opinion that the doctrine we are considering has no application to a purchase by a trustee from his cestui que trust, especially where there is an accounting to bo had between them, and the trustee has in his hands funds belonging to the cestui que trust. In such a case the latter may, at any time within the statute of limitations, bring a suit to set aside the sale, by offering to submit to an accounting, and to pay any balance which may be found due the trustee. We have seen no case, nor do we think one can be found, in which the rule with respect to rescission and the return of the price has been applied to such a sale as the one now under consideration. *444That rule applies only to contracts entered into between parties who deal at arms-lengfch. This is well illustrated in the case we have already cited, (Michoud v. Girod,) where the defense of laches was relied upon and overruled. In that case the executors of Girod had purchased the property of the estate at public sale in the year 1814, and in 1817 two of the complainants had executed formal releases to the executors for their share of the proceeds. It was not until about the year 1844 that suit was brought to set aside the sale to the executors, and yet there was no allegation of an offer to rescind the releases, and to return the money received prior to the bringing of the suit. It was held that the rights of the complainant were not affected by the releases, because they had been executed without “full knowledge of all the circumstances connected with the disposal and management of the estate;” but it was not suggested, either by the eminent counsel or by the court, that they were bound to rescind at once upon discovering the fraud.
Where a trustee, in violation of its trust, purchases the estate of his cestui que trust, the right of the latter to relief does not depend upon his having formally rescinded the sale. All that is required is that he shall apply for relief within a reasonable time, and this, as we have seen, may sometimes be a long term of years, and relief “will be granted upon the terms of the cestui que trust’s repaying to the trustees the amount of the purchase money paid by him, together with interest, * ■* * while the trustee, or the purchaser with notice, will have to account to the cestui que trust for the rents and profits of the estate.” Hill, Trust. 539. In other words, there is to be an accounting, and, in all such eases, all that is necessary is that the party seeking the relief shall offer to submit to an accounting, and to pay over any balance in his hands. If this were not the rule, it might result that the cestui que trust would be required, as a condition precedent to his right to recover, to pay over to the trustee more than his due.
The present case well illustrates this rule. These complainants received two-ninths of $10,000 from defendant Barney, which thb latter insists was their share of the proceeds of the sale of their interest in the lands. The said Barney and his associates, having control of the complainant’s interests in said lands, went on and made numerous sales. Before the complainants were fully advised of all the facts, and of their rights, a large sum had doubtless been realized by defendant Barney from such sales. Clearly, it cannot be maintained that complainants were bound to return the whole amount received. It does not appear how much was due. The duty of *445Barney to pay over the proceeds of sales was just as imperative as that of complainants to return the consideration. All that either party could demand was a settlement, — an accounting, — and the . payment of any balance due. In view of these considerations, without adverting to others, we are constrained to hold that complainants are not barred by laches, nor by their failure to formally rescind and tender back the consideration.
It is contended, in the next place, that complainants are estopped from denying the validity of the sale in question because they received a part of the consideration alter a knowledge of the fraud, and thereby confirmed the transaction. The general rule, no doubt, is that the taking of any benefit under a contract, after knowledge of the alleged fraud, is a ratification of the contract. We will not stop to consider whether this doctrine applies to a contract that is absolutely void as against good morals and public policy, for, even conceding that it does, we are clearly of the opinion that it has no application to the facts of this case. It appears that the statement and schedule quoted in the foregoing statement were presented to complainants and the other heirs as a full and final settlement and distribution of all personal estate in the hands of defendant Barney. It appears upon its face to have been intended as a final distribution. There was, however, one item credited to said- Barney designated “monument and legal expenses, $4,000.” This sum was left in the hands of the said Barney for the purposes named. Some time afterwards it was determined not to erect a monument, but to substitute a tombstone of comparatively small cost. This, of course, left a balance in Mr. Barney’s hands and made a further distribution necessary. In the statements sent to complainants with a remittance of their respective shares of this balance, no mention is made of the land sales, or their proceeds. It seems to have been understood that it was á separate and distinct matter.
A long correspondence about the sale of the land and the disposition to be made of the $10,000 distributed on that account, had preceded the disposition arising from the non-use of the monument fund, and was still pending. The matter of the alleged sale of the interest of the heirs in the land for $10,000 had been long discussed by itself as a separate and distinct matter, and the evidence very clearly shows that complainants did not understand that they were adjusting that matter by accepting the last balance -sent them. On the contrary, it appears beyond a doubt that they understood exactly *446the contrary, for it is shown that when that balance was first sent to them it was accompanied, by a formal release of defendant Barney from all claim on account of the proceeds of the sale of the lands, and a confirmation of said sale, which release and confirmation they both refused to sign. They refused to receive the money tendered them on condition that they would sign this document, and gave as a reason their unwillingness to confirm the alleged sale, and subsequently Mr. Barney sent them the money and accepted a simple receipt for it. Here is conclusive evidence that there was no intention to ratify the sale of the land by accepting this balance, and we apprehend that the rule of law relied upon by counsel for defendants rests upon the fact that the receipt of part of the consideration for a contract with full knowledge that it is fraudulent, shows a purpose to accept the benefit of the contraed;, and is therefore an affirmance of it. In the present case, the evidence does not show that complainants actually received a part of the $10,000 after they were advised of all the facts. It, only shows that they settled with Barney for the balance left in his hands for “monument fund and legal expenses,” and not used for those purposes, and that the settlement was made when a separate negotiation ,was in progress with respect to the land matter, and it shows that complainants regarded the two as separate and distinct.
We hold, therefore, that complainants are not estopped to assert the invalidity of the sale in question upon the ground that they ratified and confirmed it by accepting a benefit from it after being advised of all the facts.
It was suggested in the argument that some of the defendants are bona fide purchasers of interests in the lands without notice of complainants’ rights. This point is not well taken. The legal title is in the railroad company, and the equitable title only in the purchasers under the contract of sale. The protection extended by a court of equity to a bona fide purchaser belongs only to the purchaser of the legal title without notice of an outstanding equity. He who purchases no legal title is not protected, even though without actual notice. Butler v. Douglass, 1 McCrary, 630; [S. C. 6 Fed. Rep. 228 ;] Story, Eq. Jur. § 1502; Vattier v. Hinde, 7 Pet. 252.
We are not advised that any of the defendants claim to have purchased from the railroad company without notice of the contract, or of the rights of the purchasers under it. If any such claim is made it can be considered hereafter.
*447Our conclusion is that the attempted purchase of the interests of the complainants in the lands in question by the defendant Barney for himself and his associates was and is void, and that the complainants are entitled to a decree so declaring, and to an accounting.
The case will be referred to a master to take further proof and report to the court as follows:
(1) The number of acres of land sold or disposed of out of the lands described in the bill since September 9, 1871, the dates of sales, the prices at which sold, and the sum total realized therefor.
(2) To this sum total the master will add interest on the several sums at 7 per cent, per annum from the date when received, and from the total thus obtained will deduct the sums received by complainants respectively from defendant Barney; also all necessary and reasonable expenditures by the defendant, or any of them, in making such sales, and for the payment of taxes, with like interest on each of said sums.
(3) And he will find and report what sum, if any, is due the complainants as their share of the proceeds of such sales.
(4) Said master will also find and report what number of acres of said land remains unsold, and a description thereof.
Nelson, D. J., concurs.