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1 Stew. 490

Christian v. Scott

Supreme Court of Alabama

Decided July 15, 1828

Supreme Court of Alabama · decided 1828-07-15

This was an action of debt by the plaintiff in error.who was plaintiff below, in the County Court of Madison county, to recover of Scott on two notes for $2000 each, both dated' the 20th of April, 1820. The defendant pleaded a failure of consideration, and also fraud. The notes were originally payable to one Evans, and were assigned to the plaintiff.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1828-07-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently April 1911

3 state decisions

101828183018401850186018701880189019001910decided

Later decisions citing this case, by decade. The current decade is in progress, and our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so the latest bars are undercounted — not a real decline.

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JUDGE CRENSHAW

¶1delivered the opinion of the Court.

¶2In relation to the instruction requested by the plaintiff’s counsel in the County Court, we are of opinion that it clearly arose out of the testimony presented on the trial, that it was legal and propel, and should have been given by the Judge to the jury.

¶3As to the charge given by the Court at the request of the defendant’s counsel, we think it was improper, because it was illegal and did notarise out of the testimony. It does not appear that there was any evidence going to prove that Evans had divested himself of title. The deed of trust was truly an incumbrance on the land, but cannot be considered as an absolute conveyance by which Evans had parted with all his right and title; and whether Evans had or had not parted with his title, there was not a total failure of consideration, for the vendee had the use and occupation of the land from the period of the sale to the present time, which was a benefit to him, and therefore in law, was some consideration. .As to the fraudulent rep® *493assentation made at the time of the sale, by the vendor to the vendee, that the land was free from incumbrance, it appears that the vendee knew of the incumbrance when he took possession of the land ; yet instead of rescinding the contract of sale, he confirmed the same, and acquiesced in the fraud, if any, by taking and continuing in possession, and afterwards paying a part of the purchase money.

Note. See a previous trial of this cause reported in Minor’s Ala. Rep p. 354.

¶4If there was a fraudulent representation, the vendee might have rescinded the contract as soon as he discovered the fraud; but having acquiesced in the fraud, and proceeded to take the benefit of the contract, he cannot rely on this ground to avoid the payment of the purchase money.

¶5Perhaps in an action of covenant on the warranty expressed in the deed or implied in law, a subsisting incum-brance at the time of the sale, would be evidence of a breach of covenant, and support the action without an eviction by title paramount; but we do not undertake to •settle this principle, not thinking it necessary in the present case.

¶6We are all of opinion that if the vendee with a knowledge of the incumbrance, took possession of the land, and has continued in the quiet and undisturbed possession of the same, though there was a fraudulent representation as to the title at the time of sale, he is yet bound to pay to the vendor or his assignee, the purchase money agreed to be paid. The judgement of the County Court is reversed and the cause remanded.

Judge Taylor not sitting.
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