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131 Mass. 464

Cochran v. Goodell

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided October 20, 1881

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1881-10-20

Writ oe entry, under the Gen. Sts. c. 140, § 8, by John M. Cochran and Daniel M. Chamberlain, against Eliza C. Goodell and Lorenzo Plimpton, to foreclose separate mortgages held by the plaintiffs upon certain land in Southbridge. The defendant Goodell made no answer, and was defaulted; and the defendant Plimpton pleaded nul disseisin.

Relies on Howard v. Chase · Noyes v. Barnet

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1881-10-20

How this case has been cited

Cited by 10 later decisions — most recently January 1942

10 state decisions

501881189019001910192019301940decided

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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Gray, C. J.

¶1The objection of misjoinder of the plaintiffs cannot prevail. A writ of entry to foreclose a mortgage under the Gen. Sts. c. 140 differs from an ordinary writ of entry, and is in the nature of a bill in equity, and governed by the same rules as to parties and relief. Webster v. Vandeventer, 6 Gray, 428. Holbrook v. Bliss, 9 Allen, 69. The two mortgages from *466the defendant Goodell to the plaintiffs severally, to secure several obligations, having been given at the same time, the two mortgagees were tenants in common, and their rights were the same as if one mortgage had been made to both, to secure to each his separate debt. Burnett v. Pratt, 22 Pick. 556. Howard v. Chase, 104 Mass. 249. Either of them might have enforced his mortgage by separate suit, if necessary to secure his rights. Burnettv. Pratt, above cited. Gilson v. Gilson, 2 Allen, 115. But there is no doubt that by the rules of chancery practice both may join in one suit, and it is usually convenient that they should, in order that the rights of all parties may be determined at once. Lowe v. Morgan, 1 Bro. Ch. 368, and Belt’s note. Palmer v. Carlisle, 1 Sim. & Stu. 423. 1 Dan. Ch. Pract. (5th Am. ed.) 212. Johnson v. Brown, 11 Foster, 405. Noyes v. Barnet, 57 N. H. 605. And by our statutes, tenants in common may join even in a common law writ of entry. Gen. Sts. e. 134, § 9.

¶2The merits of the case have hardly been argued by the defendant, and are disposed of by two well-settled rules: 1st. A second mortgagee may maintain a writ of entry to foreclose against the first mortgagee and owner of the equity of redemption. Palmer v. Fowley, 5 Gray, 545. Doten v. Hair, 16 Gray, 149. Cronin v. Hazletine, 3 Allen, 324. Kilborn v. Robbins, 8 Allen, 466. 2d. A sale on execution of part only of the lands included in one mortgage passes no title. Webster v. Foster, 15 Gray, 31. • Judgment for the plaintiffs.

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