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35 Pa. 97

Wolf v. Payne

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Decided July 1, 1860

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · decided 1860-07-01

Error, to the Common Pleas of Bucks county. This was an ejectment by Mary Jane Payne against Frederick Wolf, for a tavern property and three contiguous tracts of land in Richland township, containing 54 acres 114 perches. The landlord, T. H. Wilson, treasurer of the Central Insurance Company, who claimed title to the premises, as a purchaser at sheriff’s sale, was subsequently admitted as a defendant on the record.

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently April 1929

2 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1860-07-01

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¶1The opinion of the court was delivered by

Lowrie, C. J.

¶2Mary Jane Payne had the legal title to this land, subject to some judgments against a former owner. Then a jft. fa. was issued on one of these judgments, and the former owner waived inquisition and condemnation, and allowed a sale on that writ. Of course, this could not affect the then owner’s title; she alone could waive her right to have inquisition. Was there anything to cure this irregularity ? It is supposed to be cured by a former condemnation in another suit; but that was a proceeding against William Payne. The levy and condemnation were of his interest, not Mary’s; and that could not possibly cure the defect in the proceeding against Mary’s title.

¶3The sale went on the hypothesis that Mary’s title was a fraud on the creditors of William. On the distribution, an issue was ordered to try this question, and Mary was made a party to it. But she was claiming nothing out of the sale, and refused to be a party. This was right, for she could not claim the proceeds without some kind of admission that her title was sold. And she could not be compelled to try her title in such a proceeding. That was to be tried by an action of ejectment. There was nothing in the offers of evidence that tended to cure the defects in the title of the defendant below, or divest the title of the plaintiff, and the verdict was rightly rendered for the plaintiff. No evidence was offered to show any fraud in Mary’s title.

¶4Judgment affirmed.

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