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4 Abb. Ct. App. 68

Ring v. Steele

New York Court of Appeals

Decided September 15, 1867

New York Court of Appeals · decided 1867-09-15

Barnard 0. Ring and Charles H. Richardson sued Daniel Steele and Elijah Smith, to recover the undivided half of four acres of land. Both parties claimed title under one Joseph Steele, the former owner. Joseph Steele, on February 1G, 1852, executed a deed conveying an undivided half of the premises to the plaintiffs. The consideration, the receipt of which was acknowledged in the usual form in the deed, was two hundred and fifty dollars.

Relies on Van Rensselaer v. Clark

Decided 1867-09-15

¶1By the

Porter, J.

¶2—The effect of the deed to Ring and Richardson was to invest them with title tq an undivided half of the premises. By accepting the grant they became liable for the agreed price; and the validity of the transfer was not affected by the non-payment at the time of the purchase money. Bamum v. Childs, 1 Sandf. 58; Meriam v. Harsen, 2 Bari. Gh. 232. The subsequent conveyance of the premises by the grantor to his father, was a fraud upon the rights of the previous grantees. Through their neglect to put on record the evidence of their title, and the superior vigilance of the defendant Steele, the deed of the latter would have acquired priority, if he had bought without notice of the antecedent grant. 1 B. S. 756, § 1. He paid a valuable consideration ; but as he did so with knowledge of the previous conveyance, he was not a purchaser in good faith, and cannot claim the protection of the recording act. The defendant Smith occupies no better position. He is chargeable with constructive notice of the deed under which the plaintiffs claim, as it was recorded before he made his purchase. Van Rensselaer v. Clark, 17 Wend. 25; Jackson v. Post, 15 Id. 588.

¶3It is unnecessary to consider the question whether a mere recital by one who has previously parted with his title, that he has received value from a subsequent purchaser, is evidence of that fact as against the previous grantee-; for in this case the proof is clear that Steele was a purchaser for value, but with full notice of the plaintiffs’ rights,

¶4The record discloses no error prejudicial to the defendants, and the judgment should be affirmed, with costs.

¶5All the judges concurred, except Bockes, J., absent.

¶6Judgment affirmed, with costs.

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