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60 Mass. 1

Hunt v. Moore

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Decided September 15, 1850

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court · decided 1850-09-15

<p>Where it was agreed between the owner of a farm and the intended purchaser thereof, that in consideration of the conveyance, the latter should bind himself to support the former and his wife during their lives, and after his decease to pay his estate a certain sum; and, in pursuance of this agreement, the owner of the farm conveyed the same in fee, and received back a deed thereof from the purchaser to himself and his wife for their lives; but the grantee refused, though requested, to give any obligation to support the grantor and his wife or to pay the sum agreed upon to his estate after his death; it was held, that these facts did not create a resulting trust.</p>

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently October 1892

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1850-09-15

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Fletcher, J.

¶1It is maintained, on the part of the defendant, that the bill discloses no ground of jurisdiction in equity in this court. For the plaintiff, it is maintained, that this court has jurisdiction of the case, on' the ground of trust. It is admitted that no express trust is set out; but it is insisted, that the bill discloses a resulting trust by implication of law. *3To support this position, it should appear, from the facts set out, that when the conveyance was made by the plaintiff to the defendant, though it was absolute and unconditional in form, yet that by reason of the facts alleged, the defendant became thereby the trustee of the legal estate for the plaintiff) and was bound to convey it to him. Now the facts alleged in the bill, instead of supporting, most manifestly and conclusively repel, the idea of any resulting trust.

¶2The bill alleges, in the most explicit terms, that the estate was conveyed to the defendant for the express purpose of giving the legal title to him, for his own use and benefit as a purchaser for a valuable consideration, fully and conclusively agreed on by the parties. There surely can be no trust of the legal estate, in favor of the plaintiff) resulting by implication of law from these facts. In truth, the charge against the defendant in the bill is, that he has failed to pay the consideration for the estate as a purchaser, and according to the agreement between the parties.

¶3The bill alleges, that the defendant holds the legal title to the premises under the plaintiff’s warranty deed, without any good, legal, or valuable consideration “ and by fraud.” But this court, as a court of equity, has no jurisdiction of fraud as a distinct head of equity jurisdiction ; though in cases in which the court has jurisdiction, it can deal with matters of fraud which may arise incidentally. This court cannot take jurisdiction of the case, as of a suit for the specific performance of a contract; as the jurisdiction under that head is limited to written contracts, and this case is not within that class. Though a court having full equity powers might perhaps afford the plaintiff relief, yet the case clearly does not come within the limited equity jurisdiction of this court.*

¶4 Bill dismissed.

¶5See the case of Livermore v. Aldrich, 5 Cush. 431.

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