Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

8 Ala. 373

Barnett v. Gaines

Supreme Court of Alabama

Decided June 15, 1845

Supreme Court of Alabama · decided 1845-06-15

The bill was filed by the plaintiff in error, and alledges that he purchased from the defendant, Gaines, a tract of land, described in the bill, and that by agreement in writing, Gaines bound himself to make to him, “good and legal title thereto, in fee simple, when the purchase money was paid.” That he has paid all the purchase money, and has been let into the possession of the land.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1845-06-15

How this case has been cited

Cited by 5 later decisions — most recently March 1942

5 state decisions

2018451850186018701880189019001910192019301940decided

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.

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

ORMOND, J.

¶1There is not a particle of equity in this bill. It is certainly true, that a dower interest in lands, is an incum-brance, which in a proper case, would afford a sufficient excuse to the vendee, for refusing to perform the contract on his part, if it were still executory. But this contract has been fully executed, on the part of the vendee, who has paid the purchase money, and been let into the possession of the premises, and who in addition, if that were important, must have known at the time, that the incumbrance existed. It is the established rule in Chancery, that if a purchaser with knowledge of an existing incumbrance, proceeds to execute the contract in part, as by the taking possession of the land, he will bo required to execute in full; and a for-tiori will not be allowed to rescind it, after an execution on his part. Colton v. Wilson, 3 P. Will. 191; and see also Beck v. Simmons and Kornegay, 7 Ala. Rep. 71, where this question was fully considered.

¶2If this were a proper case for equitable interference, there would be no pretence whatever for the injunction prayed for, as the equity of Townsend, a bona fide purchaser of the judgment, without notice of the plaintiff’s demand or equity, if any existed, is superior to his, and there is no connection whatever, between the judgment thus sought to be arrested, and the claim of the plaintiff, so as to affect Townsend with constructive notice. In every view which can be taken of the case, the bill is utterly destitute of equity, and the decree of the Chancellor dissolving the injunction must be affirmed.

/8/ala/373 · .json · Public domain