Abell v. Calderwood

California Supreme Court Jan 15, 1854Published

Before: Heydeneeldt, Murray

AI Brief

AI-generated · verify before citing

Holding. The court held that an unwritten contract for the sale of land is void under the Statute of Frauds and that courts of equity lack the power to enforce the specific performance of such agreements.

Issues

Whether a court of equity has the power to enforce a verbal agreement for the conveyance of land despite the Statute of Frauds.
Whether the 10th section of the Act confers power upon courts to enforce parol agreements for the sale of land.

Disposition. reversed

Quotations verified verbatim against the opinion

“We therefore decide that an unwritten contract for the sale of land is void by the express declaration of the Statute of Frauds, and a court of equity has no power to enforce a ' specific performance of it.”

“That this system originated in the purest and best motives, no one at this day will question, while, at the same time, it is equally beyond dispute that it constitutes a mere naked judicial usurpation.”

Synopsis

Appeal from the Fourth Judicial District.

The complaint states that, on the 24th of September, 1851, the plaintiff conveyed to the defendant Jackson, a lot of ground, being a portion of the 50-vara lot known on the official map of the City of San Francisco as lot No. 126; that on the repayment of the purchase money and fifty dollars additional, Jackson agreed to re-convey the premises to plaintiff; that the defendant Calderwood, with a knowledge of the facts and rights of the plaintiff, and fraudulently conspiring with Jackson, had procured from Jackson a deed of conveyance to himself of the premises, on or about the 28th of September, 1852, for the nominal sum of twenty dollars, and had immediately recorded his deed in the office of the County Recorder.

The complaint prayed for a conveyance of the premises from the defendants to the plaintiff, and one thousand dollars damages, and costs.

The defendant Jackson made default in answering. ' The defendant Calderwood answered denying fraudulent intent or collusion with Jackson, and alleged that he and one Hawlin had paid plaintiff $500 for a deed of conveyance of plaintiff’s alleged title to the premises; -and that the defendant Jackson having shown him (Calderwood) an absolute deed to the conveyance of the premises to Jackson from the plaintiff, and Jackson and plaintiff having committed trespass upon the premises and having been sued therefor, Jackson had proposed to Calderwood to make him a conveyahce of the premises in consideration of Calderwood withdrawing his suit, to which Calderwood consented, and also paid an additional sum of money to Jackson for the deed executed to Calderwood for the premises; he also denied any possession of the premises by the plaintiff,

* except a forcible one for a few hours in the month [91] of September, 1851, and denied any knowledge of the consideration paid by Jackson to plaintiff or its repayment to Jackson; and alleged that before payment of the money by him to Jackson, and the abatement of his suit against Jackson and plaintiff, he had searched at the office of the County Recorder, and had found that Jackson had an absolute deed of the premises, and had made no transfer after-wards, whereupon the defendant in good faith bought the premises from Jackson.

Upon the verdict rendered on the issue joined between the plaintiff and Calderwood, the Court decreed that the deed from Jackson to Calderwood was void, and that the defendants should convey to the plaintiff all the title to the premises, which was conveyed by the deed from the plaintiff to Jackson, and the deed from Jackson to Calderwood. The defendant, Calderwood, appealed.

Mr. J. Heydeneeldt delivered the opinion of the Court.

Mr. Oh. J. Murray concurred. This was a bill filed to enforce the specific performance of an alleged verbal agreement for the conveyance of land. The agreement being void by the Statute of Frauds, courts of equity heretofore, have notwithstanding the Statute, granted the relief sought in certain cases where the refusal of it might enable one party to commit a fraud upon the other. In their abhorrence of fraud, these Courts have, in a material degree, abrogated the letter and spirit and intention of the written law. In the effort to escape from one [92]evil, they have unavoidably fallen into another, and for many years past, the best judicial minds of common law countries have conceded that the one they have fallen into is the greater evil of the two. To exemplify this position, I will quote at some length from the authorities. Judge Story says:

“ It must be admitted that the exceptions thus allowed do greatly trench upon the objects and policy of the Statute of Frauds; and perhaps there might have been as [92] much wisdom * originally in leaving the Statute to its full operation, without any attempt to create exceptions, even in eases where the Statute would enable the party to protect himself from a performance of his contract through a meditated fraud. For, even admitting that such cases might occur, they would become more and more rare as the Statute became better understood; and a partial evil ought not to be permitted to control a general convenience. And indeed it is far from being certain, that these very exceptions do not assist parties in fraudulent contrivances, and increase the temptations to perjury, quite as often as they do assist them in the promotion of good faith, and the furtherance of justice. These exceptions have also led to great embarrassments in the actual administration of equity; and although in some cases, one may clearly see that no great mischiefs can occur from enforcing them, yet in others difficulties may be stated ip their practical application, which compel us to pause, and to question their original propriety.” (2 Story on Eq. § 765.)

In Lindsay v. Lynch, 2 Sch. and Lefr. 1, we have the opinion of Lord Eedesdale. This opinion is quoted by Judge Story, in the text of his work above cited, with approbation, and its sentiments cannot, fail to command my concurrence. Lord Eedesdale says: “The Statute was made for the purpose of preventing perjuries and frauds; and nothing can be more manifest to any person, who has been in the habit of practicing in courts of equity, than that the relaxation of that Statute has been a ground of

Abell v. Calderwood

AI Brief

Synopsis

More from California Supreme Court

Related research

AI Brief