Dodge v. . Crandall

[EDITORS' NOTE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS HEADNOTES. HEADNOTES ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF THE COURT, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT DISPLAYED.]

[EDITORS' NOTE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS HEADNOTES. HEADNOTES ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF THE COURT, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT DISPLAYED.] [EDITORS' NOTE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS HEADNOTES. HEADNOTES ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF THE COURT, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT DISPLAYED.]

[EDITORS' NOTE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS HEADNOTES. HEADNOTES ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF THE COURT, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT DISPLAYED.] [EDITORS' NOTE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS HEADNOTES. HEADNOTES ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF THE COURT, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT DISPLAYED.] The mortgage sought to be foreclosed by action, was in the winter of 1858-9, held by the administrator of S.V.R. Mallory, deceased. The premises covered by it, had, after its execution, and about the 23d February, 1856, been conveyed by the mortgagor to the defendant Holcomb, who assumed the payment of the mortgage as a part of the purchase price of the premises. The mortgagor had paid the interest, and $266.66 of the principal sum secured by it, before the sale and transfer of the premises to Holcomb. Afterwards, Holcomb paid the interest. The whole principal became due and payable on the 1st March, 1858. Shortly before the 28th February, 1859, (the administrator of Mallory being about to foreclose the mortgage,) Holcomb entered into an agreement with the plaintiff's testator, whereby the latter agreed to purchase the mortgage of Mallory's administrator, who then held the same, and extend the time of payment five years; or give that additional time from the time he took the assignment, to pay the balance due upon the bond and mortgage; in consideration of which, Holcomb agreed to pay him fifty dollars, which he did pay, and Holberton took the assignment of the mortgage, and continued to hold the same, and receive payments of interest thereon up to his death. The bond and mortgage were assigned to the plaintiff's testator on 28th February, 1859, and the time agreed to be given to Holcomb to make payment would not expire until the 28th February, 1864.

This foreclosure suit was brought in June, 1862, and the question is whether the executor of Holberton is entitled to sustain it, notwithstanding the contract of his testator to purchase the mortgage, and forbear foreclosing it for five years; or, in other words, to extend the time of payment of the debt secured to be paid by it, and which was due, for five years from such purchase. If Holberton, in the face of his contract, was not entitled to maintain an action to collect the principal secured by the mortgage by a foreclosure thereof, before the five years elapsed, it is very clear his representative is not.

The ground taken at the trial was, that the contract was void by the statute of frauds, not being in writing, and being an agreement that by its terms was not to be performed within one year from the making thereof. (2 R.S. 135, § 2, sub. 1.) I am of the opinion that it was not affected by the statute. The statute applies to executory, and not to executed contracts; and the one in question, I think, was of the latter description. It was certainly executed by Holcomb; and it seems to me the purchase of the mortgage by the plaintiff's testator was an execution on his part. Holberton, agreed in substance, to purchase the mortgage, and forbear to foreclose it for five years, in consideration of fifty dollars. He did purchase, and take an assignment of it, and Holcomb paid him the fifty dollars. Thus, the contract was fully executed. Nothing further remained to be done by either party. Holberton had simply to wait the five years for his money. Holcomb had paid the consideration money, and Holberton had entered upon the contract by receiving the money and purchasing the mortgage, and neither party could rescind it. Neither could Holcomb recover back the money, nor Holberton refuse to carry out the contract, based as it was upon a good consideration, and which he had undertaken to execute.

The further point is now urged (although not alluded to on the trial), that the mortgage being a specialty, no agreement in regard to it could be valid unless the agreement was also a specialty. It may be conceded that ordinarily a sealed executory contract can not be rescinded or modified by a parol executory contract; but that was not this case. Here the mortgage was due. The holder was about to enforce it by action; whereupon Holberton agrees, for a valuable consideration, to purchase and refrain from collecting it for five years. This agreement is executed by the purchase; and as respected the plaintiff's testator, operated as effectually to extend the time of payment as if it had been under seal. Indeed, as title to the mortgage would pass by mere delivery without a written assignment, I cannot see why an agreement to extend the time of payment, if founded upon a good consideration, would not be valid and effectual for that purpose, even if executory, and not reduced to writing. The agreement, in this case, was not one varying the terms of the sealed contract so as to require it to be under seal, but rather an agreement, based upon a good and valid consideration, to hold such contract in abeyance until the expiration of the time fixed upon by the new contract. It was conceded upon the trial that Holcomb was in a proper position to set up the new contract, provided such an one was made.

But, in any event, as suggested by the learned judge delivering the opinion in the supreme court, the judgment is sustainable upon the equitable ground that the defendant having a cause of action, would be allowed to set it up to prevent circuity of action. Holberton having taken the assignment, and held it under the contract as proved, and received a consideration therefor from the defendant, and this action being by his representative, it is the same as if he were seeking to foreclose the mortgage by suit, notwithstanding his agreement. If the defendant could have no defense to the foreclosure, still his agreement with Holberton would give him a right of action for the injury he received; otherwise he would be remediless. In the face of his agreement, Holberton, or his representative, ought not to be allowed to foreclose the mortgage, and on the principle of avoiding circuity of action, the law will give effect to such agreement as a defense to the foreclosure suit.

The judgment of the supreme court should be affirmed.