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Garden v. Bodwing's Admx.

Garden & Co. v. Bodwing's Admx.

Garden v. Bodwing's Admx., 9 W. Va. 121 (1876)
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Court
West Virginia Supreme Court · State Highest Courts
Decided
July 17, 1876
Judges
Moore, Other
Citations
9 W. Va. 1211876 W. Va. LEXIS 15
Headnotes
S. conveyed by deed of trust to McC., certain goods, to secure to B the payment of a certain sum of money. The deed contained the. lollo-wing clause: that S.> agrees and obligates himself to keep always on hand a stock of goods equal - in quality,.description and value to the personal property hereinabove mentioned, until the debt which this deed is drawn to secure is paid in full- — Held : 1. That the inference fairly deducible from that clause is, that the grantor, not only retains possession of the goods, but has an absolute power of sale thereof. 2. The clause is inconsistent with the security for the debt, or object of the trust, and adequate to the defeat thereof, being equivalent to a power of revocation; and the deed is therefore fraudulent and void, as to creditors.
Summary
Appeal from, and supersedeas to, a decree of tbe municipal court of Wheeling, rendered on the fourth day of December, 1875, granted on the petition of Susanna Bodwing, administratrix 'of Philip Bodwing, déceased. The complainants were C. H. Garden, Daniel Dona-van, Joseph Tierney, John L. Bugh, William M. Garden, and John Campbell, partners as C. H. Gardner & Co., and the respondents, Thomas McCormick, trustee of David F. Schwartz, and said Bódwing as administra-trix, as aforesaid. The facts are sufficiently stated in the opinion of the court. The Hon. Gibson S. Cranmer, judge of said court, presided at the hearing below.

Syllabus and headnotes are prepared by the reporter or publisher, not the court, and are not part of the opinion.

Opinion of the Court — Moore

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Moore, Judge :

The only question in this case, is, as to the validity of the deed of trust made by Schwartz to McCormick, as trustee, upon certain personal property, in his store, to secure to Mrs. Bodwing a debt of $800, evidenced by two notes, designated in said deed, not payable for several months from date of deed.

The objectionable clause in the deed, is that in which Schwartz “agrees and obligates himself to keep always on hand a stock of goods equal in quality, description and value to the personal property herein above mentioned, until the debt which this deed is drawn to secure, is paid in full.”

Is that clause inconsistent with the security for the debt, or object of the trust, and adequate to the defeat thereof?

The inference fairly deducible from that clause, is, that the grantor not only retains possession of the goods, but has an absolute power of sale thereof. Certainly this power is incompatible with the purpose of security for the debt, is inconsistent with the trust, and is clearly adequate to the defeat thereof. Maxwell, Judge, in the case of Kuhn, Netter & Co. v. Mack & Bro., 4 W. Va. 194 , says, “the agreement contained in the trust to supply the place of goods sold by additional purchases, cannot take this case out of the rule in the cases referred to.” (The cases referred to are Lang v. Lee, 3 Rand. 410 ; Shepherd v. Turpin, 3 Gratt. 350 ; Spence v. Bagwell, 6 Gratt. 444 .)

As to the fraudulent intent, there is no proof, except that arising from the face of the deed. In fact, outside of the deed, the transaction appears to be bona fide) *123 the debt being just, no doubt it was the honest intention of the grantor to give ample security for its payment; but the means adopted in the was equivalent to a power of revocation, and certainly was well calculated to hinder and delay creditors, as he intended to .supply the place of the goods sold with those .of after purchase. Therefore, I am of opinion that this case is fully met by the case of Kuhn, Netter & Co. v. Mack & Bro., and that the principles herein involved are thereby res adjudicaba; and although, in this particular case, it is a seeming hardship, we must follow the rule as heretofore laid down by this Court* therefore, stare decisis.

The decree of the municipal court, must be affirmed, with costs and $30 damages.

The other Judges concurred.

Degree Affirmed.

How later courts describe this case

No later court has written an explanatory parenthetical about this case yet.

1877–1878: 11883–1884: 31885–1886: 11899–1900: 11909–1910: 218772026peak 1883 · 3

Relies on it most ⓘ

  1. Shattuck & Jackson v. Knight & Bros.25 W. Va. 590 (1885)
  2. Livesay's Ex'r v. Beard22 W. Va. 585 (1883)
  3. Harden v. Wagner22 W. Va. 356 (1883)
  4. Gilbert v. Peppers64 S.E. 361 (W. Va. 1909)
  5. Klee & Bros. v. Reitzenberger23 W. Va. 749 (1884)
  6. In re Elletson Co.174 F. 859 (N.D.W. Va. 1909)

Most recent

  1. In re Elletson Co.174 F. 859 (N.D.W. Va. 1909)
  2. Gilbert v. Peppers64 S.E. 361 (W. Va. 1909)
  3. Donohue v. Campbell83 N.W. 469 (Minn. 1900)
  4. Shattuck & Jackson v. Knight & Bros.25 W. Va. 590 (1885)
  5. Klee & Bros. v. Reitzenberger23 W. Va. 749 (1884)
  6. Livesay's Ex'r v. Beard22 W. Va. 585 (1883)

Citing references are not a citator: they show that a later opinion cites this case, not whether it followed, distinguished, or overruled it. Check negative history before relying on this case.

Authorities cited 1

DepthCaseCited by
Kuhn, Netter & Co. v. Mack & Bros., 4 W. Va. 186 (1870) 17

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