141 Ga. 198 | Ga. | 1913
J. M. Coogle and others brought suit against Green and others to recover certain lands, alleging title in themselves. Mary J. Taylor, the wife of William J. Taylor, in the year 1866 had been allotted dower in these lands. Wm. J. Taylor died in the year 1863. Mary J. Taylor died in the year 1910. The plaintiffs were heirs of Wm. J. Taylor. After his death John T. Coogle administered upon his estate. Mary J. Taylor had sold her life-estate in the land prior to her death, and this interest in the land had gone into the defendants through a series of conveyances. The defendants, to show title,in themselves to the remainder, interest in the lands after the extinguishment of the dower, relied upon a sheriff’s deed and the subsequent conveyances from the grantee in the sheriff’s deed. The sheriff’s deed was executed December 20, 1878, and recites that the property conveyed was sold under an execution issued from the superior court of Macon County, “in favor of the officers of court against the estate of Wm. J. Taylor, and sold for the purpose of satisfying this execution.” After the evidence had been introduced and argument of counsel heard, the court directed a verdict for the defendants. Plaintiffs made a motion for a new trial, which was overruled, and they excepted.
The plaintiffs contend that the sheriff’s sale was invalid and the deed void, upon several grounds. Under the view which we take of the ease, however, it is necessary to deal with only one of these grounds; for we agree with the plaintiffs that the sale was invalid and that the sheriff’s deed passed no title to the purchaser at the sale, or his transferee. It appears from the record in the case that Coogle, the administrator of Wm. J. Taylor, was liable to the officers of the superior court for costs on various judgments which he had sued out as administrator, amounting in the aggregate to a large sum. The execution for costs under which the property involved in this controversy was sold was based not directly upon those judgments, but upon a decree rendered in the superior court, which grew out of a bill for injunction and other relief brought to the March term, 1867, of Macon superior court, wherein Coogle, administrator, was plaintiff and Mary J. Taylor and others defendants. This bill set up that the estate of Wm. J. Taylor was
Whether there are circumstances raising an estoppel or not may be shown upon the next trial; but that issue was not made under the pleadings in this case, the defendants relying solely upon a sheriff’s deed from which they claimed to have obtained title.
Judgment reversed.