110 Neb. 672 | Neb. | 1923
It is first argued that a petition to intervene must be filed 'before trial, that the right of intervention terminates with the final decree, and that the trial court erred in overruling the motion to strike intervener's pleadings from the record. In this connection reference is made to the statutory right of intervention before trial. Comp. St. 1922, sec. 8552. Intervention under this statute is a matter of right, but does not prevent a court of equity in the interests of justice from allowing a proper party to intervene after the trial has begun. State v. Farmers State Bank, 103 Neb. 194.
Was intervention properly allowed 17 days after entry of the unexecuted decree of foreclosure? Leave to intervene after the entry of a final decree is not allowable as a matter of right and should seldom be granted, but equity sometimes: requires a departure from the general rule. In the light of both reason and precedent it has been said:
“Applications for leave to intervene after entry of a final decree are unusual, and generally have been denied. There are instances, however, where petitions for leave to intervene have been filed and granted after decree.” 21 C. J. 345, sec. 346.
The present instance seems to be one for the granting of leave to intervene after entry of the decree of foreclosure. If intervener pleaded the truth, his land was subject to judicial sale to discharge an apparent lien having no foundation in justice or equity but tainted with fraud. In a suit to which he was not a party, a court of equity had ordered the sale of his land at the suit of a mortgagee chargeable with knowledge of his rights and of the fraud perpetrated upon him. The decree of foreclosure had not been executed. Considering plaintiff a mortgagee in good faith, the right of the
On the merits of intervention it is argued that the evidence does not sustain the finding that Nutter procured the deed from intervener by fraud. The position thus taken does not seem to be tenable. Without going into details, the more convincing proofs tend to show that Nutter got intervener drunk, pretended to enter into partnership Avith him to deal in horses, exacted the deed for the purpose of borroAving $5,000 to be invested as intervener’s capital, betrayed his trust, paid no consideration for the deed except $70, which intervener offers to return, refused to reconvey the title and transferred it to a third person in furtherance of a scheme to SAvindle intervener out of Ms land. On the issue of fraud the finding on appeal is the same as that of the trial court.
Affirmed.