4 Ind. 90 | Ind. | 1853
Debt by Folsom against Hooker and others, on a writing obligatory for the payment of 100 dollars. Plea, failure of consideration.
The plea alleges that the writing obligatory sued on, was given in part payment, viz., for the one-third of the purchase-money of a certain tract of land purchased by said Hooker of one Lewis L. Davis, who directed the writing obligatory to be made to the plaintiff below; that Davis conveyed the land to Hooker by deed in fee, with covenants of warranty and seizin; that the only title Davis had to the land was obtained by him at sheriff’s sale upon two executions issued on two judgments ren
Demurrer to the plea sustained. Judgment for the plaintiff.
The plea avers that Hooker received a deed from Davis for the land, with covenants of warranty and seizin; but does not allege a breach of either of the covenants. Had either of them been broken before suit brought on the writing obligatory, Hooker might have set up that matter in his plea, as a failure of consideration.
The sheriff’s sale to Beasley may vest in him the paramount title to the land; but such title being in him would constitute no defence to this action, until there was an eviction. That such eviction had taken place is not shown by an averment in the plea that Beasley had commenced ejectment for the land, and that the action was then pending.
The plea, to have constituted a valid defence to the action, should have alleged either an entire want of title in Davis, or an eviction by paramount title. Neither of these allegations being in it, we think the demurrer was properly sustained. Whisler v. Hicks, 5 Blackf. 100.—Smith v. Ackerman, id. 541.—Pomeroy v. Burnett, 8 id. 142.
The judgment is affirmed, with 5 per cent, damages and costs.