91 So. 708 | Miss. | 1922
delivered the opinion of the court.
The appellee exhibited an original bill of complaint in the court below against the appellants and two other
“ ‘Subrogation is the substitution of oné person in place of another, Avhether as a creditor or as the possessor of any rightful claim, so that he who is substituted succeeds to the rights of the other in relation to the debt or claim, and to its rights, remedies, or securities.’ Words and Phrases, vol. 7, p. 6722. “The doctrine is one of equity and benevolence, . . . and its basis is the doing of complete, essential, and perfect justice betAveen all the parties, without regard to form, and its object is the prevention of injustice.’ 37 Cyc. 363.” Robinson v. Sullivan, 102 Miss. 596, 59 So. 847.
It “is a creation of the court of equity, and is applied, in the absence of an agreement between the parties, where otherwise there would be a manifest failure of justice.” Trust Co. v. Peters, 72 Miss. 1058, 18 So. 497, 30 L. R. A. 829.
It will not be applied unless the applicant’s cause is just and innocent persons will not be injured thereby. Emmett v. Thompson, 49 Minn. 386, 52 N. W. 31, 32 Am. St.
The bond because of the making of which the appellee was compelled to pay the rent on the land leased by the appellants was executed in a litigation in which the appellee was attempting, as this court has decided, to wrongfully deprive Mrs. Watson’s cotenants of their interest in the land, and the collection of the rent by Mrs. Watson was not only made possible by this wrongful conduct on the part of the appellee, but the appellants, in so far as the appellee is concerned, were justified in paying the rent to Mrs. Watson, for it had joined with her in, and one of the purposes for which the bond was executed was to maintain, her claim of ownership of the land. To force the appellants to again pay the rent in order to relieve the ap-pellee from the consequences of its own wrong would be inequitable.
The decree of the court below will be reversed in so far as it affects the appellants and the bill as to them will be dismissed.
Reversed and dismissed.