10 Kan. 541 | Kan. | 1873
The opinion of the court was delivered by
Guy C. Hobart sold certain real estate and personal property to Albert Miller, the plaintiff in error, for the sum of $1,550, the real estate being valued at $1,050, and the personal property at $500. The ágreement between them was as follows: Hobart on his part was, to execute to Miller a deed for the land; Miller on his part was to pay Hobart $50 down, and execute to him three promissory notes for $500 each, and was to execute to Hobart a mortgage on the land to secure the payment of the three promissory notes. All this was done in accordance with the agreement of the parties, except that in executing the mortgage the name of Hobart was once used in the place of Miller, and Miller’s name was three times used instead of Hobart’s. In every other respect the original agreement of the parties was fully carried out; and in every other respect the mortgage was correct, and in due form. The names of Miller and Hobart were each used twice in said mortgage correctly, and the mortgage was executed by the proper person, and in due form. Two of the promissory notes were paid when they became due. The other note and the supposed mortgage were assigned to E. M. Davis, the defendant in error, (who was plaintiff below.) Davis sued Miller on the note and supposed mortgage, and prayed for a judgment on the note and for a decree that the supposed mortgage should be reformed and foreclosed. The action was tried by the court, without a jury, on an agreed statement of facts, and the prayer of the plaintiff below was granted. It is agreed by the parties, that the supposed mortgage was drawn up defectively through a mutual mistake of the parties; that it was intended that a proper mortgage should be drawn up and executed, and it was supposed that such a one had been drawn up and executed; but how the mistake occurred in drawing
It seems to be claimed by counsel for plaintiff in error that an instrument must be valid and binding upon the parties in order to be reformed. This is certainly not correct. It is true,