185 N.C. 336 | N.C. | 1923
It is admitted, as we understand, that if Margaret’s conveyance to Balaam of the 10-acre tract was an advancement and Margaret died seized and possessed of the fifteen acres described in the complaint, Balaam bas no interest in the tract last named because be claims an interest in it only as an beir at law of bis brother Hillary. the defendant alleges that be and Hillary and Sam purchased and paid for the land described in the two deeds executed by James Wells and bis wife and that Margaret took the title in ber own name and held it in trust for them and that after Sam’s death she executed the trust by conveying one tract to Balaam and the other to Hillary.
The answer further states that Margaret’s deed to Hillary conveying the 15-acre tract was never registered and bas been lost or destroyed if not withheld by some of the plaintiffs. For the purpose of establishing these allegations the defendant was permitted to testify at the trial substantially as follows: “I was born in 1860. Hillary Murray, (Sr.), was my father and Margaret Murray my mother. She lived in Duplin County. I have a deed from my mother for ten acres of land. She made two deeds at the same time or bad Mr. Bill Joe to make them; but both were not made to me. She never made but one deed to me for the same piece of land. Mr.'W. J. Boney went to my mother’s bouse, and me aaid Maggie Wilson and Hillary and Margaret were present. I don’t know bow old Maggie was at that timé; she was fixing to get married. In the presence of Maggie, Hillary, Margaret and myself Mr. Boney wrote two deeds, one for me and the other for Hillary.” To the testimony relating to the deeds the plaintiffs in apt time objected.
When a deed bas once been delivered its subsequent loss or destruction will not divest the title of the grantee, and its contents may be shown by competent evidence when the due execution and the loss are properly made to appear; but as the deed is the best evidence of its own eon-
Tbe defendant’s testimony falls short of these requirements. It will be noted that only one of the plaintiffs was present when Boney wrote the two deeds. There is no evidence that the defendant read the deed which was delivered (as he says) to Hillary or that he could read; so far as the record shows his testimony was hearsay. He did not testify that diligent search had been made or that the deed had been lost or destroyed; nor did he trace it into the hands of either of the plaintiffs. He alleged that the plaintiffs have it, but served no notice to produce it, and laid no adequate foundation for proof of its legal operation. Nevertheless, the jury were permitted to consider this testimony and that of Rivenbark, which as it now appears in the record is subject to the same objection; and upon their testimony the jury no doubt responded to the third and fifth issues. In overruling the objection of the plaintiffs as to the evidence concerning the execution and loss of the deed there was error which entitles them to a new trial.
New trial.