119 Ky. 13 | Ky. Ct. App. | 1904
Orixion of the court by
Affirming.
This action was instituted in the Hickman circuit court by the appellee against E. B. Samuels and his sureties on his official bond as county court clerk for damages occasioned' by the appellant giving an erroneous, certificate of the acknowledgment of Lula M. Carrico to a deed purporting to have been executed by her and her husband, R. F. Carrico, to appellee. The material facts in this case, which are admitted, and which are necessary to be considered for a correct determination of the question in issue, are briefly these: Lula M. Carrico was the owner of a small house and lot in the city of Mayfield, Ky., worth about $300, and1 on or about the loth of February, 1903, the appellee entered into an oral agreement with Lula M. Carrico’s husband, R. F. Carrico, for the purchase of this lot at an agreed price of $300 in cash; and on the 17th of March', 1903, R. F. Carrico presented to appellee, in the city of Mayfield, Ky., a general warranty deed1 to this lot from himself and his Avife, Lula M. Carrico, in which the receipt of the purchase, money ivas acknoAvledged and the deed purported to have been signed and acknowledged by Lula M. Carrico and her husband. The deedi Avas delivered to the appellee, and he paid1 R. F. Carrico $300 in cash therefor. Subsequently Lula M. Carrico
We are of the opinion that the possession of this deed by R. F. Carrico with the acknowledgment of the payment of the purchase price recited therein was a sufficient authority to Brand to pay this money. While appellant alleged that appellee knew of the separation of Carrico and wife at the time he paid the purchase money, yet he (appellant) did not allege that he did not know of this separation at the time he made the certificate; and, even if he had made this allegation, it would not avail him, for the reason that the possession by R. F. Carrico of this deed, properly signed and acknowledged, was sufficient to take appellee off his guard, and he could properly have supposed that everything was all right. We are of the opinion that the appellee had the right to rely upon the certificate of appellant. How may the public know that a deed has been acknowledged unless the truthfulness of the clerk’s certificate can be.relied upon?
We are of the opinion that appellant, by giving this certificate, which he admits was incorrect, became responsible to appellee in the amount which the lower court adjudged; wherefore the judgment is affirmed.
Petition for rehearing by appellant overruled.