32 Iowa 524 | Iowa | 1871
1. It cannot be claimed that, in an action at law, lands may be recovered against one holding the legal paper title, on the ground that his title is based upon fraud. One holding such a title may successfully plead it against the equitable claim of another, attempted to be enforced at law. In order to defeat a fraudulent title, it must be attacked in chancery, and in that forum declared void. These rules are based upon elementary principles. Sufficient legal assurances convey the legal title, upon which a recovery of the land conveyed may be had. If these assurances rest upon fraud they are voidable, not void, as against the attack of the party holding an adverse claim to the land. Such a party holding the equitable title, in order to recover, must cause the adverse legal title to be declared void.
3. We are thus brought to consider the question whether the circuit court is clothed with jurisdiction over the subject-matter of this action, and this will be found to be the controlling question in the case.
The law establishing the circuit court (acts 12th Gen. Ass. chap. 86, § 4) provides that “ said court shall have jurisdiction, concurrent with the district court, in all civil actions at law and of foreclosures of mortgages, trust deeds and contracts for the sale of real estate, and to try and determine equitable issues arising in actions at law pending in this court and also in all actions of partition, or for the assignment of dower, all applications for the writ of ad quod da/rrmum, and of all appeals in special proceedings for the assessment of damages on the establishment or location of highways, railroads and other public improvements, or the taking of private property for public use.”
By this act the circuit court is not clothed with general chancery jurisdiction; the extent of its equity powers is limited to certain proceedings, expressly named, which are usually prosecuted in chancery courts. The case before us is not one of the proceedings named in the law. But it is empowered “ to try and determine equitable issues arising in actions at law pending therein.” This provision must be construed with reference to other prior statutes prescribing when and in what manner equitable issues may be pleaded and tried in law actions. Under Revision, section 2880, paragraph 6, the defendcmt, in a law action, may plead “ as many causes of defense, set-off, counter claim, or cross-demand, whether legal or equitable, as he may have,” and section 2617 directs that “ when the action has been prop
It is very plain that the equitable issues contemplated by these sections are those that arise upon equitable defenses to actions properly instituted at law, and not equitable issues improperly tendered by the plaintiff’s petition in a law action. The position we here state may be made plain by an illustration. In an action upon an account, defendant pleads that the transactions upon which the account sued upon is based, grew out of a partnership existing between the defendant and plaintiff; that the account, in fact, shows the indebtedness of defendant to the firm and not to the plaintiff; that the firm is still existing and its business unsettled, and, thereupon, it is prayed that the partnership be dissolved, an account taken, the liabilities of the firm be paid and the surplus divided between the partners, plaintiff and defendant. Here is an equitable defense set up in an action at law, and, under the statutes above cited, the issues raised by the answer should be tried as equitable issues. Hackett v. High, 28 Iowa, 539. But suppose the plaintiff, in his petition, should aver the existence of the partnership, that it is unsettled, and that the account is a true statement of the indebtedness of defendant to plaintiff, growing out of the partnership business, and, as relief, should ask that the firm be dissolved, an account be taken, and judgment rendered against defendant for the amount found due him upon the settlement of the partnership. Here would be equitable issues tendered by the plaintiff in his petition. It cannot be claimed in such a case that the plaintiff could, by motion against defendant’s objection, have the issues tried as in equity, and the relief prayed for allowed. All would unite in holding that the sections of the Revision above cited do not contemplate trial of equi
In this State, contracts for the sale of lands may be enforced against the purchasers by a proceeding that is called a foreclosure, and the land is sold thereon as in case of the foreclosure of a mortgage. Rev., §§ 3671, 3672. Remembering these provisions the language of the section in question is unmistakable. It provides that the circuit courts shall have jurisdiction of the “ foreclosure of mortgages, trust deeds and contracts for the sale of real estate;” thus clearly expressing, that the foreclosure of contracts, as provided for by the sections of the Revision just cited, may be had in these courts.
In our opinion the judgment of the circuit court cannot be sustained.
Reversed.