ARMEN POLADIAN AND A. P. CONSTRUCTION CO., APPELLANTS,
v.
ELSA JOHNSON AND BORDER CITY LAND COMPANY, APPELLEES

Fla. | 1955-12-20
TFIOMAS, THORNAL and ROBERTS, JJ., and ALLEN, Associate Justice, concur., . DREW, C. J„ and HOBSON, J., dissent.
85 So. 2d 140 Florida Supreme Court (1955) Positive Treatment
Cited by 14 cases

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Synopsis

Poladian claimed an interest in Dade County land based on an unrecorded agreement for deed with the owner Johnson. After Johnson sold the property to Border City Land Company, Poladian recorded a "wild deed" and sued for declaratory relief. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's judgment that Border City acquired good faith title without notice of Poladian's claim, holding that a wild deed provides no constructive notice to subsequent purchasers.


Holding

The court held that Border City Land Company acquired good faith title without notice of Poladian's claim. A wild deed provides no constructive notice to subsequent purchasers, and the other circumstances were insufficient to put a prudent purchaser on inquiry notice, particularly for vacant lots where a purchaser is expected only to exhaust the record.


Key Quotes

“A "wild deed" is one executed by a stranger to the record title "hung out in air like Mahomet's coffin."”

Defines the type of deed Poladian recorded and distinguishes it from a deed in the proper chain of title.

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Facts & Procedural History

Armen Poladian entered into agreements for deed with Elsa Johnson dated February 20, 1951, and December 12, 1951, for property in Dade County. Johnson…

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Opinion of the Court
TERRELL, Justice.

TERRELL, Justice.

This controversy stems from a claim of Armen Poladian to certain lands in Dade County based on an unrecorded agreement for deed with the owner, Elsa Johnson, dated February 20, 1951, said agreement having been supplemented by a second agreement dated December 12, 1951. On the .theory that Poladian had not complied with the terms of his agreement, Johnson gave notice and proceeded to cancel the agreement. None of the proceedings were, placed of record as required by law. Johnson then entered into an agreement with Border City Land Company for sale of the lands in question, thinking that •'Poladian’s claim was to all -intents and purposes can-celled.

Prior to date set for closing -the latter agreement, .Poladian placed a “wild, deed” of record and shortly thereafter filed suit in equity for declaratory decree seeking adjudication of the rights of the parties to th,e. controversy. A “wild deed” is one executed by a stranger to the. record title “hung out. in air like Mahomet’s coffin.” Hart v. Gardner, 81 Miss. 650, 33 So. 442, 497. At final hearing after answer, the chancellor' entered a final decree dismissing the corn-plaint. Poladian has appealed from the final decree.

The effect of the final decree was to hold that Border City Land Company acquired title to the property involved in good faith, for a valuable consideration and without knowledge or notice, actual or constructive, of the claim of plaintiffs, or any of them, under agreement of December 12, 1951, between Johnson and Pola-dian. The cause as to Johnson was dismissed without prejudice as to any right of action Poladian might have against her. Appellants contend that the ruling of the chancellor should be reversed because appellees were on implied notice of appellants’ claim, account of the following factors: (1) warranty deed from Poladian to A. P. Construction Co. recorded eight days prior to the deed on which Border City Land Company relies; (2) the lands were made into Armen Subdivision which was named for Armen Poladian and plat thereof filed of record long prior to any claim of Border City Land Company; (3) Armen Poladian posted a bond with the county to secure installation of streets and water, part of which was accomplished at the time Border City Land 'Company ac7 quired title; (4) A. P. Construction Co. paid taxes on the land which was assessed in the name of said plaintiff; (5) Armen Poladian lived in a home .in Armen Subdivision which consisted of five blocks, on which Armen Poladian constructed most of the buildings; (6) Johnson .attempted a sale of the lands prior to her attempt to cancel Armen Poladian’s contract.

It is contended by appellants that these facts were sufficient to put a prudent purchaser on such inquiry , as would lead to Armen Poladian’s interest in the land. Sapp v. Warner, 105 Fla. 245, 141 So. 124, 143 So. 648, 144 So, 481; First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Miami v. Fisher, Fla.1952, 60 So. 2d 496; Redstone v. Redstone Lumber & Supply Co., 101 Fla. 226, 133 So. 882; Farish v. Smoot, Fla.1952, 58 So. 2d 534, and other cases are relied on to support this contention. We have examined these cases and they deal with questions so remote and unlike that we are confronted with here, that we do not think they can be said to rule the case at bar. Appellants rely heavily on the recordation of the “wild deed” as notice to appellees but we do not think the fact avails them anything. 2 Merrill on Notice, page 558, holds that the record of such an instrument is not notice to subsequent purchasers. Poladian nor his grantee in the “wild deed” was in possession of the lots. In fact, it would hardly be reasonable to contend that one purchasing vacant lots, as was the case here, would be required to canvass the neighborhood to ascertain the claims of others. It is common knowledge that lines or posts marking subdivision and streets are oftimes soon covered up or obliterated and then one investigating claims against proposed purchases of land is expected to exhaust the record and nothing more unless it puts him on notice of other muniments of title.

From this it follows that the decree appealed from must be and is hereby affirmed.

Affirmed.

TFIOMAS, THORNAL and ROBERTS, JJ., and ALLEN, Associate Justice, concur. . DREW, C. J„ and HOBSON, J., dissent.

Dissent
DREW, Chief Justice

DREW, Chief Justice

(dissenting).

Because of my view that the factors set forth in the fourth paragraph" of the opinion by Mr. Justice "Terrell were sufficient to.put the purchaser on inquiry, I must respectfully. dissent from the judgment of af-firmance. With "all the red flágs flying, any prudent purchaser would have looked into the matter and, had he done so, he would have learned of the interest of Po-ladian.

HOBSON, J., concurs.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • George v. Reed and his wife, 145 So. 2d 858 (Fla. 1961)
    …onnection with a careful consideration of all of the existing equities. It is well established that the re-cordation of a void deed does not constitute constructive notice of “anything”. Wright v. Blocker.1 See also Poladian v. Johnson, Fla., 1955, 85 So. 2d 140. It is a mere bru-tum fulmen “Signifying nothing.”10 Moreover, it has been held by this Court (Anderson v. Northrop, 30 Fla. 612, 12 So. 318) under facts analogous to those of the instant case that a fraudulent deed (voidable only as distinguished…
  • …consistently been held, according to petitioner, that such deeds are void and of no effect even though they may have been recorded. As examples, petitioner cites Reed v. Fain, 145 So. 2d 858 (Fla.1961, rev’d on rehearing, 1962); Poladian v. Johnson, 85 So. 2d 140 (Fla.1955); and Wright v. Blocker, 144 Fla. 428, 198 So. 88 (1940). Therefore petitioner suggests that the Act cannot bar a complaint which demonstrates that the chain of title involved in a cause initiated out of a forgery or a wild deed, even thou…
  • Vance v. Sebie Fields and Annie Mae Clark Fields, 172 So. 2d 613 (Fla. 1st DCA 1965)
    …ited therein. The recording by Vance of the ineffective assignment did not aid their cause. Recordation of an invalid instrument affords no protection to claimants thereunder. Wright v. Blocker, 144 Fla. 428, 198 So. 88 (1940); Poladian v. Johnson, 85 So. 2d 140 (Fla.1955). The decree appealed from is affirmed. STURGIS, C. J., and CARROLL, DONALD K., J., concur.…

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