Pew v. Sayler
Annotate this CasePlaintiffs owned most of Mouse Island in the Town of Southport in common with Defendants. Plaintiffs filed a complaint for equitable partition. Defendants counterclaimed. The superior court entered summary judgment in favor of Defendants on Plaintiffs’ complaint for equitable partition. After a trial, the court awarded Defendants damages for nonpayment of commonly-shared expenses. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the rights of first refusal in the parties’ deeds violated the rule against perpetuities and were therefore void as a matter of law; (2) the rights of first refusal in the parties’ separate contractual agreements with one another were valid vis-à-vis each other and constituted an effective waiver of these parties’ rights to equitable partition; and (3) the superior court did not err in apportioning expenses.
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