In the case of Margaret Dick and Others v. Stephen B. Balch and Others, a dispute arose between two parties over land in Washington County, Pennsylvania. The appellants argued that they had acquired title to the property through an earlier deed from one of their predecessors while the appellees claimed that they were entitled to it by virtue of a later deed from another predecessor. The Supreme Court ultimately held in favor of the appellants, finding that since their deed was executed first, it took precedence over any subsequent deeds issued for the same property regardless of whether or not those deeds were recorded prior to theirs. Furthermore, even though some time had elapsed between when each party's respective deeds were issued and when this case came before them for review, this did not affect which party would be awarded ownership as long as both sides could prove valid title at some point during its history.

In the case of Margaret Dick and Others v. Stephen B. Balch and Others, the Supreme Court was tasked with deciding whether a deed executed by an infant should be held valid or voidable due to their minority status at the time of execution. The majority opinion found that such deeds were valid, while Justice McLean dissented from this ruling on two grounds: firstly, that infants are not capable of understanding contracts; secondly, that they lack legal capacity to bind themselves in any contract whatsoever. He argued further that allowing minors to enter into binding contracts would lead to fraud and abuse as adults could take advantage of them for their own gain without consequence. In conclusion, Justice McLean believed it was unfair for courts to allow minors who lacked full mental capacity and knowledge about contractual obligations to be bound by agreements made during infancy which could have long-term consequences later in life when they become adults.