Bock v. Celleyham

171 P. 525, 100 Wash. 545
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 13, 1918
DocketNo. 14478
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 171 P. 525 (Bock v. Celleyham) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bock v. Celleyham, 171 P. 525, 100 Wash. 545 (Wash. 1918).

Opinion

Pabkeb, J.

These actions were consolidated and tried as one in the superior court for King county. The Bocks commenced their action' seeking a decree quieting their title to certain land in King county and removing a cloud thereon consisting of a recorded contract for the sale thereof by them to the Celleyhams, whose rights thereunder the Bocks claim had been forfeited. Soon thereafter the Celleyhams commenced [546]*546their action seeking recovery of the amount paid by them to the Bocks upon the purchase price of the land. The trial of the actions upon the merits resulted in a judgment and decree denying to the Celleyhams recovery of the amount paid by them to the Bocks upon the purchase price, quieting the title of the Bocks to the land, and removing the cloud thereon consisting of the recorded contract of sale. From this judgment and decree, the Celleyhams have appealed to this court.

The cause was tried to a jury, in so far as concerned the claim of the Celleyhams for recovery of the amount paid by them upon the purchase price of the sale contract. The only question of fact in dispute, and the only issue submitted to the jury, was whether or not the provision of the contract upon which the Celleyhams rested their right to recover the amount they had paid upon the purchase price was, in fact, a part of the contract. The verdict of the jury was in effect a finding in favor of the Celleyhams upon that question of fact. Timely motion was made for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, in favor of the Bocks, upon the question of the right of the Celleyhams to recover the amount they had paid upon the purchase price of the contract. This motion was granted, and judgment and decree rendered as above noticed.

On December 30, 1910, the Bocks, being then owners of the land in question, entered into a contract for the sale thereof for $10,000 to appellant Alice J. Celleyham. Two thousand dollars of this purchase price was then paid in cash, and the balance of $8,000, with interest, agreed to be paid on December 30, 1912. The contract contained, among other provisions, the following :

“Time is the essence of the contract, and in case of failure of the said party of the second part [Alice J. Celleyham] to make either of the payments or per[547]*547form any of the covenants on her part, this contract shall he forfeited and determined at the election of the said parties of the first part, and the said party of the second part shall forfeit all payments made by her on this contract, and such payments shall be retained by the said parties of the first part in full'satisfaction and liquidation of all damages by them sustained, and they shall have the right to reenter and take possession of said land and premises and every part thereof. ’ ’

This sale contract was brought about through the efforts of Corinne Simpson, as agent of the Bocks. On January 5, 1911, Corinne Simpson signed and delivered to Alice J. Celleyham the following writing:

“Whereas, Alice J. Celleyham has purchased from John V. Bock and wife, through my office, the following described land, situate in King county, state of Washington, . . .

“Now Therefore, I, Corinne Simpson, do hereby agree with said Alice J. Celleyham, in consideration of her purchasing said tract through my office, and other valuable considerations, that I will, at any time after six months from date, upon notice to me in writing signed by said Alice J. Celleyham, stating that she is dissatisfied with her said purchase, pay and refund to said Alice J. Celleyham, the said sum of two thous- and dollars paid by her on account of said purchase price, together with such additional sum or sums as she may have paid thereon subsequently, upon a proper conveyance to me of all the right, title and interest of said Alice J. Celleyham and husband in said land.”

This writing was claimed by the Celleyhams to have been executed by Corinne Simpson for the Bocks and as a part of the sale contract. We shall assume, for argument’s sake, that the verdict of the jury establishes this as a fact binding upon the court, rather than merely as advisory. No part of the balance of the $8,000 of the purchase price of the sale contract has ever been paid or tendered. Nor has any interest [548]*548been paid thereon since December 31, 1914, when interest maturing thereon up to that date was paid. On May 27, 1916, the Bocks duly notified the Celleyhams in writing as follows:

■ “You and each of you are hereby notified and required to pay, on or before the 20th day of June, 1916, at 505 American Bank Building, Seattle, Washington, the principal sum of $8,000, together with interest thereon in the sum of $840, according to the contract made and entered into on the 30th day of December, 1910, between Alice J. Celleyham and the undersigned for the purchase and sale of the following described real estate: . . .

“You and each of you are hereby further notified that, unless you make said payments on or before said 20th day of June, 1916, the undersigned will declare a forfeiture of the said contract under its terms, and all payments heretofore made on said contract will be retained by the undersigned as liquidated damages. ’ ’

This notice and demand was never complied with. On June 28, 1916, the Bocks, having elected to declare the contract of sale canceled and the payments made thereon forfeited to them, commenced their action seeking a decree quieting their title to the land and removing the cloud thereon consisting of the recorded sale contract. On June 29, 1916, Alice J. Celleyham notified Corinne Simpson in writing that she was dissatisfied with her purchase of the land and elected to have the amount paid by her upon the purchase price repaid to her. On June 30, 1916, the Celleyhams commenced their action seeking to recover from the Bocks the amount paid upon the purchase price of the sale contract. The two actions, being thereafter consolidated, were tried in the superior court with the result above noticed. The facts above summarized are all conceded or conclusively established, so the rights of the respective parties are determinable as matters of law.

[549]*549There is but little here to be considered other than the meaning of the sale contract, of course, reading as a part thereof the writing executed by Corinne Simpson for the Bocks. The contention made by counsel for the Celleyhams is in substance that no condition could arise, and no limit of time elapse short of some possible statute of limitation, which would take away their right to give notice of their dissatisfaction with their purchase and claim repayment of the amount of the purchase price paid by them upon the contract of sale. In other words, that, notwithstanding the Celleyhams have failed to make payment of any part of the balance due upon the purchase price for a period extending long past the time for the making of such payment, and the Bocks have elected to declare the rights of the Celleyhams under the contract forfeited, such default and election does not destroy that provision of the contract which gave to the Celleyhams the right to elect to have repayment of the amount they paid upon the purchase price. We cannot agree with this contention.

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Bluebook (online)
171 P. 525, 100 Wash. 545, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bock-v-celleyham-wash-1918.