Cooper v. Marr

30 N.W.2d 563, 149 Neb. 211, 1948 Neb. LEXIS 6
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 16, 1948
DocketNo. 32252
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 30 N.W.2d 563 (Cooper v. Marr) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cooper v. Marr, 30 N.W.2d 563, 149 Neb. 211, 1948 Neb. LEXIS 6 (Neb. 1948).

Opinions

Wenke, J.

This action was commenced in the district court for Douglas County by Alice M. Cooper, as plaintiff. The purpose of the action is to rescind a contract of purchase of a “Rooming House Business, together with the furniture, household goods and furnishings” and to recover the purchase price. From a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, their motions for new trial and for judgment notwithstanding the verdict having been overruled, the defendants Marie Marr and E. Ray Marr have appealed.

For convenience and clarity the parties will be referred to as they appeared in the lower court. The evidence discloses that the defendants, Marie Marr and E. Ray [212]*212Marr, are husband and wife and the same persons as Marie O. Marovish and Eugene Ray Marovish. They will be referred to as defendants except where referred to individually, then their proper names will be used.

The property purchased by plaintiff consisted of a rooming house business together with the furniture, household goods, and furnishings, a detailed inventory of which was attached to the bill of sale. It will be here'in referred to as the rooming house business.

There is no serious controversy in the testimony except as to the representations of the sellers’ cost. On that conflict the jury decided in favor of the plaintiff and we are controlled on that question thereby.

The record discloses the following: Plaintiff, a widow 68 years of age, lived at Alliance, Nebraska, where she had her home before coming to Omaha to live May 24, 1945. She had been in business for a number of years which, at the time, was a restaurant located at Overton, Nebraska. Due to the condition of her health she had been advised to move to a lower altitude and decided to move to Omaha for that purpose. In order to make a living she decided to buy a small rooming house business. She noticed an advertisement of Mr. Gangestad in the Omaha World Herald advising that he had several rooming house businesses for sale. On April 23, 1945, she came to Omaha and went to his office. She advised him of her purpose and that she had between four and five thousand dollars to put into the business.

Mr. Gangestad was an Omaha realtor who had been in that business for over 40 years. He had listed the rooming house business of the defendants, which was located at 2224 Howard Street in Omaha, at a price of $4,250. He took the plaintiff to that address and there she met the defendant Marie Marr. Plaintiff, in conjunction with Marie Marr and Mr. Gangestad, or one of them, fully inspected the rooming house and discussed its operation with Marie Marr. It was while examining the property that the plaintiff testifies Marie Marr told [213]*213her what the business had cost. As to these representations the plaintiff testified as follows: “‘You are getting a good buy, but you look over things. We paid $6,000 for the property and business,’ but * * * due to the cafe and other work that she would sacrifice the place for $4,250.” She said they paid $6,000 a year ago.

Plaintiff and Mr. Gangestad then returned to Mr. Gangestad’s office where she entered into a contract for the purchase of the business for the sum of $4,250. She paid $750 of the purchase price at that time. The contract provided it was to be fully closed within 31 days. Plaintiff immediately returned to Alliance and then proceeded to sell her home, her business, and some of her personal property. On May 24, 1945, she returned to Omaha and went immediately to 2224 Howard Street and stayed there. The next day she closed the deal and paid the balance of $3,500 and received a bill of sale, with a detailed inventory attached. She did not take possession, for the purpose of running the business, until June 1, 1945, although she lived in the house. The defendants also continued to live there until about June 14, 1945, when they were able to find another place to live. On June 1, 1945, the plaintiff’s daughter, Ethel Cooper, who was about 35 years of age, came to live with plaintiff. She helped her mother run the business as her mother was not very well. There is no evidence to show that plaintiff did not get the business she thought she was getting. The evidence shows she had been given ample opportunity to examine it and that she did so; that she got exactly what she bargained for and she makes no complaint in regard thereto. When plaintiff was asked: “Did you say anything to the Marrs at any time that you were dissatisfied with the purchase?” She replied: “No, it was not that I was dissatisfied with it, it was on account of my health, I got sick.” The evidence, without dispute, shows the plaintiff received the identical business and property that she inspected and purchased.

About October 31, 1945, the plaintiff was informed [214]*214that Marie Marr had not paid $6,000 for the rooming house business but in fact had paid only $1,650. The evidence shows that when Marie Marr purchased the business from Mrs.- Pierce, taking possession thereof on February 1, 1944, she paid $1,650. However, Mrs. Pierce reserved the right to and did remove therefrom sufficient of the furnishings and furniture to furnish a five-room house. Defendants offered evidence to prove that they spent over $2,000 to replace the furniture and furnishings thus removed. This offer, upon objection thereto by plaintiff, the court rejected. We find the court erred in so ruling but, in view of our holding as to the plaintiff’s rights, this ruling becomes immaterial.

After discovering that Marie Marr had misinformed her of what the business had cost, the plaintiff served the defendants with a notice, dated November 6, 1945, of her election to rescind. This notice contains the following: “You are further notified that said fraud, deceit and misrepresentations included a representation that you purchased said property for the sum of $6000.00 whereas, in truth and in fact, you purchased said property included in said contract of purchase entered into with the undersigned, for the sum of $1650.00. Said false representations further consisted of representations by your agent, E. G. Gangestad, to the effect that the sum of $4250.00 was a fair and reasonable price for said property and represented the fair market value of said property.”

Thereafter, on November 14, 1945, this -action was commenced. Plaintiff alleges, as a basis for her action to rescind, as follows:

“V. Plaintiff further alleges that on the 23rd day of April, 1945, said defendant, Marie Marr, accompanied by the said E. G. Gangestad, took the plaintiff to 2224 Howard Street, Omaha, Nebraska, and showed the plaintiff the said furniture, household goods and furnishings to be included in said Rooming House Business which was at said time and place offered to the plaintiff for [215]*215the sum of Four Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($4250.) That at said time, and on the third floor of said frame building in which said furniture, household goods and furnishings were located, being No. 2224 Howard Street, Omaha, Nebraska, the said defendant, Marie Marr, represented to and told the plaintiff that she and her husband, defendant, E. Ray Marr, paid Six Thousand Dollars ($6000.) in cash for the said Rooming House-Business, which included the furniture and household goods and furnishings then in said rooms at 2224 Howard Street, but that they were required to sell said property at a loss for the reason that they were engaged in the Restaurant Business and were unable to find help to-operate the said Rooming House Business.

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Related

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
30 N.W.2d 563, 149 Neb. 211, 1948 Neb. LEXIS 6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cooper-v-marr-neb-1948.