Cooper v. Newsom

224 S.W. 568, 1920 Tex. App. LEXIS 922
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 13, 1920
DocketNo. 1669.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 224 S.W. 568 (Cooper v. Newsom) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cooper v. Newsom, 224 S.W. 568, 1920 Tex. App. LEXIS 922 (Tex. Ct. App. 1920).

Opinion

HALL, J.

By his motion for rehearing appellant insists that we failed to file conclusions of fact and law upon several assignments and to decide the several issues presented by the assignments, as required by V. S. C. S. arts. 1636, 1638, and 1639. In the original opinion we adopted the findings of the trial court and made them the findings of this court. Prompted by a desire to shorten the opinion, we did not copy the findings in full. We have serious doubts whether this court is required to do so, where the trial court has filed written findings and they are a part of the record. To save any question, and in deference to appellant’s motion, we will set out the findings in this opinion verbatim.

[1 ] There is no rule requiring the Courts of Civil Appeals to pass upon the several assignments specifically. Practically all of appellant’s assignments present questions of fact. The evidence supports the trial court’s findings, and they in turn support the judgment. In the original opinion we discussed the assignments which did not raise issues of fact, and we thought then, and still think, that this was a sufficient disposition of the issues presented in the brief.. Except for the fact that we consider it a useless waste of time and space, we have no objection to’discussing the assignments in detail, and while neither the rules nor exact justice require us to do so, we have decided to comply with appellant’s request, and file, as usual, an opinion in full.

The suit was brought by appellee, New-som, a real estate broker, to recover the sum of $1,500, alleged to be due him as commissions. Pie alleged that he was engaged in the real estate business; that about January 16, 1919, appellant listed with him 9 sections of land in Hutchinson and Carson counties for sale at $12.50 per acre, $10,000 of the consideration to be paid in cash, and deferred payments of $10,000 per year, at 6 per cent, interest; that on February 8, 1919, he procured J. D. Head, of Amarillo, as a purchaser, who was ready, willing, and able to purchase upon appellant’s terms; that appellant was advised of the sale by wire, and that he confirmed the sale; that a written. contract was executed, and a deposit of $1,000 was made; that subsequently appellant came to Amarillo, read the contract, and ratified it, but afterward, about February 28th, left Amarillo and refused to consummate the trade.

Appellee pleads, in the alternative: That if the contract made was not binding that on February 17th he found J. D. Head as a purchaser, who was willing to pay $2,000 cash, and assume an incumbrance of $8,000 against the land, and pay the remainder in installments of $10,000 each year, the papers to be placed in the First National Bank until the incumbrance was paid. That Head was ready, willing, and able to carry out this deal, but appellant failed and refused to do so, or pay the commissions that had been earned by appellee. Appellee attached to his pleadings, as an exhibit, a contract made by him as appellant’s agent with Head for the sale of the land. That appellee agreed to pay him the $1,500 commission. That the $1,000 was deposited in the bank upon request of appellant, and that the bank, at the request of appellant, notified him that the $1,000 and the contract had been so deposited. He alleges his authority to make the contract, the subsequent inspection and ratification of the same by appellant, and his promise to convey the land in accordance with its terms. That after appellant arrived in Amarillo, and on or about the 17th day of February, 1919, appel-lee learned that there was an incumbrance against the land for $8,000, and that" appellant could not pay it off until June 1, 1919, whereupon appellant and Head made an agreement whereby Head was to assume the $8,000 indebtedness and pay appellant $2,000 in cash, appellant to execute his deed conveying the land, and place the same in the First National Bank of Amarillo, with the further agreement that, if Head did not pay off the $8,000 indebtedness at its maturity, then the bank was to be authorized to return the deed to appellant, together with the $2,000 cash, as liquidated damages. That Head was and has always been ready, willing, and able to carry out this contract, but appellant breached and violated the same. That about the 20th day of February appellant stated he would order his abstracts and submit the same to Head for approval, but later refused to permit Head’s attorney to examine the same, and further refused to comply with the terms of the contract.

Appellant answered by general demurrer, special exceptions, general denial, and specially denied that he ever authorized appellee to make any sale of his lands, except for a present cash payment of $10,000, and the re *570 mainder in annual installments of $10,000. He denied tlie authority of appellee to execute the contract of sale, and alleged that it had never been approved or ratified by him. It is further alleged that appellee and Head entered into a’fraudulent scheme, agreement, and conspiracy to tie up his lands until May 1, 1919, and speculate on the oil and gas lease value thereof, and that the $1,000 was deposited by appellee. Wherefore appellee had forfeited all right to claim commissions by his infidelity and breach of trust. By cross-action he pleaded that he resided in Montana, and was induced by appellee, by telegram sent to him, stating that his lands had been sold in accordance with the terms of appellant’s letter, to come to Amarillo to close the deal; that appellee’s actions and conduct were false, fraudulent, and deceitful, and caused appellant to lose his time and incur heavy expenses, which were itemized, in the total sum of $603.75, for which he prayed judgment.

A trial before the court without a jury resulted in a judgment against appellant for $1,500, with 6 per cent, interest from February 28, 1919, from which this appeal is prosecuted.

The trial judge filed findings of fact, which we adopt as the findings of this court, and which, omitting the formal parts, are as follows:

“First, I find that the plaintiff, E. Newsom, is a resident of Potter county, Texas, and that the defendant, E. Cooper, is a nonresident of the state of Texas, but resides at Great Falls, in the state of Montana.
“Second. I find that on the 16th day of January, 1919, and prior thereto the defendant, E. Cooper, was and is now the owner of certain sections of land, situated in Carson and Hutchinson counties, described as follows: Sections 1, 4, and 5, block 9, I. & G. N. R. R. Co., in Carson county, Texas, and sections 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, and 6, in block 9, in Hutchinson and Carson counties, Texas.
“Third. I find that the plaintiff,- E. Newsom-, was engaged in the real estate business, selling lands and properties on commission, in the Panhandle, for others, and that a short time prior to January 16, 1919, he learned that the defendant was desirous of selling his lands above described, and that the plaintiff wrote the defendant and proposed a trade of a stock of goods for said nine sections of land.
“Fourth. I further find that on the 16th day of January, 1919, the defendant, with reference to said land, and in reply to plaintiff’s letter, wrote to the plaintiff at Amarillo, Texas, as follows:
“ ‘Great Falls, Montana, January 16, 1919.
“ ‘Mr. E.

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Bluebook (online)
224 S.W. 568, 1920 Tex. App. LEXIS 922, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cooper-v-newsom-texapp-1920.