Daly v. Dubitzky

9 Conn. Supp. 127, 1941 Conn. Super. LEXIS 24
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas
DecidedFebruary 13, 1941
DocketFile No. 38734
StatusPublished

This text of 9 Conn. Supp. 127 (Daly v. Dubitzky) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Daly v. Dubitzky, 9 Conn. Supp. 127, 1941 Conn. Super. LEXIS 24 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1941).

Opinion

MOLLOY, J.

In this action a real estate broker seeks to recover a commission on the ground that he procured a person ready, able and willing to loan money to the defendant on his property in the Town of East Hartford. The evidence is clear that the defendant requested the plaintiff to secure such a loan, and that they discussed the matter of commission, which the plaintiff informed the defendant would be three per cent. It is further clear that in pursuance of his agency, the plaintiff established a contact with one Louis Joseloff, of Hartford, who occasionally loans money. As a result of the plaintiff’s efforts, the defendant and Joseloff carried on negotiations which finally culminated in an agreement, Exhibit A, dated August 24, 1937, which was signed by the defendant and Joseloff. This agreement set out specifically the terms and conditions upon which Joseloff, the lender, would loan money to the defendant.

The defendant was desirous of erecting a building on the land in question in East Hartford. He was the title holder thereof. The agreement, which recited that it was between Joseloff, the defendant and his wife, stated, among other things, that whereas Joseloff was willing to make the loan to Joseph Dubiuky, the defendant, that in consideration of the promises of the parties, Joseloff agreed to loan to Joseph Dubitsky and his wife, Gertrude Dubiteky, and that the loan [128]*128should be evidenced by a negotiable promissory note signed by the defendant and his wife, Gertrude Dubitzky, as comakers. It then set out the terms of payment to be incorporated in the proposed mortgage and note. Further terms and conditions of the loan, with which we are not presently concerned, were then set forth. The agreement was very specific in laying down the conditions upon which the loan would be made. The note therefore was to be signed and executed by the defendant and his wife. The evidence is convincing that in keeping with this condition, the defendant agreed to get his wife to sign the agreement. Whatever the reason was, the wife refused to sign, and the loan as a consequence was never made. Subsequently the defendant and Joseloff executed a mutual release of one another.

The plaintiff now claims that inasmuch as the defendant and Joseloff agreed upon the terms of the loan he has earned his commission irrespective of the fact that the wife failed to sign and enter into the terms of the agreement. The defendant’s principal contention is that the- plaintiff failed to procure a person ready, willing and able to make the loan to the defendant.

The answer to this question depends upon the further question whether or not under the circumstances the plaintiff is entitled to recovery even though one of the conditions of the loan laid down by the lender and agreed to by the defendant was unable of fulfillment by the defendant. In other words, the question may be summarized thus: Is the agent entitled to his commission when the lender agrees to loan money, but on a condition that it shall be done upon the seeker of the loan and his wife executing as evidence of the loan a negotiable promissory note as co-makers, which act was never agreed to be done by the defendant’s wife? To express it another way, the lender says: “I will loan the desired sum of money, but the loan must be to you and your wife, and not to you alone, and both of you must agree to sign and execute the note evidencing the loan, and agree to the other terms contained in such proposed note.” That is the question, put simply and definitely.

Now, the trend of the plaintiff’s argument is this: That Joseloff was ready, able and willing to proceed as called for in the agreement, Exhibit A, provided the defendant secured the signature of his wife, Gertrude Dubitzky; that the defendant [129]*129agreed to secure the doing of this act; and that upon the signing of the agreement, Exhibit A, by the defendant alone, then and there liability attached to the defendant for the commission. The plaintiff argues further that this is so because the duties and obligations under the agreement were really those of the defendant and not Mrs. Dubitsky, his wife; that when the deal fell through, a mutual release was executed between JoselofF and the defendant only; and that failure to secure the wife’s signature to the agreement was like unto the de' fendant’s failure to comply with other terms of the agreement, such, for instance, as actually spending the amount of the loan on the premises and constructing the building. The argument of the defendant is that JoselofF was neither willing nor ready to loan the money unless the condition precedent of the wife’s signature was fulfilled.

This reasoning, however, seems to the court to overlook the fundamental condition of the agreement; namely, that JoselofF would loan the money but on a condition that the loan was made to Dubitzky and his wife and that he and his wife should agree to sign and execute a negotiable promissory note as comakers. This the wife would not do; therefore, one of the terms upon which the loan would be made was not com' plied with. In other words, Dubitzky would get the money but on Joseloff’s terms, and until those terms were met, namely, until Mrs. Dubitgky agreed to sign, there would be no loan.

It is hardly necessary to refer to the many cases setting forth the law as to when a real estate broker has earned his commission. One case cited by both parties is Westbrook vs. Times-Star Co., 122 Conn. 473, wherein the court said (at p. 480) : “In determining whether or not a broker is entitled to a commission, his ‘services are not the test, but rather the success of his effort in effecting a sale, or in producing a customer ready, able and willing to buy on the owner’s terms.’ Rosenfield vs. Wall, 94 Conn. 418, 422, 109 Atl. 409. . . .The plaintiff ‘must prove, either that the owner had prescribed the terms upon which he would sell, and that the plaintiff had produced a customer ready, able and willing to buy upon those terms, or that the customer and owner had reached an agreement as to terms of sale, and the customer was able to buy upon those terms. Proof of either set of facts is sufficient for the plaintiff’s case.’ ”

The Rosenfield vs. Wall case noted in this citation is an' [130]*130other informative case on this question. The court said, on page 421 of that case: “The finding of a prospective purchaser is not the only service of the broker. A large part of his eifort, perhaps the greater part, is in inducing either the purchaser to meet the seller’s terms and price, or the seller to make concessions in the terms to meet the purchaser’s wishes.” See, also, Lawrence vs. Hamilton, 111 Conn. 493, 495; Wright vs. Reid, id. 141.

The instant case is a bit more complicated than the average real estate commission case. The defendant sought a loan, which is analagous to the situation where a man seeks to buy some property. The lender was willing to make the loan, a position analagous to that of a seller who will' sell on his terms. In other words, the lender, Joseloff, will loan, provided his terms are met, the first one of which is that the loan will be made provided Mrs. Dubitzky will sign and execute the agreement, Exhibit A, agreeing to sign and execute a negotiable promissory note as co-maker with her husband, the defendant.

In Lawlor vs. Cornelis, 100 Conn. 680, the defendant seller submitted certain terms and conditions which were to be fulfilled before the transfer could be made. Among these conditions was one that the seller’s wife should approve of the transfer.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Rosenfield v. Wall
109 A. 409 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1920)
Maier v. Romano
129 A. 274 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1925)
Lawrence v. Hamilton
150 A. 690 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1930)
Westbrook v. Times-Star Co.
191 A. 91 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1937)
Hancock Co., Inc. v. Poli Corporation
155 A. 914 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1931)
Commander v. Lawler
108 A. 537 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1919)
Lawlor v. Cornelis
124 A. 844 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1924)
Kost v. Reilly
24 A. 519 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1892)
Amies v. Wesnofske
174 N.E. 436 (New York Court of Appeals, 1931)
Halprin v. Schachne
21 Misc. 519 (City of New York Municipal Court, 1897)
Clark v. Bonner
104 N.E. 494 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1914)
Nagl v. Small
138 N.W. 849 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1912)
Watson v. Odell
198 P. 772 (Utah Supreme Court, 1921)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
9 Conn. Supp. 127, 1941 Conn. Super. LEXIS 24, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/daly-v-dubitzky-pactcompl-1941.