Darden v. Houtz

234 F. Supp. 261, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8833
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. North Carolina
DecidedSeptember 23, 1964
DocketCiv. No. 455
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 234 F. Supp. 261 (Darden v. Houtz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Darden v. Houtz, 234 F. Supp. 261, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8833 (E.D.N.C. 1964).

Opinion

LARKINS, District Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

This is an action for specific performance of an alleged contract and option between plaintiff and defendant involving approximately 5,500 acres of land in Camden and Currituck Counties, North Carolina.

Plaintiff alleges defendant took title to the property as trustee for the use and benefit of plaintiff.

Defendant denies any contractual relationship with plaintiff and alleges he is a bona fide purchaser of value and is the owner in fee simple of all the lands involved in the controversy.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Notice of Lis Pendens was filed in both Camden and Currituck Counties, North Carolina.

2. Prior to trial, a jury was waived, by consent, and the jurisdiction of the court was admitted.

3. Originally, C. B. Hollowed and Wiley B. Coppersmith, Jr. were named co-defendants with A. W. Houtz; however, the action has been dismissed as to them.

4. The plaintiff George F. Darden, Jr. is a duly licensed and practicing attorney of Virginia Beach, Virginia.

5. The defendant A. W. Houtz is a businessman, engaged as plant manager of a wood products plant in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

6. C. B. Hollowell and Wiley B. Coppersmith, Jr. are both real estate dealers in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and originally were named as co-defendants with A. W. Houtz.

7. About six (6) months prior to November 23, 1961, C. B. Hollowed acquired an option to purchase approximately 5,500 acres of land lying in both Camden and Currituck Counties, North Carolina from M. H. Jones and others for $60,-000.00 cash, excluding ad mineral, gas and oil rights, said option to expire on November 23, 1961.

8. Thereafter, Hollowed assigned one-half interest in said option to Wiley B. Coppersmith, Jr. who became owner of a one-half interest therein.

9. Hollowed and Coppersmith some time later contacted Thos. L. Woodhouse, Jr., a real estate broker at Virginia Beach, Virginia, to engage his services in finding a prospective purchaser for the said 5,500 acres of land.

10. Woodhouse then contacted the plaintiff, George F. Darden, Jr. in July 1961, who became interested in buying 1,300 acres of said tract and in obtaining an option to buy the 4,280 acres remainder.

11. On or about October 14, 1961, Darden prepared two separate agreements which he wanted Hollowed and Coppersmith to sign; and, thereafter he delivered the original and several copies of an agreement bearing the same date to Woodhouse, together with a check for $500.00, with instructions to take the same to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and obtain the signatures of Hollowed and Coppersmith.

12. On or about October 26, 1961 Woodhouse met Hollowed and Copper-smith in Attorney J. W. Jennette’s office in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where he presented the Darden contract. Attorney Jennette advised his clients Hollowed and Coppersmith not to sign the agreement since it extended wed beyond November 23, 1961 the expiration date of the Jones option.

13. Contrary to Attorney Jennette’s advice, Hollowed and Coppersmith executed the Darden agreement on October 26,1961, said contract being in words and figures as follows:

“OFFER TO BUY 1300 ACRES WITH OPTION TO BUY ADDITIONAL LAND
TO: C. B. Hollowed and Wiley Coppersmith
I hereby offer to buy 1300 acres of land as designated generally on [264]*264the plat hereto attached, said land being on the southeast end of the Jones property near Moyock. The pen line, on the plat, shows the approximate course of the line to separate the property to be purchased from the property on which an option will be taken. The determination of the exact course or courses of the dividing line shall be by mutual agreement and if no agreement can be reached shall be referred to Thos. L. Woodhouse, Jr. whose determination shall be final.
My offer is Twenty-seven Dollars ($27.00) per acre on the 1300 acres, and shall remain open until Friday, November 3, 1961 at 12:00 noon. This offer is subject to the following conditions:
1. That I receive a general warranty .deed with the usual covenants of title, except that all mineral rights will be excluded.
2. That payment shall be as follows: $500.00 deposit paid herewith; $34,600.00 at closing.
3. That a policy of insurance as to matters of title and matters of survey may be obtained.
4. That if a 60' right of way, suitable for road building purposes, in a substantially straight line from the highway to the property in question and southeast of the Guinea Mill Canal is not obtained and included in the transaction, the price is to be reduced by $1000.00. If there is no right of way of at least 40' in width, suitable for road building purposes, from the property to a highway, I shall have the option not to conclude the transaction.
5. That I receive an option, until July 31, 1962 on the balance of the Jones tract (4230 ac. ±, it being understood that title to 504 ac. ± is in question and may not transferrable by the offeree, but that offeree will use all reasonable diligence to clear title to the said 504 ac. ±) at a price of Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) per acre (fee simple title; general warranty deed; mineral rights excluded; financing % cash and the balance payable in 5 equal yearly principal installments plus interest at 4% per annum on each principal installment as it falls due.)
6. That if the 1300 acres purchase is not consummated and such failure to consummate is not my fault, the costs of title examination and survey shall be borne by the seller.
7. Closing shall be six weeks after acceptance of this offer or as soon thereafter as is reasonable possible under the circumstances.
8. If, within 6 weeks of notification to the sellers of defects as to matters of title or survey, said matters are not corrected, I may elect not to be bound further and if such election is made the $500 deposit will be returned immediately.
WITNESS my hand this 14th day of October, 1961.
(s) George F. Darden, Jr.
George F. Darden, Jr.
It is understood that T. L. Wood-house, Jr. will receive a 5% commismission to be paid by sellers on any and all property conveyed hereunder.
TERMS OF CONTRACT ACCEPTED.
(s) C. B. Hollowell_
C. B. Hollowell
(s) Wiley B. Coppersmith, Jr.
W. B. Coppersmith, Jr. WITNESS:
(s) Betty E. Askew, N. P.”

14. That no part of the $500.00 deposit mentioned in the said contract was paid by Woodhouse to Hollowell or Coppersmith. Woodhouse was to receive a commission on the sale. He claims he kept the $500.00 in escrow until the deal was to be closed.

[265]*26515. Woodhouse then returned the original of said contract to Darden at Virginia Beach, Virginia, which contained the words, but no date, as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
234 F. Supp. 261, 1964 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8833, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/darden-v-houtz-nced-1964.