Dickson v. MacKey

1923 OK 1029, 233 P. 423, 108 Okla. 11, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 58
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 27, 1923
Docket11137
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 1923 OK 1029 (Dickson v. MacKey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dickson v. MacKey, 1923 OK 1029, 233 P. 423, 108 Okla. 11, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 58 (Okla. 1923).

Opinion

BRANSON, J.

This action is for specific performance of an alleged contract to con- ■ rey 960 acres of land located in Harper county, Okla. The plaintiff, who is the plaintiff in error, brought this action in 1908 against the executor of the will and the hcjirs of Avis W. Mackey, deceased. The alleged contract plaintiff pleaded was letters and telegrams between himself and Avis W. Mackey, the last of which bore date of June) 28, 1906.

Venue, of the action was changed by agreement of the parties from Harper to Woodward county, and no point is made by either side as to this.

Plaintiff does not contend for the 960 acres which he says the contract bound the deceased to convey, for that it developed the deceased did not own two quarter sections of the land, but does demand specific performance as to the remainder. The instruments plaintiff says created a sufficient contract on which the judgment prayed could be predicated, are pleaded as exhibits to his petition A, B, C, D, E, and E, which when abstracted are:

A is a lefcter dated April 25, 1906, at Ben-' tonyille Ark., to plaintiff saying that $4,500 is the least she and her husband will take for their old home. (No description of the land other than the reference “old home.”)

B is a letter from plaintiff to deceased dated April 27, 1906, at Gate, acknowledging receipt of Exhibit “A,” and saying he supposed she intended to include the quarter Dick owned, which would make the land about $6 per .acre, but did not know tbe amount against the land, and had rather buy and she take care of the debts. He further referred to the difficulty he would have getting 'a certain tenant off the land, and advising her. to get him off, for that whoever bought the land would want possession, and that plaintiff would rent it if he did not buy: that if she wanted to trade at $6 and give immediate possession, they would call it a trade; that she knew what was against the land, and if she did not want that, "lets quit,” and that, as he' wrote her, he had to buy the Hess land by May 5tb or turn it down, and that she would about have time to answer by that date.

O is a reply from deceased to plaintiff’s Exhibit “B,” in which she said she will do as he said. He might have it for $4,500 and must take it with all there is against it; that he knew what that was better :;Au she did, and she must have $4,500 clear or she could not sell.

D is a letter from plaintiff to deceased acknowledging receipt of O, in, which he states he found the indebtedness much more than he expected; it would make the ranch cost more than $1,004 in excess of $6 per acre, which he thought was all it was worth, but that he would allow $2 for fences, and split $804 that is, she would receive $402 less.

E is a reply to D, dated at Benton-ville, Ark., May 10, 1906, in which deceased replied: “I will do no better: I must have $4,500 clear or I will keep my place. If you take the place please let me know, as Bert H. is wanting to come and stock up the place.”

F is a telegram from plaintiff to deceased, dated Woodward, Okla.. June 28— “To Avis W. Mackey: Forty-five hundred dollars ready according to contract for deeds am waiting for deeds. Answer. (Signed) A. J. Dickson.”

And no answer came from deceased.

Defendants answered in this cause and pleaded that the documents were insufficient to constitute a contract enforceable for the sale of real estate; that there had been a prior adjudication of the issues in this case in favor of tbe executor’s testatrix, Avis W. Mackey; and that the whole contract was voidable because two quarter sections were included which Avis W. Mack-ey did not own.

The plaintiff in error in his elaborate brief takes np the alleged prior adjudication as pleaded and contended for by defendants. He admits that in July, 1906, the plaintiff herein sued in case 801 on the docket of the district court of Woodward county, Oklahoma Territory (now State), the deceased, Avis W. Mackey, and another for the specific performance of the alleged contract pleaded herein, and says:

“The proceeding on the part of the de *13 fendants in error wherein they attempt to prove a prior adjudication between the same parties, relating to the same issues, is found on pages 205, 206, 207a of ithe case-made and is so disconnected, uncertain and incomplete that it is difficult to follow. It seems, however, that in April, 1907, the former action instituted by the plaintiff in error against Avis' "VV. Mack-ey and Isa Northup was pending on demurrers to the petition. There were six grounds of demurrer (C.-M. 206, 207), two grounds relating to defect of the parties, one ground relating to lack of jurisdiction of the subjegt-matter, one ground relating to ■the lack of jurisdiction of the person one ground charged that the court had no legal capacity to sue and the sixth ground only related to the insufficiency of the facts alleged in the petition.”
“Tlie demurrers were heard and sustained on April 23, 1907, but upon what ground does not appear, nor was there any effort at the trial to show. No judgment was rendered, but plaintiff was given 20 days in which to file an amended petition. (In fact a second amended • petition — for the demurrers were to the amended petition— ours). This time was extended for several weeks by stipulation of the attorneys, but in September, 1907, plaintiff having failed to file an amended petition, a motion was filed to dismiss the case, because of plaintiff’s default and failure to comply with the order of the court.”

On which last motion the trial court in said first cause entered an order and judgment which appears in the journal, finding that the cause came on in regular order to be heard on—

“The motion of the defendants Avis "W. Mackey and Isa Northup fur judgment upon the demurrers of" Ihtj defendant® to the amended petition of said plaintiff, Alexander J. Dickson, and the court being fully advised in the premise.s, finds that plaintiff has failed to comply with the order of the court heretofore made in said cause granting to said plaintiff permission to filq his second amended peitiltlon in said cause from ruling of the court upon said demurrer, etc. * * *
“The court further finds said motion of said defendants '\\|as well- taken and that said motion should be sustained.”
“It is therefore considered, ordered, and adjudged by the court that said cause of action be, and same is hereby dismissed at the cost of said plaintiff, taxe)d at-, fi r which said amount let execution issue.”

To epitomize, the demurrers of the two defendants in the first, suit, containing th^ grounds therefor as set out in the quotation from brief of plaintiff in error, supra, we-*c sustained to plaintiff’s amended petition, and on lids request he was granted time to file a second amended petition. Long after .the time allowed plaintiff therein, who is the plaintiff in the causel at bar, on the same alleged right of action, failing to comply with the order, defendants’ motion for judgment in their favor on the demurrers was sustained in September, 1907. Afterwards the defendant Avis "W. Mackey died; and in January, 1908, the plaintiff began this instant suit against her executor and heirs, to which, among others, th^ defense of res! judicata was interposed.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1923 OK 1029, 233 P. 423, 108 Okla. 11, 1923 Okla. LEXIS 58, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dickson-v-mackey-okla-1923.