Faith v. Morello

37 P.2d 183, 2 Cal. App. 2d 32, 1934 Cal. App. LEXIS 1371
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 5, 1934
DocketCiv. No. 1300
StatusPublished

This text of 37 P.2d 183 (Faith v. Morello) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Faith v. Morello, 37 P.2d 183, 2 Cal. App. 2d 32, 1934 Cal. App. LEXIS 1371 (Cal. Ct. App. 1934).

Opinion

JENNINGS, J.

A rehearing was granted in this case in order to give further consideration to certain contentions advanced by appellants. Upon such reconsideration we are of the opinion that the contentions of appellants are meritorious and should to some extent be sustained. Appellants do not complain that this court in its prior decision incorrectly disposed of the principal question which is presented on this appeal, and since we now entertain the conviction that our opinion heretofore rendered made proper disposition of such question, we therefore adopt so much of said opinion as is decisive of said question. It is as follows:

“This is an appeal by.plaintiffs from a judgment rendered in favor of defendants by the Superior Court of Fresno county. The action was instituted by plaintiffs for the purpose of obtaining a decree compelling specific performance by defendants of a certain contract entered into between plaintiffs and defendants whereby defendants had agreed to sell and plaintiffs had agreed to buy a certain parcel of land for a stipulated sum of money. The complaint alleged that upon execution of the contract plaintiffs had entered into possession of the property and had fully performed their part of the agreement, that defendants had wrongfully secured possession of the property and refused to surrender possession to plaintiffs who were entitled thereto. The defendants filed an answer and cross-complaint wherein they admitted execution of the contract and that they had retaken possession of the land, but alleged that they had done so for the reason that plaintiffs had violated the terms of [34]*34the contract of sale. The pleading concluded with the prayer that the title of defendants to the property be quieted as against the claims of plaintiffs.
“It is conceded that there was no material conflict in the evidence which was submitted during the trial of the action. The main question presented on this appeal relates to the construction by the trial court of a certain provision of the aforesaid contract. It is the contention of appellants that the trial court incorrectly interpreted this provision. Consideration of this contention necessitates a brief statement of the facts which were developed by the evidence.
“On August 4, 1930, respondent, Paradise Vineyards, Inc., was the owner of a tract of land in Fresno county comprising approximately 320 acres. On this date the said corporation entered into a written contract with appellants whereby it agreed to sell and appellants agreed to purchase the property for the sum of $90,000, of which amount the sum of $2,500 was paid in cash on the execution of the agreement and a further sum of $22,500 was to be paid from the proceeds to be derived from the sale of grapes that were then being grown on the land. The balance of the purchase price which amounted to the sum of $65,000 was to be paid in specified annual instalments. The contract recited that ‘both parties hereto understand that said property is subject to’ a lien of the Bank of Italy in the sum of $46,250. It is also evident from the terms of the contract that the lien of the bank was one which existed by virtue of a trust deed or mortgage executed by respondent and that by the terms thereof the respondent was obligated each year to make a payment of $7,500 on account of the principal of the indebtedness to the bank and also to make semiannual payments of interest due on the unpaid balance of the principal. The contract between the respondent corporation and appellants contained the following provision which it is contended the trial court improperly construed:
“ ‘In the event the income from said real property, due to frost injury, market conditions, or other conditions beyond the control of buyers, is so reduced that it is insufficient, after deducting operating costs, to make the payments herein required to be made by buyers, then should buyers and both of them be unable financially to make said payments from funds or other resources under their control, [35]*35seller agrees that they will for such year consent to an extension of the payment accruing for such year to the December first following, provided that the actual net income from said real property is applied towards the payment of taxes first, the payments of interest on the first incumbrance, secondly, and thirdly towards the payment of any instalments on said first incumbrance accruing during said year, and sellers expressly consent that buyers may procure from the holder of said incumbrance an extension of the instalment payment accruing in such year after the application of the net proceeds from operations of said real property have been applied as herein required. Should, however, owing to insufficient net income or insufficient resources of buyers, exclusive of income from said real property, be insufficient to prevent a foreclosure of the incumbrance on said real property and a foreclosure occur, buyer shall in that event have no cause of action or claim against seller by reason of the loss of his investment in said real property. In this connection buyers agree that they shall keep careful record of all operating expenses for each year, which record and expenses shall be furnished to seller in the event an extension is required under this paragraph.’
“The court found that after the execution of the contract appellants went into possession of the property and performed all terms, covenants, and conditions of the agreement which they were required to perform except that' they failed to make the payments of principal and interest to the Bank of Italy which were due on December 1, 1931. The court also found that during the year 1931 the crops which were produced on the land were approximately one-third of the normal crops, due to excessive heat and other conditions beyond the control of appellants and that for this reason the proceeds from the sale of crops were so reduced that they were insufficient to pay the operating expenses of the property and that appellants were not nor was either of them financially able to make the payments required of them by the contract or to the bank and that there was no actual net income from the property during the year 1931. The court, however, further specifically found that by the terms of the contract appellants were bound to make the payments of principal and interest due the Bank of Italy on December 1, 1931, even though the net income from [36]*36the property during the year 1931 due to frost injury, market conditions, or other conditions beyond the control of appellants was so reduced that it was insufficient to make the payments required to be made by appellants and even though appellants were and each of them was financially unable to malte such payments from funds under their control or the control of either of them and even though there was no actual net income from the property. In other words, the court so interpreted the contract that appellants were required to make the annual payments due to the bank and so construed the agreement that the obligation to make such payments was not included within the language of the provision by which the respondent corporation expressly agreed to extend for one year the payments which were specified to be made to it by appellants in the event that the net income from the property should prove insufficient to make such payments and appellants were financially unable to make the payments from their private funds.

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

Related

Mente & Co. v. Fresno Compress & Warehouse Co.
298 P. 126 (California Court of Appeal, 1931)
Nakagawa v. Okamoto
130 P. 707 (California Supreme Court, 1913)
Hunt v. United Bank & Trust Co.
291 P. 184 (California Supreme Court, 1930)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
37 P.2d 183, 2 Cal. App. 2d 32, 1934 Cal. App. LEXIS 1371, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/faith-v-morello-calctapp-1934.