Fingold v. Cook

902 S.W.2d 579, 1995 Tex. App. LEXIS 660, 1995 WL 135057
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 30, 1995
DocketNo. 01-94-00063-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 902 S.W.2d 579 (Fingold v. Cook) 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
Fingold v. Cook, 902 S.W.2d 579, 1995 Tex. App. LEXIS 660, 1995 WL 135057 (Tex. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION ON REHEARING

HUTSON-DUNN, Justice.

We overrule appellee’s motion for rehearing, withdraw our opinion of February 16, 1994, and substitute this opinion in its stead.

[580]*580Appellee, David Cook (seller), sued appellant, Douglas Fingold (buyer), for breach of an earnest money contract, demanding the release of $1,000 in earnest money. Buyer filed an answer and counterclaimed alleging that he had the right to the money. The case was tried to a jury; however, the trial court granted seller’s motion for directed verdict on the case and submitted the question of attorney’s fees to the jury. The jury awarded seller $32,000 in attorney’s fees plus further fees if the case was appealed. Buyer moved for remittitur of the attorney’s fees which was denied. Buyer brings four points of error.

Under point of error one, buyer argues that the trial court erred in granting the directed verdict because there is a fact issue regarding breach of the earnest money contract.

In reviewing a record on appeal in which a verdict has been directed, this Court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the party against whom the verdict was rendered and disregard all contrary evidence and inferences. Qantel Business Sys., Inc. v. Custom Controls Co., 761 S.W.2d 302, 303 (Tex.1988). Where there is conflicting evidence of probative value in the record, a directed verdict is error and the case must be remanded for a jury determination. Id. at 304. Buyer argues that there is a fact issue concerning whether his conduct breached the earnest money contract.

“Agreed Stipulations of Fact” were read into evidence before the jury. The stipulations, and other evidence, showed the following.

The July 11, 1990, earnest money contract provided for buyer to obtain third party financing of $63,450 due in full in 30 years, payable in monthly payments of principal and interest, with interest not exceeding 10 percent per annum. It states that buyer shall “make every reasonable effort” to obtain such financing and if not obtained, the earnest money would return to buyer. July 31, 1990, was the specified closing date set out in the contract; subsequently there were three agreed-on extensions of the closing date.

Pursuant to the terms of the contract, buyer timely applied for third-party financing on the terms required by the earnest money contract (30 years at 10% fixed rate interest in the principal amount of $63,450). On August 15, buyer learned that his application was denied. The final closing date for the contract agreed upon by the parties was August 22, 1990.

Buyer did not apply for third-party financing again on the same terms. However, prior to August 22, buyer was offered and agreed to accept, through the same mortgage company, a loan in the amount of $52,850, payable in 30 years at a fixed interest rate beginning at 10 percent per annum; buyer intended to pay the balance of the purchase price in cash at the closing. The only apparent difference in terms was that the loan amount was $10,600 less than the loan described in the earnest money contract. Seller was never informed of buyer’s alternate financing plan prior to August 22.

Buyer was notified on August 22, by the closer at the title company, that his loan had been funded by the mortgage company. On that same day, buyer appeared at the title company to close on the purchase. The lender had wired the net amount of the loan funds to the title company for the closing, and buyer had the down payment with him. However, after reading the documents from the financing company that were first presented to buyer at closing, buyer found the loan amount was $52,850, payable in 15 years, bearing interest at a variable rate beginning at 10.75% per annum. Buyer stipulated that he did not refuse to close because of the three significantly different disadvantageous terms (a lower loan amount, a shorter term, and an interest rate that was .75% higher and variable rather than fixed). Rather, he stipulated that he refused the loan presented by the mortgage company because of the wording of a conversion option in the loan that was not worded as previously represented by the mortgage company. The “Adjustable Rate Note” stated that the interest rate may change “on the first day of December 1, 1990 and on the first day of every third month thereafter (i.e. June 1, September 1, December 1, and March 1).” [581]*581Buyer was granted an option to convert to a fixed rate according to the following terms:

5. FIXED INTEREST RATE CONVERSION OPTION
(A) Option to Convert to Fixed Rate
I have a Conversion Option that I can exercise unless I am in default or this Section 5(A) will not permit me to do so. The “Conversion Option” is my option to convert the interest rate I am required to pay by the Note from an adjustable rate with interest rate limits to the fixed rate calculated under Section 5(C) below.
The conversion option can take place on any payment date after the first payment date, subject to the notice requirements described below. Each date on which my adjustable interest rate can convert to the new fixed rate is called the “Conversion Date.”
In order to exercise the Conversion Option, I must first meet certain conditions. These conditions are: (i) I must give the Note Holder written notice 45 days prior to my intent to exercise the Conversion Option; (ii) I must not be in default under the Note or Security Instrument on the Conversion Date; (iii) I must pay the Note Holder by a date specified by the Note Holder, a Conversion fee of $500.00; (iv) I must sign and give the Note Holder, by a date specified by the Note Holder, any documents the Note Holder requires to effect the conversion; and (v) I must qualify for the converted loan based on my general creditworthiness as if I was applying for a fixed rate mortgage with similar terms.
(B) Determination of Conforming and Non-Conforming Loans
If the outstanding principal balance of my Note, at the time I give notice to the Note Holder of my intent to exercise the Conversion Option, conforms to the Federal National Mortgage Association’s (FNMA) then current maximum loan limits, my loan is a “Conforming Loan”. However, if the outstanding principal balance on my Note, at the time I give notice to the Note Holder of my intent to exercise the Conversion Option, exceeds the then current maximum loan limits of the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), my loan is a “Non-Conforming Loan”. The terms, Conforming and Non-Conforming Loans as defined in this paragraph, refer to the maximum allowable loan amounts established by the Federal National Mortgage Association.
(C)Calculation of Fixed Rate
If my outstanding principal balance, as described above, is a Conforming Loan, my fixed interest rate will be equal to the Federal National Mortgage Association’s required net yield as of a date and time specified by the Note Holder for ... 15-year fixed rate mortgages covered by applicable 60-day mandatory delivery commitments, plus five-eighths of one percentage point (0.625%), rounded to the nearest one-eighth of one percentage point (0.125%).

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Bluebook (online)
902 S.W.2d 579, 1995 Tex. App. LEXIS 660, 1995 WL 135057, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fingold-v-cook-texapp-1995.