Frank Parmelee Co. v. George W. Jackson, Inc.

191 Ill. App. 402, 1915 Ill. App. LEXIS 998
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedFebruary 4, 1915
DocketGen. No. 19,483
StatusPublished

This text of 191 Ill. App. 402 (Frank Parmelee Co. v. George W. Jackson, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Frank Parmelee Co. v. George W. Jackson, Inc., 191 Ill. App. 402, 1915 Ill. App. LEXIS 998 (Ill. Ct. App. 1915).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Pam

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is a suit brought by the Frank Parmelee Company, a corporation, hereinafter referred to as the plaintiff, against George W. Jackson, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the defendant, to recover $353.80, the price paid by the plaintiff to the Chicago Title & Trust Company for a guaranty policy of insurance issued by it, guarantying title of the defendant in and to a certain piece of real estate known as “Lot 6 in Blanchard’s Subdivision of Block 4, in School Section Addition to Chicago,” situated in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, for which the plaintiff paid defendant $75,000.

The controversy which led to the beginning of this action arose out of a real estate transaction between the plaintiff and the defendant. Plaintiff purchased from the defendant certain property situated in the city of Chicago. Defendant, in conveying to the plaintiff title to the property that was purchased, executed two deeds which we shall hereafter designate as the first and second deeds, the description in the first deed being as follows:

“Lot six (6) in Blanchard’s Subdivision of Block four (4), in School Section Addition to Chicago, in Section sixteen (16), Township thirty-nine (39) North, Range fourteen (14) East of the Third Principal Meridian, situated in the City of Chicago, County of Cook and State of Illinois.”

The second deed contained the following description:

“The north one hundred (100) feet of Lot six (6) in Blanchard’s Subdivision of Block four (4) in School Section Addition to Chicago; the West half of the South sixty-five (65) feet of Lot six (6) in Blanchard’s Subdivision of Block four (4) in School Section Addition to Chicago; the East half of the South sixty-five (65) feet of Lot six (6) in Blanchard’s Subdivision of Block four (4) in School Section Addition to Chicago, all in Section sixteen (16), Township thirty-nine (39) North, Range fourteen (14) East of the Third Principal Meridian.”

Part of the record in the case is a written stipulation of facts. This stipulation shows that Lot 6 aforementioned is a tract of land fronting on the* north on Jackson boulevard, on the south on Boston avenue; that Lot 6 is otherwise known as Nos. 751-753-755 West Jackson boulevard, and 750-752-754 Boston avenue.

The only oral evidence given was that of Fred Norlin, a surveyor, who testified that the length of the lot conveyed by the first deed was 165 feet 11 inches, and the width 50 feet 6% inches; that there was on this lot one building, viz., a factory building three stories high, of brick construction; that the said building was 148 feet 10 inches long, and 49 feet 6%, inches wide; and that the north front of the building came right up to the south line of Jackson boulevard.

The second deed conveyed the north 100 feet of Lot 6 in Blanchard’s Subdivision of Block 4, etc., and the west and east one-half of the south 65 feet of Lot 6 in Blanchard’s Subdivision of Block 4, etc. The second deed transferred only 165 feet of land. The testimony of Mr. Norlin showed that Lot 6 contained 165 feet 11 inches. The second deed omitted to convey the 11 inches between the north 100 feet and the south 65 feet mentioned in the second deed. The first deed, however, conveyed the entire Lot 6, and was therefore inclusive of the 11 inches omitted in the second deed. The building covered this 11 inches. The record is barren of any formal written contract having been entered into by the parties for the sale of this land. We must rely upon the stipulation of facts, the testimony of Mr. Norlin, and the correspondence which passed between the parties, and the deeds themselves, to determine what contract had been entered into between the parties with reference to the sale of this land.

At the time of the trial the attorneys for defendant admitted that up to the delivery of the warranty deeds on or about September 1st, Mr. Milton J. Foreman was agent for the defendant in connection with the sale of the real estate in question in this case, and that during* this period and thereafter up to and including the date hereof, Mr. A. R. Sheriff and the firm of Sheriff, Dent, Dobyns & Freeman were agents of the plaintiff. In a letter dated August 1,1911, Mr. Milton J. Foreman, on behalf of the defendant, sent Mr. Sheriff on behalf of the plaintiff, a continuation of abstract of title to the north 100 feet of Lot 6, and to the east and west one-half of the south 65 feet of same lot. On August 7, 1911, the Chicago Title & Trust Company gave an opinion of title to the north 100 feet and the south 65 feet of Lot 6, in which it found that the defendant had a good title in said property, subject, among other things, “to the rights or claims of parties in possession and not shown of record and questions of survey.” (Italics ours.) It is evident from the record that these opinions of title must at once have been sent to Sheriff, Dent, Dobyns & Freeman, for on August 8th we have a letter by that firm,, addressed to Mr. Foreman, which reads as follows:

“August 8, 1911.
Col. Milton J. Foreman,
822 First Natl. Bk. Bldg.,
Chicago, HI.
Dear Sir:—
Referring to the proposed conveyance from George W. Jackson, Incorporated, to the Frank Parmelee Company of the real estate known as 753 and 755 West Jackson boulevard, we beg to say that we will waive the survey and accept a guaranty policy in the sum of $75,000. The policy should be issued to Frank Par-melee Company.
. A letter from Chicago Title & Trust Company under date of August 7th, is herewith returned.
Tours very truly,
Sheriff, Dbjstt, Dobyhs & Freemah,
By L. L. Dent.”

This letter, it will be seen, has reference to the letters from the Chicago Title & Trust Company of August 7th and which the record shows were the opinions of title hereinabove referred to. This letter clearly indicated that the question of survey set forth in the opinion given by the Chicago Title & Trust Company was waived under the condition that a guaranty policy in the sum of $75,000 would be secured by the defendant from the Chicago Title & Trust Company in favor of the plaintiff.

The next step in the transaction, as shown by the record, was the passing of the deeds, viz., the first and second deeds, both dated August 18, 1911. There was no oral evidence submitted as to what took place between the parties between the sending of the letter dated August 8th and the passing of the deeds. That, however, there was an obligation of some kind incurred is clearly evident from the fact that on September 13, 1911, Mr. Foreman addressed a letter to Mr. Sheriff wherein he referred to a letter addressed by the Chicago Title & Trust Company to Messrs. Foreman, Levin & Robertson under same date.

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191 Ill. App. 402, 1915 Ill. App. LEXIS 998, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/frank-parmelee-co-v-george-w-jackson-inc-illappct-1915.