Galloway v. Tenneco Oil Company

313 So. 2d 317
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 11, 1975
Docket6660
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 313 So. 2d 317 (Galloway v. Tenneco Oil Company) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Galloway v. Tenneco Oil Company, 313 So. 2d 317 (La. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

313 So.2d 317 (1975)

William F. GALLOWAY, Jr.
v.
TENNECO OIL COMPANY.

No. 6660.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

May 15, 1975.
Rehearing Denied June 11, 1975.
Writs Refused September 11, 1975.

*318 Edward J. Demartini, Christenberry, Bruneau & Miller, Lee R. Miller, Jr., for plaintiff-appellee.

Monroe & Lemann, Andrew P. Carter, David E. Walker, New Orleans, for defendant-appellant.

Before GULOTTA, STOULIG and BOUTALL, JJ.

GULOTTA, Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment in favor of plaintiff for damages arising out of defendant's breach of an obligation to purchase certain real property.

On September 14, 1970, defendant purchased an option to buy certain real estate designated as Lot 2A of Square "F" Pare Fontaine Extension No. 2 in New Orleans. *319 The square is subdivided into two parcels: Lot 2A and Lot 2B.[1] On December 10, 1970, Tenneco timely exercised their option to purchase the property, but subsequently refused to take title. The purchase price for Lot 2A was $150,000.00. Subsequently, the entire square was sold to third parties. This suit followed, seeking special damages (stipulated) totalling $4,921.79 as well as general damages for loss of profits because of the subsequent sale to third parties at a price below the market value. Judgment was rendered in favor of plaintiff in the sum of $61,902.79. This award includes the stipulated damages together with $56,981.00 for loss of profits. Defendant appeals.

It is defendant's position, on appeal, that plaintiff was unable to obtain a title insurance binder showing a good and merchantable title free from zoning restrictions prohibiting the use of the property as a service station in accordance with Sec. 5 of the printed provisions of the Option to Purchase which reads as follows:

"Buyer will procure at its expense, with thirty (30) days after the exercise of option by Buyer, an owner's title insurance binder covering the Property and issued in Buyer's name and for its benefit from a reputable title insurance company, showing good and marketable title on the date of issuance of binder in Seller, free from restrictions or zoning prohibiting the development of the Property for the use as a service station and general merchandising business, and * * *"

Tenneco alternatively claims that assuming that they breached the agreement, plaintiff suffered no damages since plaintiff subsequently conveyed the property to third parties for a reasonable profit (approximately $55,000.00) within a relatively short time from the date of purchase. It is defendant's position that plaintiff sold the property at a fair market value and, accordingly, suffered no loss or damages.

Plaintiff contends, on the other hand, that the provisions of the option agreement relied on by defendant restricting the use of the property are contained in the printed part of the agreement, and, that certain typewritten clauses added to the agreement recognize the restrictive covenants but indicate Tenneco's intention to purchase the property irrespective of the restrictive covenants. The language in Sec. 5 of the option upon which plaintiff relies is as follows:

"* * * The title insurance binder and all supplements thereto shall be without exceptions or limitations, save and except the delivery of a properly executed warranty deed from Seller to Buyer as provided in this agreement and except such/other exceptions or limitations as may be acceptable to Buyer, and except for restrictive covenants dated 11/19/69, by Act before Claude Champagne, N.P., registered C.O.B. 698A, Folio 112."

Plaintiff further supports his interpretation of the option with the following language contained in Sec. 8 of the option which was also typewritten and reads as follows:

"* * * Notwithstanding any provision hereof, Buyer agrees to take title subject to the restrictive covenants referred to in paragraph 5 hereof, a copy of these covenants are attached hereto and made a part hereof."

According to plaintiff's interpretation of the language in Sec. 5 quoted herein above and the language in Sec. 8 of the option agreement, Tenneco agreed to take title to Lot 2A "subject to the restrictive covenants referred to in paragraph 5." It is plaintiff's position that if a conflict exists in the language of the option, the typewritten part of the agreement prevails over contradictory printed matter.

In connection with plaintiff's claim for loss of profits, it is plaintiff's position that *320 less than market value was received by plaintiff from a subsequent sale to third parties. Plaintiff claims this loss occurred because the subsequent sale was forced by reason of defendant's breach since plaintiff had to meet an impending due date on an outstanding note bearing against the property in the sum of $335,000.00 and was relying on the amount to be received from the sale to Tenneco to pay on the outstanding note. Plaintiff further claims the subsequent sale of the property was not an arm's length transaction and did not accurately reflect the true market value of the property. In seeking to have the judgment of the trial court affirmed, plaintiff contends the amount of the award for loss of profits was based upon a credibility determination by the trial judge after hearing the testimony of an appraiser for plaintiff and an appraiser for defendant. According to plaintiff, the trial judge chose to accept the testimony of plaintiff's appraiser which is that plaintiff suffered a loss of profit in the sum of $56,981.00 as a result of defendant's breach and chose not to accept testimony of defendant's appraiser which is that plaintiff suffered no loss of profit.

Defendant denies it is guilty of a breach of its contract to purchase. Alternatively, defendant claims if it is guilty of any breach, plaintiff failed to show any loss of profits as a result of the breach.

On the question of loss of profits, defendant takes the position that plaintiff's appraiser arrived at an evaluation of the loss based on error in calculations and failed to recognize and take into consideration the subsequent sales of comparable property in the area of the property in question.

BREACH OF AGREEMENT

It is clear from the printed wording in See. 5 of the Option to Purchase that the purchaser recognizes the existence of restrictions on the property. The additional typewritten provisions in Sec. 5 and Sec. 8 are not at variance with the printed wording of the option but are exceptions to the restrictions recognized in the option. The effect of the added typewritten part of the option is that Tenneco agreed to take title to the property subject to the restrictions or irrespective of the restrictions.

Furthermore, the title company agreed, before the date specified for the sale, to issue a binder insuring the use of the property as a service station if a court decided that the property could not be used for such purpose. Accordingly, we conclude defendant breached the option agreement when it refused to take title. Tenneco is answerable in damages resulting from the breach.

DAMAGES

We are next confronted with the nature and extent of damages to which plaintiff is entitled as a result of defendant's breach. It was stipulated that the cost for resubdivision, taxes and interest totalling the sum of $4,921.79 are to be assessed as special damages in the event that plaintiff prevails.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
313 So. 2d 317, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/galloway-v-tenneco-oil-company-lactapp-1975.