Goldman v. Bloom

280 N.W.2d 170, 90 Wis. 2d 466, 1979 Wisc. LEXIS 2100
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedJune 29, 1979
Docket76-420
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 280 N.W.2d 170 (Goldman v. Bloom) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Goldman v. Bloom, 280 N.W.2d 170, 90 Wis. 2d 466, 1979 Wisc. LEXIS 2100 (Wis. 1979).

Opinion

CONNOR T. HANSEN, J.

The dispute herein arose out of a series of transactions concerning a condominium in the Bahamas. All of the parties are residents of Wisconsin, and the action was commenced by personal service. Although a series of real estate transactions are involved, there is no documentary evidence except for some cancelled checks and some self-serving memoranda. The testimony of the parties at trial was essentially in agreement regarding the initial transactions.

The first transaction concerned a trade of properties between Perssion and Howard Bloom, one of the defendants, in October, 1973. Bloom transferred some *470 Wisconsin real estate valued at approximately $90,000 to Perssion. Perssion paid off a $60,000 mortgage on these properties and traded Bloom a condominium in the Bahamas valued at $30,000, identified as Apartment 1109, Lucayan Towers South, Lucaya, Grand Bahamas. No deed to this condominium was ever given to Bloom because Bloom told Perssion he might want to sell the condominium and would prefer to save the $900 recording fee. Perssion also loaned Bloom $20,000 which was to be secured by a mortgage on the condominium. We do not know if the mortgage was ever executed, but at any rate Bloom made some payments to Perssion and in December, 1974, the balance on this obligation of Bloom to Perssion was approximately $18,000.

In November, 1973, Goldman agreed to purchase the condominium from Bloom for $37,000. In payment of the property, Goldman transferred some Wisconsin real estate to Bloom valued at $17,500, made some payments in the succeeding months, and in late 1974 there remained a balance due on the purchase price from Goldman to Bloom of $9,000. This remaining obligation of $9,000 was to be evidenced by the execution of a note; however, the note was never executed.

Bloom gave Goldman the key to the condominium and Goldman moved in. He redecorated the apartment and furnished it. He spent $210 to have his car shipped to the Bahamas and paid a $900 fee to have the car registered. He paid the condominium fees by check to Bloom, who continued to receive the assessment bills from the condominium association. Bloom was to endorse these checks and forward them to the association.

Goldman made his first trip to the condominium in February, 1974. During his visit he was approached by Perssion who he had not met before. Goldman told Perssion that he understood that either Perssion or his wife had told one of Goldman’s previous guests at the *471 condominium that Perssion had an interest in the condominium. Goldman testified that Perssion replied that he did have an interest but that it was not very significant and that Goldman should not be concerned. Perssion said it would be worked out with Kenneth Alies, a defendant and not a party to this appeal, who owned several condominiums in the building. Goldman testified that he told Perssion that he had been embarrassed and that he wanted the problem straightened out with the manager. He said they ultimately met with the manager and that Perssion told the manager that Goldman was the new owner and that his guests should be allowed to use the condominium. Goldman said he told the manager that Perssion was not to be admitted. Goldman said that after this meeting with the manager the bills were sent to him.

Goldman continually demanded that Bloom give him a deed to the property. At one point, he testified, Bloom told him Alies had the deed and he would get it from him when he returned to town. Bloom finally scheduled a closing at his office in Milwaukee in April, 1974. Goldman, Bloom and Perssion and Alies attended this meeting.

Goldman testified that while he and Perssion were waiting for the meeting to start he asked Perssion about his business relationship with Bloom. He said that Perssion replied that it was none of his business, that Goldman was there for a deed and that was what he was going to get. Goldman said that during the subsequent meeting he was handed a deed to the condominium, which recited that title was vested in Lowell Goldman. He said that this deed, which was written on heavy parchment paper with a gold seal and red ribbon, was signed by Bloom, Perssion and himself. He said the deed contained no contingencies or restrictions; that he had the deed in his possession after it was signed, *472 and that he told the others he would record it in the Bahamas the following week. He testified that Perssion and Bloom then discussed how the $900 recording fee was to be divided and finally agreed that each would pay half or $450. He said he had made the first fold in the deed and was preparing, to put it in his pocket when either Perssion or Alies said it would not be necessary for him to go to the Bahamas and that Alies explained that Goldman would have trouble with the attestation required to record the deed because it had to be made by someone known in the Bahamas. Alies said he would be going there the next week and could record the deed for Goldman. Goldman then gave the deed to Alies for recording.

Goldman further testified that Bloom told him he paid Perssion the $450 that evening. No contingencies to the recording of the deed were discussed that day and no mortgages, notes or other memoranda were signed. Goldman did not request an abstract or title insurance because he understood that Bahamian title searches were expensive. He did not execute a $9,000 note to Bloom at the time because Bloom said he had told Perssion he would assign the note to Perssion, and Goldman, therefore, did not want to execute such a note until the deed was recorded. Goldman did not know at the time that Perssion claimed to have a mortgage on the property.

The testimony of Bloom substantially corroborated the testimony of Goldman. This included testimony that nothing was said in Goldman’s presence about Perssion having a mortgage on the property or any other contingency. Bloom testified that Alies was present at his request because Bloom knew the deed would have to be recorded by someone known in the Bahamas. Bloom also said he gave Perssion a check for $450 that same day in payment of his one-half of the $900 recording fee. After Goldman left the meeting, the matter of the *473 settlement of the $18,000 obligation from Bloom to Perssion was discussed and Perssion agreed to accept a note from Goldman in the amount of $9,000, the balance due from Goldman to Bloom on the purchase price, plus security from Bloom for the remaining balance of $9,000. Nothing was said about Perssion withholding the recording of the deed until Perssion had been paid, and when Bloom left he assumed the deed would be recorded.

The testimony of Perssion in regard to the meeting was somewhat different and somewhat inconsistent. He testified that Bloom told him that he had a cash buyer for the condominium, that the mortgage would be paid and the deed given directly to the buyer to save on the recording fee, which they agreed to divide equally. He said Bloom said the buyer would turn over $9,000 in cash at the closing and that Bloom would give him a $9,000 mortgage on some other real estate. He asked for the cash and mortgage at the closing and Goldman agreed to pay him $9,000 but said he preferred to give a note to avoid a loss on stock he would have to sell to get the cash. Perssion said he agreed to take a note.

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

Related

Riggs v. West Virginia University Hospitals, Inc.
656 S.E.2d 91 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 2008)
General Elec. v. Advance Petroleum, Inc.
660 So. 2d 1139 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1995)
Giannetti v. Cornillie
530 N.W.2d 121 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1995)
Jensen v. Weyrens
474 N.W.2d 261 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1991)
Wengerd v. Rinehart
338 N.W.2d 861 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1983)
Gauerke v. Rozga
332 N.W.2d 804 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1983)
State v. Rohl
310 N.W.2d 631 (Court of Appeals of Wisconsin, 1981)
Lloyd v. Loeffler
518 F. Supp. 720 (E.D. Wisconsin, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
280 N.W.2d 170, 90 Wis. 2d 466, 1979 Wisc. LEXIS 2100, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/goldman-v-bloom-wis-1979.