Hrivnak v. Myers

15 Pa. D. & C.3d 36, 1980 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 319
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Armstrong County
DecidedApril 10, 1980
DocketNo. 2; no. 820 of 1978
StatusPublished

This text of 15 Pa. D. & C.3d 36 (Hrivnak v. Myers) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Armstrong County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hrivnak v. Myers, 15 Pa. D. & C.3d 36, 1980 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 319 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1980).

Opinion

HOUSE, P.J.,

DISCUSSION

Plaintiffs bring this action for specific performance of aland sale contract. The facts concerning the transactions surrounding the sale are somewhat complex and are laid out below in chronological order. Generally the parties agree as to the facts.

■ By virtue of an agreement of sale dated January 9, 1970, defendants Myers acquired equitable title to the land in question from the prior owners, the Goodmans. Sometime thereafter they apparently moved into the dwelling house located on the premises. On April 29, 1978 defendants entered into an agreement with Holloway Realtors authorizing Holloway to list and sell the property in question for $15,900. Plaintiffs responded to an advertisement concerning the land in a local newspaper and on May 5, 1978, plaintiffs signed the agreement of sale in the presence of an agent or agents of Holloway Realtors. At the same time, plaintiffs made a down payment of $500 by check payable to Holloway Realtors.

On May 6 defendants signed the agreement which provided, among other things, the con[38]*38tingency that the buyers obtain mortgage financing in the amount of $12,700 at eight and three-quarters percent interest for 20 years by May 15. Additionally, the agreement provided for completion of the sale on or before June 5, 1978. On the same May 6 plaintiffs made an application for a mortgage with the Peoples Federal Savings and Loan.

On May 9 defendants notified Holloway Realtors that they had decided not to sell the house. Holloway, through its agent Geraldine Holloway, immediately contacted the Hrivnaks who reaffirmed their intention to purchase the property. On the same day, defendant James Myers telephoned plaintiff Paul Hrivnak and apparently attempted to convince him not to purchase the home. Several minutes after this conversation ended, Paul Hriv-nak telephoned James Myers and informed him he still wanted to purchase the property. The next day plaintiffs acquired legal counsel to represent them.

Over the next several days, Geraldine Holloway was in contact with Peoples Federal concerning the Hrivnaks’ mortgage application and determined that the loan had been tentatively approved by.the loan committee and was awaiting formal approval by the board of directors at its next meeting. On May 15 Mrs. Holloway contacted the bank and was told that no problems were expected and that the Hrivnaks would definitely get a mortgage approval, but that no board meeting date had been set. This information was communicated by Mrs. Holloway to Mrs. Myers the same day.

On May 16 the Myers sent a letter to the Hrivnaks canceling the sales agreement for the failure of the Hrivnaks to obtain a mortgage according to the contract’s provisions. On May 19 Peoples Federal notified the Hrivnaks that their mortgage had been [39]*39approved. The June 5 deadline passed with the Hrivnaks demanding the sale go on and the Myers refusing. This action was instituted by praecipe for summons in equity prior to this on May 11, 1978 and a complaint was filed on August 16, 1978. A deed dated January 9, 1979, conveying full title to the property from the Goodmans to the Myers was recorded on January 16, 1979.

Throughout the course of this litigation defendants have asserted three defenses to this action. First they assert that plaintiffs knew at the time the contract was sighed that the Myers did not have full legal title and that therefore no complete sale was contemplated nor legally possible. Defendants’ second contention is that when plaintiffs failed to secure a mortgage commitment by the date set by the contract, the contract could have been and was canceled by defendants. The third assertion is that no cause of action was stated in the complaint since the allegation of tender was not specific enough. In defendants’ brief in support of their requested findings of fact and conclusions of law, defendants have added a fourth argument, that plaintiffs failed to show that they had taken out fire insurance on the house as required by the contract, thus breaching the contract themselves and relieving defendants from any duty of performance.

ISSUE I

May a purchaser specifically enforce a contract for the sale of land, where the purchaser knew at the time of the making of the sales agreement that the vendor held only the equitable title and that the legal title rested in a prior vendor of the land by virtue of an executory land sale contract?

[40]*40Defendants herein contend that plaintiffs knew or should have known at the time the contract was made that defendants held only the equitable title to the property, since it was a matter of record. Plaintiffs do not deny this knowledge. The contested issue concerns the legal effect of this. Defendants argue that this renders the contract void ab initio; plaintiffs argue that it has no legal effect on the enforceability of the sales contract between them and the defendants.

No specific cases have been cited by either party in support of their respective positions and none has been found by this court. Nonetheless, the well-established law concerning sales of realty and the relationship of vendors and purchasers strongly supports the position of plaintiffs. ■

Williston on Contracts, in discussing the effect of a contract for the sale of land by a vendor who is at the same time a purchaser of the same land under a prior, executory contract, says: “A purchaser who makes a subcontract, however, binds himself to transfer a good title.” 7 Williston on Contracts, §927A (3d ed.).

Corpus Juris Secundum holds likewise that a “purchaser under an executory contract for the sale of land may sell his interes t to a subpurchaser when the purchaser is so situated with respect to the land that he can acquire the legal title thereto either by the voluntary act of the title holder or by action in court.” 92 C.J.S., Vendor & Purchaser §314(a) (citing cases).

Naturally, with the right to sell comes the duty of having to convey once a sales contract is entered into. American Jurisprudence, in noting that a purchaser is not required to accept only an equitable title where his vendor held himself out as the com-[41]*41píete titl eh older, also says “the rule that an equitable title is not marketable does not, however, prevent the purchaser, at his election, from securing a decree for specific performance against the vendor, if the latter, having the full equitable title, can control the legal title outstanding in a naked trustee.” 77 Am. Jur. 2d, Vendor and Purchaser §176.

That this is correct is'obvious from an analysis of the rights held by a purchaser under an executory land sales contract (here, the defendants):

“When a contract is made for the sale of land, the purchaser is regarded in equity as the owner, and the contract vests in him an equitable title to the land. ...

“The estate of a purchaser under an agreement of sale is a ‘freehold,’ absolute in possession, . . . which may be aliened. . . . Thus, the purchaser may do with the land as though he had legal title, subject only to the paramount right of the vendor to force payment of the purchase price.” 32 P.L.E., Sales of Realty §62.

It has long been the rule in Pennsylvania that courts of equity regard a purchaser under a land sale contract as the complete owner of the land with full rights and liabilities.

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

Related

Carsek Corp. v. Stephen Schifter, Inc.
246 A.2d 365 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1968)
Mellon Bank, N.A. v. Joseph
406 A.2d 1055 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1979)
Morrell v. Broadbent
140 A. 500 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1927)
Girard Trust Co. v. Tremblay Motor Co.
140 A. 506 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1927)
Haverstick v. Erie Gas Co.
29 Pa. 254 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1857)
Clark v. Martin
49 Pa. 299 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1865)
Erie Gas Co. v. Haverstick
56 Pa. 28 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1867)
Spratt v. Greenfield
124 A. 126 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1924)
Tolan v. O'Malley
299 A.2d 229 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1973)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
15 Pa. D. & C.3d 36, 1980 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 319, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hrivnak-v-myers-pactcomplarmstr-1980.