Hunter v. Clawson

251 P.2d 850, 73 Idaho 314, 1952 Ida. LEXIS 246
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 16, 1952
DocketNo. 7868
StatusPublished

This text of 251 P.2d 850 (Hunter v. Clawson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hunter v. Clawson, 251 P.2d 850, 73 Idaho 314, 1952 Ida. LEXIS 246 (Idaho 1952).

Opinion

PORTER, Justice.

By his complaint in this action, plaintiff alleges in substance that William E. Hunter died testate on the second day of September, 1947, owning at the time of his death, some 2,800 acres of real estate situated in Lincoln County, Idaho. That on October 10, 1947, plaintiff was duly appoint-ted Executor of the estate (will) of decedent by the Probate Court of Minidoka County. That on the 28th day of November, 1947, the Probate Court of Minidoka County duly made and entered its order confirming the sale by the plaintiff of a part of said real estate to defendant, Julion Clawson, for the 'sum of $7,200 and requiring $1,440 to be paid at the time of confirmation of sale, and a like sum annually thereafter; and that said order further required the purchaser to execute notes and a first lien mortgage on the property to secure the balance of the purchase price.

That on the second day of December, 1947, the 31st day of December, 1947, and the 16th day of June, 1948, said probate court entered similar orders confirming sales of described parts of said real estate upon similar conditions to defendant, Julion Clawson; and that the four sales covered the entire property in question.

That defendant, Julion Clawson, wholly failed, neglected and refused to make any of the payments on the purchase price of any of the real estate in question as required by said orders of confirmation of sales, and failed, neglected and refused to execute the notes and mortgages required; and is in default on each and all of said sale contracts.

That plaintiff, before said sales were confirmed, delivered to the defendant, Julion Clawson, and his attorney, abstracts of title showing good, marketable title to said real property to be in said estate and which abstracts were fully approved by said defendant and his attorney. That plaintiff has had in his possession a good and sufficient deed conveying all of the right, title and interest of Maude L. Hunter in and to said real estate to said defendant, Julion Clawson.

That defendant, Julion Clawson, is in possession of all said real estate and has been in possession thereof since the 28th day of November, 1947. That defendant, Jerald T. Newcomb, is in possession of said real property by reason of a lease agreement with defendant, Julion Clawson, and is raising a crop of potatoes thereon.

Plaintiff seeks judgment for possession of the lands and decreeing that defendants have no interest therein; for one-fourth of the potato crop as rent; and for a receiver.

By his amended answer, defendant, Julion Clawson, denies that he has failed, [317]*317neglected or refused to make any of the payments on the purchase price of any of the real estate involved and denies that he did fail, neglect and refuse to execute the notes and mortgages therein mentioned and denies that he is now in default of any of the provisions, terms and conditions of said sale contracts. He affirmatively alleges that plaintiff has failed to furnish abstracts of title showing good and merchantable title to be vested- in said estate and has failed to make a formal demand upon defendant together with a tender of good and sufficient deeds. He further- alleges that he has tendered to plaintiff all monies, notes and mortgages as required by said contracts of sale and that plaintiff has refused to accept said tender. He tenders the principal amount owing on each of said contracts together with interest thereon and the notes and mortgages required by the contracts; and prays for specific performance.

Defendant, Julion Clawson, also filed a cross-complaint against cross-defendant, Maude L. Hunter, alleging that such cross-defendant was the owner of a life estate and also a community interest as surviving widow in and to the real estate in question. That on or about the first day of October, 1947, said cross-defendant, in consideration of a certain settlement of a claim of the cross-complainant against such cross-defendant and the further consideration of the payment to plaintiff of the sum of $10 per acre at the rate of $2 down and $2 per year per acre, agreed to convey her interest in the premises to the plaintiff by a warranty deed before the payment by the cross-complainant of the $2 per acre down payment. That said cross-defendant has executed and delivered to the attorney for plaintiff a deed executed by the cross-defendant as grantor naming the cross-complainant as grantee, conveying her interest in said lands to the grantee.

The cause was tried before the court, sitting without a jury. The court made findings of fact favorable to defendants. The court concluded that plaintiff was required to tender to defendant, Julion Claw-son, abstracts of title covering the property showing a merchantable title in the plaintiff and cross-defendant, Maude L. Hunter, before demanding payment. That the plaintiff, having acquiesced in the delay of performance until September 15, 1949, was also required to give the defendant, Julion Clawson, notice of a demand for payment and a reasonable opportunity to comply. And that plaintiff failed to meet each of the above requirements and is not entitled to recover on his complaint. The court entered judgment that the defendant, Julion Clawson, have specific performance upon depositing with the court the entire purchase price with interest thereon within the time prescribed by the judgment. Such sum in the amount of $33,358.44 was so deposited by defendant, Julion Clawson. And the court thereupon directed the delivery of the deeds to the lands to Clawson and the payment of the money to plaintiff, [318]*318by the clerk of court. From the judgment, the order denying the motion for new trial and order directing the delivery of the deeds and payment of the money, the plaintiff and cross-defendant have appealed to this court.

This cause was before this court on a former occasion. 70 Idaho 324, 216 P.2d 949. We therein determined that the confirmation of the sales by the probate court gave rise to contracts to purchase the property. That upon a breach of such contracts of sale, the plaintiff was not limited to relief as provided by statute in the probate court, but that specific performance, ejectment or any other .appropriate equitable proceeding will lie for a breach of the terms of sale.

Appellants make a number of assignments of error, all of which are encompassed by appellants’ contention that time is of the essence of the contracts and that respondent, Julion Clawson, having failed to make the down payments as required by the orders of confirmation, became in default, and appellants were entitled to thereupon treat the contracts as at an end and to maintain an action for possession and damages.

Respondents contend that the furnishing of abstracts showing marketable title was a concurrent condition to the payment of the down payment of $2 per acre, and that appellants could not place respondent, Julion Clawson, in default until such abstracts had been tendered. ■ ’ • •

Respondents further contend that time was not of the essence of the contracts of sale; or if time be of the essence of such contracts, the same was waived; and appellants could not forfeit such contracts of sale without notice of a demand for payment and giving respondent, Julion Claw-son, a reasonable opportunity to comply therewith.

The bid for the real estate, the sale of which was confirmed by the order of November 28, 1947, contained the following provision:

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

Related

Abercrombie v. Stoddard
228 P. 232 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1924)
Giffen v. Faulkner
294 P. 521 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1930)
Kessler v. Pruitt
93 P. 965 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1908)
Sullivan v. Burcaw
208 P. 841 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1922)
Berding v. Northwestern Securities Co.
211 P. 62 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1922)
Hunter v. Clawson
216 P.2d 949 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1950)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
251 P.2d 850, 73 Idaho 314, 1952 Ida. LEXIS 246, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hunter-v-clawson-idaho-1952.