Ifiesimama v. Haile

522 S.W.3d 675, 2017 WL 1173885, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 2748
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 30, 2017
DocketNO. 01-15-00829-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 522 S.W.3d 675 (Ifiesimama v. Haile) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ifiesimama v. Haile, 522 S.W.3d 675, 2017 WL 1173885, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 2748 (Tex. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

OPINION

Evelyn V. Keyes, Justice

After their attempt to purchase a home was unsuccessful, appellees Daniel A. [679]*679Haile and Wongelawit K. Alemu sued appellants Tamuno Ifiesimama (“Mr. Ifiesi-mama”) and Tamunnoibuomi Ifiesimama (“Mrs. Ifiesimama”), for specific performance and breach of contract. The trial court held a bench trial and ultimately ruled in favor of Haile and Alemu, ordering that they recover costs, their earnest money deposit, and attorney’s fees from both Ifiesimamas, although only Mr. Ifiesi-mama signed the sales contract. The court ordered specific performance, requiring conveyance of the subject property to Haile and Alemu.

In seven issues, the Ifiesimamas argue that: (1) the trial court erred by finding that Mr. Ifiesimama made a misrepresentation to Haile and Alemu; (2) the trial court erred in rendering judgment against Mrs. Ifiesimama despite finding on the record that she was not a party to the contract to sell the property; (3) the trial court incorrectly awarded judgment against the Ifiesimamas jointly and severally because Haile’s and Alemu’s pleadings did not request this relief; (4) factually insufficient evidence supports the trial court’s finding that both Ifiesimamas agreed to sell the property for $179,000; (5) the agreement between the parties violated the statute of frauds; (6) factually insufficient evidence supports the trial court’s findings that the Ifiesimamas breached the contract and that Haile and Alemu tendered performance; and (7) the trial court erred in granting specific performance and in awarding earnest money and attorney’s fees to Haile and Alemu.

We modify the judgment of' the trial court and affirm as modified.

Background

In 2013, the Ifiesimamas, who are husband and wife, decided to' sell their home in Stafford, Texas. However, nothing in the record shows that Mrs. Ifiesimama had an interest in the property. Rather, the evidence shows that all documents relating to the property were in Mr. Ifiesimama’s name and that Mrs. Ifiesimama waived any right she may have had to the property via a community property interest by signing such a waiver in the deed of trust when the Ifiesimamas mortgaged the property.

On May 29, 2013, Haile and Alemu made an offer to purchase the property for $193,000. Mr. Ifiesimama signed the sales contract on June 5, 2013, and the contract set the closing date for July 19, 2013. The sales contract included the following default provision: “If Seller fails to comply with this contract, Seller will be in default and Buyer may (a) enforce specific performance, seek such other relief as may be provided by law, or' both, or (b) terminate this contract and receive the earnest money, thereby releasing both parties from this contract.”

The parties also executed an “Intermediary Relationship Notice,” which identified both Tamuno and Tamuinnoibuomi Ifiesimama as the sellers and Haile and Alemu as the “prospect,” or prospective buyers. In this document, the parties agreed that agent Adnew “Eddie” Tadesse with the firm Realty Associates would represent both parties during the transaction. Both Haile and Alemu signed this agreement, as did Mr. Ifiesimama. Mrs. Ifiesi-mama did not sign this agreement, nor did she sign the sales contract. The “Intermediary Relationship Notice” is the only document in the record that indicates that Mrs. Ifiesimama had any interest in the property.

On July 9, 2013, after an appraiser valued the property at $179,000, $14,000 below the original purchase price, Haile and Alemu sought to amend the sales contract to change the purchase price to $179,000 and to move the closing date to July 30, [680]*6802013. Both Haile and Alemu signed a document amending the contract, and a signature appeared above the printed name of Tamuno Ifiesimama. Mr. Ifiesimama later argued, during the course of this litigation, that he never signed this document .and that this, signature was a forgery. Mrs. Ifiesimama’s name was not listed on the amendment, and she did not sign this document.

Haile, Alemu, and Mr. Ifiesimama all attended the closing and signed numerous documents to finalize the transaction. Mr. Ifiesimama signed the documents both in his own name and as “attorney in fact” for his wife. However, he later revealed at the closing that he did not actually have power of attorney for his wife, and as a result, the title company refused to close the sale. Haile and Alemu therefore did not receive title to the property.

In September 2013, Haile filed suit against both of the Ifiesimamas, seeking specific, performance of the sales. contract as well as injunctive relief prohibiting the Ifiesimamas from selling the property to another buyer. Haile also sought the recovery of attorney’s fees. Alemu later filed a petition in intervention, making identical allegations and seeking identical relief.

The Ifiesimamas filed a- counterclaim against Haile. They alleged that Haile filed suit against them “knowing fully well that [the Ifiesimamas] never at anytime made misrepresentation^] or entered into the said agreement as claimed by [Haile].” They also alleged that Haile brought suit and filed a lien against the property “knowing fully well that there was no basis in law .or fact for doing so.”

Haile and Alemu amended their respective petitions to allege that when the subject property was purchased in 2005, the original deed of trust listed Mr. Ifiesima-ma, the only named borrower, as a married man. On one .page of that document, Mrs. Ifiesimama “executed an agreement waiving all rights and' interests in the property, including marital, homestead, and joint-occupancy rights.” Haile and Ale-mu alleged that, with respect to their transaction with the Ifiesimamas, “Defendant. Tamuno signed the closing documents, but refused to further close and sell the property.”

On the day of trial, Haile and Alemu sought leave to supplement their petitions to add an alternative cause of action for breach' of contract against Mr. Ifiesimama. Haile and Alemu alleged that they entered into a valid contract with Mr. Ifiesimama to purchase the subject property, that they performed their obligations under the sales contract by paying closing costs, and that Mr. Ifiesimama breached the contract by failing to convey title to the property. Haile and Alemu did hot allege that Mrs. Ifiesimama breached a contract with them. The trial court permitted Haile and Alemu to supplement their petitions.

At trial, Alemu testified that while the sale was pending,.she and Haile dealt solely with the agent, Eddie Tadesse, and they did not personally speak with the Ifiesima-mas. Alemu identified the sales contract and testified that it was signed by three people, Mr. Ifiesimama as the seller, Haile, and herself. The amendment to the sales contract provided that the sales price of the property was $179,000, and Alemu testified that this was the amount that Mr. Ifiesimama agreed to accept from her and Haile. Alemu stated that she and Haile paid the. required, earnest money deposit and that they paid closing costs on the closing date. She testified that Mr. Ifiesi-mama attended the closing, that he stated that he had authority to sell the property on his wife’s behalf, and that he signed numerous, documents, including a settlement statement and a general. warranty [681]*681deed,1 in his own name and as “attorney in fact” on behalf of his wife. She stated that despite this, she and Haile did not receive title to the property and did not take possession of the property.

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

Related

Julio Cesar Galindo Mancha v. Lorena Campos Mancha
Tex. App. Ct., 11th Dist. (Eastland), 2026
Leo D. Robinson v. Isaac Jones
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2025
Ricky Chineang Lac v. Hien Thi Thanh Nguyen
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2025
MVT Services v. Great West Casualty Company
118 F.4th 1274 (Tenth Circuit, 2024)
Daniel Haile v. Tamuno Ifiesimama
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2023
Young v. Ershick
E.D. Texas, 2022
McGuire v. Chackel
W.D. Texas, 2022

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
522 S.W.3d 675, 2017 WL 1173885, 2017 Tex. App. LEXIS 2748, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ifiesimama-v-haile-texapp-2017.