James v. United Farm Agency

128 S.W.2d 365, 198 Ark. 311, 1939 Ark. LEXIS 219
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedMay 15, 1939
Docket4-5480
StatusPublished

This text of 128 S.W.2d 365 (James v. United Farm Agency) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
James v. United Farm Agency, 128 S.W.2d 365, 198 Ark. 311, 1939 Ark. LEXIS 219 (Ark. 1939).

Opinion

Baker, J.

Harve Taylor was part owner of a forty-acre tract .of land. He had inherited an interest from his father and acquired some other interests therein. He executed a bond for title agreeing.to convey this forty-, acre tract of- land to his brother, Gr. W. Taylor, who entered into possession of the land. Under the contract Gr. W. Taylor was to pay $1,000 and 8 per cent, interest,, payable annually. This thousand dollar indebtedness was also evidenced by a note dated January 9, 1932, payable August 20,1932.

There was a provision in the bond for title, to which reference was made in the note, that 60 per cent, of the net proceeds from the peach crop grown on the lands should be applied annually to the indebtedness.

Gr. W. Taylor kept the place until November 21,1933, when he made .an assignment of his contract to C. C. James who assumed the obligations of the note and the bond for title. During the time that Gr. W. Taylor held the land he paid nothing on the debt. No peach crop was grown in 1932 and 1933.

G. W. Taylor listed the land with United Farm Agency and this agency advertised the lands with others for sale and sent the advertisements through the mail, one of the lists reaching the said C. C. James who then lived at Houston, Texas.

James wrote the Farm Agency and inquired if the farm was just as represented and received a reply to the effect that it was just as advertised. In-addition, he was advised by the agency that after making the down payment he would not have to make any other payments except from the peach crops grown upon the land. James at once telegraphed $100 to bind the deal and upon arrival at Clarksville, and after having made an examination of the property, he paid the balance of the down payment, $200, to Gr. W. Taylor, or to the Farm Agency.

James took charge of the land and some personal property advertised and sold with it. He did some of the early spraying and cultivation required, pruning the,trees, and in 1934 there was a prospect for a good crop of peaches from the orchard.

"When James first reached Johnson county he went to see this property and stayed all night in a barn upon the land and then went out the next morning and made whatever inspection and investigation of the property he desired, looking it over to his satisfaction, or, at least .he has not complained that proper opportunity to do s.o was not available. On that day he went with G. W. Taylor to the land agent’s office, or to a law office, to close the deal, but did not do so on that day for the reason that the advertisement he had answered called for the payment of 80 per cent, of the proceeds of the peach crop instead of 60 per cent, as was provided for in the bond for title executed by Harve Taylor to Gr. W. Taylor. According to James, G. W. Taylor, or the land agent, one or the other if not both, desired to confer with Harve Taylor before changing the provision as stated in the advertisement to conform to the contract for the payment or delivery of 60 per cent, of the proceeds of the peach crop.

On the next day the same parties, that is to say, James, G. W. Taylor and the land agent met in an office where a written assignment of the bond for title executed by Harve Taylor to G. W. Taylor was prepared and duly executed. According to the terms of this assignment James agreed to assume, and did assume, the liabilities of G. W. Taylor to Harve Taylor evidenced by the note and bond for title.

The nóte provided for payment of the $1,000 with interest at 8 per cent, per annum. At the bottom of it there was: “Subject to extension as per terms of the bond for title given.”

Although the bond for title provided the debt might be paid: ‘£ Sixty per cent, of the net proceeds of all fruit crops to be applied on the.purchase price until fully paid, grantee- to pay for the pruning, spraying, fertilizing and cultivation, and interest on the said nóte at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum from date until paid;.interest payable annually,” he now insists that he did not know at that time that interest payments upon the land were delinquent and he now insists that in several respects the property he bought, and that was delivered to him, did not come up to the statements of the advertisement and letter he received. In this regard he says tliere were 200 or 300 peach trees less than the number the advertisement stated; there was no spring or spring water upon the land; there was no barn as advertised; that the mule, which was part of the property he bought with the land, was then already dead. In fact, he now says there was a deficit in value amounting to $600.

James did not pay any interest upon this property though he says he spent'about $100 in spraying the fruit trees, pruning them, cultivating and making ready for the 1934 crop.

Harve Taylor insisted some time in 1934 that the interest should be paid upon the note and finally gave James notice that he must pay. James was probably relying upon something that had been said to him by G-. W. Taylor or the land agent when he wrote a letter to Harve Taylor in which he said, quoting’: “I do not owe you or he one dam cent until I am here one year. Thanks for the notice. Awaiting* your next move.” This letter was dated the 9th of April. James in his letter was making some complaint as to the fact that he had nothing to work with and he also said in it: “I have been notified by your brother, G-. W. Taylor, that you or he would make me leave between suns. I am sorry, but I want to gather the fruit before leaving.”

Harve Taylor testified that he talked with James and that James had told him that he not only was not going to pay anything upon the obligations, but that he was going to gather the fruit and appropriate that to his own use without credit upon the note.'

This suit was filed by Harve Taylor in which he alleged á breach and abandonment of the contract by James, his refusal to be bound by it and his threat to appropriate the fruit without making the proper application of it toward payment of the debt, and a receiver was prayed for and duly appointed to take charge of the fruit and farm. This suit was instituted just before the fruit had begun to ripen and the receiver took charge and had in his hands $419.13, proceeds of the crop after paying taxes, expenses and receiver’s fee.

James sought a rescission and recovery of-all sums spent by him on the farm, although he had disposed of a part of the personal property delivered to' him. His proof seemed to establish the fact the mule had died before he had made the trade, and that he was not so advised either by the letter received before he wired the $100 down payment or by any of the parties thereafter, prior to date of closing the deal, and also claims that he was not so advised at the time the assignment was executed and delivered to him when he paid down the additional $200. He prayed for a rescission of the contract and the consequent return of the money paid down by him, and some damages. He prayed in the alternative that the debt be credited on interest, for damages for the deceit in the sum of $600. He made Gr. W. Taylor and the Farm Agency parties to his cross-complaint, although he was seeking to rescind and recover as against Harve Taylor also, who had contracted by this bond for title with Gr. W. Taylor.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
128 S.W.2d 365, 198 Ark. 311, 1939 Ark. LEXIS 219, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/james-v-united-farm-agency-ark-1939.