King v. Rea

13 Colo. 69
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedApril 15, 1889
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 13 Colo. 69 (King v. Rea) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
King v. Rea, 13 Colo. 69 (Colo. 1889).

Opinion

Reed, C.

There are numerous errors assigned. The first is that the court erred in permitting plaintiffs to [74]*74amend their complaint so as to introduce a new cause of action. Whether or not the amended complaint introduced a new cause of action it is unnecessary to determine. It does not appear that any objection was made or exception taken to the filing of the amended complaint; 'consequently it will not be considered. Several of the assignments may be considered together, as they go to the testimony admitted to establish the agency of H. L. King, his authority to execute and deliver the notes in controversy, and consequently the validity of the notes as against the defendant. That there was not competent.evidence sufficient to establish the authority of the agent to execute the notes became apparent to the court in the course of the trial, and by an instruction the court withdrew from the consideration of the jury the testimony in regard to the agency of H. L. King, and placed the right of plaintiffs to recover entirely upon the question of ratification by the defendant. This corrected the errors complained of so far as they could be corrected by the court at that stage of the proceeding, and we cannot say the instruction of the court did not have the full effect intended.

Many of the supposed errors in admitting and rejecting testimony were disposed of by the court in the instruction given to the jury, as they arose upon that branch of the case. There were trivial, technical, but unimportant errors upon the trial, not such as could seriously affect or prejudice defendant, as they were on collateral matters, and not material in determining the question of ratification, and we do not find it necessary to further discuss them.

After the court gave the instruction withdrawing from the jury all testimony in regard to the authority of H. L. King to execute the notes on behalf of defendant, and placed the right of recovery entirely upon the ratification by the defendant, no act of the defendant, or evidence of ratification, could validate the unauthorized act of the [75]*75agent in executing the notes, so that a recovery could have been had upon them as notes of the defendant, unless it should be by evidence of adoption and a promise to pay them. The trial could only proceed upon the original consideration for which the notes were attempted to he given, and the notes, being in evidence, could only he considered as to the amount to be paid and the time of the payments. It is true that “ratification has a retrospective effect, and is equivalent to a prior command.” Broom, Leg. Max. 866. But in this case it can only be understood, as a command to make the purchase at the price fixed, and as to time and terms of payment as they were fixed by the contract.

The questions to be submitted and determined by the jury were: (1) As to the knowledge of the defendant in regard to the transaction as made and entered into on his behalf by his brother, claiming to act as his agent. Whether all the facts necessary to a full understanding came to his knowledge at any time after his return on June 1st, and prior to September 10th. Or, if not fully informed in regard to all the facts, bad he not - sufficient information, and were not the circumstances such as to afford him an opportunity and require him to obtain the necessary information?

The circumstances must have been fully understood by the party before any inference can be drawn from his silence, and they must have been such as not only afforded an opportunity to act or speak, but such as would naturally call for some action from men similarly situated. 1 Greenl. Ev. § 197; Mining Co. v. Bank, 1 Colo. 531; Story, Ag. 256; Corser v. Paul, 41 N. H. 24.

(2) Did the defendant, as soon as he had knowledge of the facts of the purchase, within a reasonable time ¿disavow the transaction, and place the parties respectively in the same situation they were previous to the purchase? '“If a party does not disavow the acts of his agent as soon as he can after they come to his knowl[76]*76edge, he makes those acts his own.” 1 Pars. Cont. 51; Mining Co. v. Bank, supra; 1 Greenl. Ev. § 197; Hortons v. Townes, 6 Leigh, 47; Veazie v. Williams, 8 How. 134; Benedict v. Smith, 10 Paige, 126.

(3) Did defendant, when informed of the facts, by failing to disavow and rescind the contract, and by his acts, silence and apparent acquiescence, cause the plaintiffs to change their relation to the property, cause them a loss, prevent the collection of the notes from H. L. King, and estop him (defendant) from denying his liability to pay the consideration of the purchase?

“There is a class of admissions which may be either express or implied from silence or acquiescence which are conclusive. Such are admissions which have been acted upon, or those which have been made to influence the conduct of others, or to derive some advantage to the party, and which, therefore, cannot be denied -without a breach of good faith.” Corser v. Paul, supra. “ Where the delay on the part of the principal to disavow the agency will result in loss, and where the transaction may turn out a profit or loss according to circumstances, the principal must disavow the act of the agent within a reasonable time after notice.” Mining Co. v. Bank, supra; Culver v. Ashley, 1 Amer. Lead. Cas. 719, and note; Hortons v. Townes, supra. “ If the • principal accept, receive and hold the proceeds or beneficial results of such a contract, he will be estopped from denying an original authority or a ratification.” 1 Pars. Cont. 50; Johnson v. Smith, 21 Conn. 627.

In order to ascertain whether these propositions were properly submitted to the jury an examination of the instructions becomes necessary, and also of the testimony to a certain extent. There is testimony on the part of defendant to show that a.t the time of the transaction it was agreed that the plaintiffs were to retain the possession of the property and the notes until after the return of defendant, and that the consummation should depend [77]*77upon his election. This was partially denied by plaintiffs, but it is conceded that plaintiffs did retain the possession until the 11th day of June; that defendant returned to the vicinity of the ranch, or at least to Montrose, on or prior to June 2d; and that with him came his brother-in-law and family, and perhaps others. The defendant claims, and his witness Goff testifies, that on that day Goff informed the defendant that H. L. King had purchased the ranch for him, and he said he had not authorized Henry King to buy the ranch, and did not want it, but said nothing about paying for it. And that witness afterwards stated these facts to H. H. Rea. As to what, if any, information defendant had at that time, except that given by Goff, we are not informed, but he was informed that the ranch had been purchased for him by Henry King. Here, at least, yas sufficient information to put him upon inquiry regarding all the facts of the transaction. There was during that time, from June 2d to 11th, no disavowal or attempted rescission of the contract by the defendant. The parties were still in statu quo. The. statement made to Goff was no disavowal. It should have been, to be effective, made to H. L. King, or plaintiffs, or both. Up to the 11th of June, according to the testimony of defendant and H. L. King, the contract remained executory. On the 11th it is undisputed that Henry L.

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

Related

Board of Cty. Com'rs v. Highland Mobile Home Pk., Inc.
543 P.2d 103 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 1975)
Commercial Credit Co. v. Calkins
241 P. 529 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1925)
Messenger v. German American Insurance
47 Colo. 448 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1910)
Thompson v. Laboringman's Mercantile & Manufacturing Co.
53 S.E. 908 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1906)
McIntire v. Schiffer
31 Colo. 246 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1903)
Anthony v. Slayden
27 Colo. 144 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1900)
In re Estate of Thomas
26 Colo. 110 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1899)
Lynch v. Smyth
25 Colo. 103 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1898)
Mullen v. McKim
22 Colo. 468 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1896)
Smyth v. Lynch
7 Colo. App. 383 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 1896)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
13 Colo. 69, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/king-v-rea-colo-1889.