Kooman v. De Jonge

152 N.W. 1016, 186 Mich. 292, 1915 Mich. LEXIS 683
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 7, 1915
DocketDocket No. 57
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 152 N.W. 1016 (Kooman v. De Jonge) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kooman v. De Jonge, 152 N.W. 1016, 186 Mich. 292, 1915 Mich. LEXIS 683 (Mich. 1915).

Opinion

Ostrander, J.

The cause was heard by the court upon stipulated facts, and a judgment was rendered [294]*294for the plaintiff. Later, defendants moved for a new trial, which was denied. No exceptions were taken to any ruling, nor were points of law presented as is permitted by Circuit Court Rule 26, sub. (a). It is assigned as error — the first of several assignments— that:

“The court erred in finding from the stipulated facts that the said defendants did undertake in manner and form as the said plaintiff- hath in his declaration in said cause complained against them.”

And it is assigned as error — the sixth assignment —that:

“The court erred in finding that the judgment is supported by and is in accordance with the stipulated facts and is not contrary to the law and evidence.”

Nothing was gained for the purposes of a review by the motion for a new trial. It is contended by the appellee that in the absence of any exceptions there is nothing for this court to review. We held in Weist v. Morlock, 116 Mich. 606 (74 N. W. 1012) (see Stafford v. Crawford, 118 Mich. 285 [76 N. W. 496]), that when no exceptions are taken to findings of fact and law by the court, the only question which can be raised on appeal is whether the findings support the judgment, and that question is open only when made the basis of an assignment of error. This rule, and construction of Circuit Court Rule 26, has been many times approved. It would seem, when parties submit a cause upon a stipulation 'of facts, instead of asking the court to find the facts, that whether the facts support the judgment is a question open to the appellant if made the basis of an assignment of error. We so hold, and w,e find the first assignment of error sufficient to present the question.

The suit is brought to recover from the two defendants a sum of money, the declaration containing only the common counts in assumpsit. A bill of par[295]*295ticulars gives the information that the money sought to be recovered was paid to defendants for an alleged option and on account of the purchase price of certain real estate and personal property, theretofore owned by Marinus De Jonge, deceased, upon defendants’ representation that they had authority to sell the said property, represented the estate of said deceased, and that John M. De Jonge was administrator of said estate, when, in fact, the estate had been closed and the property assigned to the heirs of said deceased owner, John M. De Jonge had been discharged as administrator of the estate, and neither defendant did, or could, represent or have authority to act for said estate, or for the owners of said property, and neither had authority from the said owners to sell or contract for the sale of the property or to receive any money on account of such a sale. Plaintiff repudiated the contract and demanded the return of his money, which was refused. The facts upon which the court acted were the following:

“In his lifetime one Marinus De Jonge was the owner of certain real and personal property described in a certain land contract with ‘option clause,’ a copy of which is attached to plea and notice filed by defendants in this cause. Said Marinus De Jonge died, leaving a widow, Grietje De Jonge, one of the above-named defendants, and twelve children, including the defendant, John M. De Jonge, as his heirs. Said John M. De Jonge was appointed administrator of the said estate by the Ottawa county probate court, and the estate was duly administered, and on, to wit, November 6, 1912, said estate was closed, the administrator was discharged, and the court made an order assigning the residue of the estate, including the said real estate, described in said contract, one-third to the said Grietje De Jonge, and two thirty-thirds to each of said eleven children, four of whom were adults and eight of whom were minors.
“That on November 5, 1913, the said real estate was owned one-third by said Grietje De Jonge, two thirty-[296]*296thirds by said John M. De Jonge, and the remainder by the three other adult children and eight minor children, two thirty-thirds thereof by each.
“That prior to said last-named date Grietje and John M. De Jonge offered said land for sale and negotiated with plaintiff for the purchase and sale thereof; and, as a result of the negotiation on said date, the before-mentioned contract with ‘option clause’ was entered into and made; the same being signed by said defendants and described in said option as widow and son of said Marinus De Jonge, and ‘acting for the estate of said Marinus De Jonge, deceased.’ That upon the signing and delivery of said contract plaintiff paid to defendants the sum of $350 in cash, which defendants have ever since retained and no part of which has ever been returned to or paid to the plaintiff.
_ “That at the time said contract was so made and signed, the said defendants had no authority in writing to act for or as the agents or representatives of the other owners of said property, or to sell or contract for the sale of said land for them, and had no authority of any kind, either verbal or written, to act for and represent the infant owners, or to sell or contract for the sale of their interests in said lands. That at that time the said- seven infant owners had no guardian and no guardian was petitioned for them until January 19, 1914, and none appointed until January 19, 1914.
“That after the payment of said money and the making of said contract and before the second payment of $500, on, to wit, November 15, 1913, was to be paid, the said plaintiff repudiated said contract, agreement and option, and demanded of the defendants that they return to him the $350 he paid upon said contract, and upon the purchase price of said lands, which they refused to do, and thereafter and on, to wit, January 26, 1914, he commenced this suit to recover same, with interest at 5 per cent, from date of payment, from them, after advising them by letter on December 18th that he would so sue if they persisted in their refusal to refund to him said money.
“For the purpose of this suit and its determination it is also agreed that plaintiff was- advised of the true condition of the title to said property at or about the [297]*297time of the making of said agreement, namely, that said minors’ interests would have to be sold by permission of the probate court.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
152 N.W. 1016, 186 Mich. 292, 1915 Mich. LEXIS 683, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kooman-v-de-jonge-mich-1915.