Lichty v. Daggett

121 N.W. 862, 23 S.D. 380, 1909 S.D. LEXIS 127
South Dakota Supreme Court·Decided May 21, 1909·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinion

CORSON, J.

This action was instituted by the plaintiff to enforce the specific performance of a contract for the sale of a half section of land in Brown county, claimed to have been entered into by the defendant with the plaintiff, by which the defendant vith the plaintiff, by which the defendant agreed to convey the property to the plaintiff. The case was tried to the court; and, findings and judgment being in favor of the plaintiff, the defendant has appealed.

It is alleged in the complaint, in substance, that the defendant was the owner of said half section of land in Brown county; that the defendant by letter, appointed Cooley & Stiger, of Britton, defendant’s agent to sell said real estate for the sum of $5,000; that defendant’s authority and direction to sell said real estate is contained in a letter written by the defendant, bearing date September 5, 1904; that afterwards the said Cooley .& Stiger sold the above-described real estate to the plaintiff, and that said contract was in writing; that upon the 22d day of July, 1905, the said Cooley & Stiger by letter informed said Daggett .that they had sold the real estate above described, and inclosed to him a draft for $100. Various letters passing between the defendant and Cooley & Stiger are set out in -the complaint, but, as they will be referred to hereafter, it will not be necessary to insert them here. It is then alleged that the plaintiff had. demanded a conveyance which the defendant has refused to make, and that plaintiff is ready and willing to pay this defendant the sum of $5,000; that the plaintiff has deposited, and there is still- on deposit, in the, Marshall county bank in Britton, the sum of $5,000 to the credit of, and subject to, the order of the defendant, as the purchase price of the said tract of land; that defendant has refused, and still refuses, to execute a conveyance. thereof. . Wherefore the plaintiff demands judgment; that the defendant be required to execute and deliver to the plaintiff a goqd. and sufficient deed for said premises. The defendant by his. answer admits the first paragraph of the complaint, in which it is alleged that, he is the owner .of the property in controversy; admits thqt. defendant , has not executed any conveyance of said property to the plaintiff, and still refuses to convey the same; ad-; mits that there is a mortgage upon the said property of $900; and [383] denies each and every other allegation in the said complaint. The court found the facts substantially ás alleged in, the complaint, and also found that the above-named defendant contracted and agreed to procure a satisfaction of the mortgage; that M. R. Kenefick, the holder of the said mortgage, contracted and agreed to satisfy the same; that in addition to the said sum of $5,000 this plaintiff contracted and agreed to procure from said Kenefick the satisfaction of the said mortgage; that by the terms of said contract of sale the lease then existing on said real estate the defendant agreed to assign to the. plaintiff; and that the defendant accepted said contract of sale so made by his said agents. The court concludes as a matter of law that the plaintiff is entitled to a decree for the specific performance of the said alleged contract, and thereupon a judgment was entered in accprdance therewith.

Defendant excepted to very nearly all the court’s findings, on the ground that they were not justified by the evidence, specifying the particulars in which the evidence was insufficient. As errors of law the defendant specifies that the evidence is insufficient to justify the conclusions of law. Defendant further specifies that the court erred in overruling defendant’s objection to the introduction of the various exhibits, which were the letters written by Cooley & Stiger, as agents of the defendant, and by the defendant. The transaction between the defendant and Cooley & Stiger is evidenced entirely by' the letters which were introduced in evidence. Exhibit G, which seems to have been the first letter,'was written by Cooley & Stiger to the defendant, and is as follows: “S. Dag-gett, Dell Rapids, S. D. — Sir: Do you care to have us show and try to sell your land namely: south half 13-127-60, if so please give us your net price and best terms. * * * Yours truly, Cooley & Stiger. Dated 1-9-1904.” To this letter the defendant replied as follows: “Dell Rapids, S. D., Sep, 5, 1904., Cooley & Stiger, Britton, S. D. Yours of recent date received. Would say that my land is for sale, the'S. J4 .of 13-1.27-60, Brown Co. .My net price is $5,000, which I think is not too high, $3,000 cash, $1,000, first mortgage $1,000, Will take second mortgage- or will take up first mortgage and take first mortgage for $2,000.00 to myself at 6 per cent. int. to suit purchaser. Please let me hear from you soon. * * * Resp. yours, S. Daggett.”

[384] No further correspondence seems to have taken place between the parties until July, 1905, but on July 19th Cooley & Stiger entered into a contract with the plaintiff by which they attempted to bind the defendant to convey the said property to the plaintiff, upon the following conditions, viz.: “One hundred dollars ($100.} dollars in cash paid down this iday by Jno. N. Lichty, the receipt of which he acknowledge and the further sum of forty-nine hundred ($4,900.00) dollars to be paid in cash' upon the approval of abstract showing a good, dear and perfect title to the land above described, otherwise all money paid will be refunded. It is furthermore agreed that said Jno. N. Lichty shall be turned over 1905 lease and shall have S. Daggett’s share of the crop as shown in lease. S. Daggett, by Cooley & Stiger. I herewith agree to buy the above described land according to the terms of above contract. Jno. N. Lichty.” On July 22/ 1905, Cooley & Stiger wired Daggett as follows: “7-22-1905. Britton, S. D. 22. S. Daggett, Dell Rapids. Have sold your farm. Rive thousand cash. Send abstract — see letter. Share crop, with sale. Cooley & Stiger.” On the same day they wrote to Daggett as follows: “Britton, S. D., 7-22-1905. S. Daggett, Esq., Dell Rapids, S. D. — Dear Sir: We have sold your farm for $5,000.00 cash. Kindly take up mortgage and send us abstract to be brought down to date showing all transfers. Give this your immediate attention. One-fourth the crops goes with sale. Yours truly, Cooley & Stiger. Inclosed find draft for $100.00 to close deal. Contract is in the office. C. & S.” On the same day Daggett apparently replied to the telegram as follows: “Dell Rapids, S. D., July 22, 1905. Cooley & Stiger, Britton, S. D. Sorry but cannot let the S. 13-126-60 go at five thousand net to me as that price was for a short time only, but will make a price if you wish that is right. Resp. yours, S. Daggett.”

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Lichty v. Daggett, 121 N.W. 862, 23 S.D. 380, 1909 S.D. LEXIS 127 (S.D. 1909).

121 N.W. 862 (Lichty v. Daggett) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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