Little v. Loud

23 A.2d 628, 112 Vt. 299, 1942 Vt. LEXIS 118
CourtSupreme Court of Vermont
DecidedJanuary 6, 1942
StatusPublished
Cited by44 cases

This text of 23 A.2d 628 (Little v. Loud) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Vermont primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Little v. Loud, 23 A.2d 628, 112 Vt. 299, 1942 Vt. LEXIS 118 (Vt. 1942).

Opinion

Jekkords, J.

This is an action of contract. Trial was had by the Butland Municipal Court without a jury. Judgment was rendered for the defendant and the case is here on plaintiff’s bill of exceptions.

From the findings it appears that the plaintiff is a real estate broker. In May, 1940, he brought Mr. & Mrs. Boy Smith of New Jersey as prospective purchasers to defendant’s premises. Later the plaintiff and defendant had a talk about the matter and the question of plaintiff’s commission for making a sale came up. Plaintiff stated it would be 10% of the sale price but defendant would not agree to this. “Thereafter it was agreed that plaintiff should have a commission of $500.00 if he obtained a sale of the property for $6500.00. The commission was to be paid from the avails of the sale.” At first defendant said he *301 must have 50% of the sale price in cash but later, after some discussion, plaintiff prepared a written agreement which was signed by the defendant without reading it over. This agreement which was received in evidence as plaintiff’s exhibit one was incorporated in the findings. The material portions of it are that the defendant agrees to sell the property for $6500. of which amount $1500. is to be paid in cash at the closing of the transaction, with a mortgage back for the balance, the agreement to be consummated within 30 days of its date. This paper was dated June 7, 1940, and was sent by the plaintiff to the Smiths with instructions for them to sign and return it to him. This they did not do but in a few days they came to the plaintiff who told them to go and see the defendant. The Smiths then called on the defendant and told him they had $1500.00 with them for the down payment but defendant “said he would not go through with the agreement on the terms set forth in Plaintiff’s Ex. 1.” The Smiths and defendant then had some talk about the former putting up some life insurance policies either as< collateral or of adding their cash value to the $1500.00. It was left that the defendant was to have the opportunity of finding out the value of these policies. The following findings then appear: “The Smiths never signed Plaintiff’s Ex. 1, though-it was in their possession a long time, and I am not able to find they, or either of them, ever tendered the down payment of $1500.00 to the defendant. I find that the agreement between plaintiff and defendant contemplated a binding agreement with the purchaser, that is, an agreement signed by the' Smiths binding them to the proposed terms. I am unable to find that the Smiths were at any time ready, willing and able to purchase on the terms as set forth in Plaintiff’s Ex. 1.”

The plaintiff attempted to save exceptions to the findings as made and to the court’s refusal to find as requested by him. These claimed exceptions are not briefed and consequently are waived. State v. Noyes, 111 Vt. 178, 13 Atl. 2d. 204. The first part of plaintiff’s brief consists of a general statement of the facts in the case which he claims are disclosed by the evidence. At the end of this recital appears the statement: ‘ ‘ The plaintiff duly excepted to the findings of the court (ptd. case p. 9).” This latter statement is not elaborated upon in that part of the brief entitled “argument” which contains many cited cases to *302 the effect that a broker is entitled to his commission when he obtains a purchaser who is able, ready and willing to buy but the sale is blocked because of the unwarranted refusal of the owner to consummate the same. In this part of his brief the plaintiff again assumes that the evidence in the case supports his statements of the law but entirely overlooks certain findings which are contrary thereto and the necessity of pointing out in his brief claimed error in respect to such findings.

The exceptions are not available for the additional reason that they are not well taken. To make an exception available it must reasonably indicate the fault, and not leave the court in ignorance of the precise ground on which it is predicated. Eastern States, etc., League v. Est. of Vail, 97 Vt. 495, 514, 124 Atl. 568, 38 A. L. R. 845; Morgan v. Gould et al., 96 Vt. 275, 279, 119 Atl. 517. When no particular finding is pointed out, and no particular fault is indicated the exception is too general to be available. Bemis v. Aldrich et al., 102 Vt. 277, 147 Atl. 693; Royal Bank of Canada v. Girard et al., 100 Vt. 117, 135 Atl. 497; Landon v. Hunt, 82 Vt. 322, 73 Atl. 865. This same principle applies to requests to find. Burlington Building and Loan Association v. Cummings, 111 Vt. 447, 17 Atl. 2d. 319; Platt, Admx. v. Shields and Conant, 96 Vt. 257, 266, 119 Atl. 520. Tested by the above rules both the exceptions to the findings and to the failure to find as requested are too general to require any attention whatever. The exceptions were taken as follows:

“The plaintiff, C. Russell Little, by Philip M. M. Phelps, Esquire, his attorney, severally excepts to the Court’s findings of fact as follows; said exceptions being on the grounds that each of said findings severally is against the evidence, against the weight of the evidence, is unsupported by the evidence, is contrary to the evidence, and is contrary to law, and that on all of the evidence in said case said findings are not substantiated, namely:
Plaintiff severally excepts to the Court’s failure and refusal to find by numbers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of plaintiff’s requests to find, on the grounds that each several request is established by the evidence *303 in said cause, was established by the overwhelming weight of the evidence, was established by undisputed and competent evidence in said cause and were necessary inferences of fact from the undisputed evidence in the case, and that said plaintiff was entitled to have said requests found by the Court as a matter of law.
Number 2 of the findings wherein the Court found as follows, namely: ‘ Thereafter it was agreed that plaintiff should have a commission of $500.00 if he obtained a sale of the property for $6500.00. The commission was to be paid from the avails of the sale.’
Each several statement or findings in paragraphs numbered 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. ’ ’

No reason is stated where there was error in respect to the quoted portion of finding No. 2 beyond the general statements applying to all the findings. It is enough to say in answer to any claim of error in respect to this finding that it is supported by the evidence and legitimate inferences to be drawn therefrom.

But aside from the above rule of nonavailability, it is apparent from an examination of the findings and the requests that the exceptions as taken cannot be sustained. It is sufficient to say that one or more of the findings included within the general exception to the same are amply supported by the evidence and sound as against any of the grounds stated in the exception which consequently is without avail. Bugg v. Degnan, 96 Vt. 175, 118 Atl. 588; State v.

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Bluebook (online)
23 A.2d 628, 112 Vt. 299, 1942 Vt. LEXIS 118, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/little-v-loud-vt-1942.