McCaffrey v. Snapp

163 P. 406, 95 Wash. 202
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 2, 1917
DocketNo. 13618
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 163 P. 406 (McCaffrey v. Snapp) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCaffrey v. Snapp, 163 P. 406, 95 Wash. 202 (Wash. 1917).

Opinion

Fullerton, J. —

The appellants, being the owners of certain furniture and fixtures in a hotel in the city of Seattle, together with a lease of the hotel property, contracted to sell the same to the respondent for the sum of $1,800. As a consideration for the sale, the respondent paid to the appellants the sum of $300 and agreed to pay the balance in monthly installments in varying amounts, the deferred payments being evidenced by promissory notes. The deferred payments were secured by a deed to certain real property [203]*203in a neighboring city, the contract providing that, if the purchaser should fail or neglect to pay the installments or any of them when due, the conveyance should become absolute, and the same should be deemed and taken to be in full satisfaction of the debt. The deed, together with the notes, was deposited in escrow with a bank. The respondent refused to pay any of the notes when they fell due, and announced that she had elected to turn the deed over to the appellants in satisfaction of the purchase price.

The appellants, conceiving that they had been overreached and defrauded in the transaction by the respondent, brought the present action to cancel and set aside the sale and recover possession of the property. In their complaint, the appellants set forth the fraud, and alleged that they had tendered to the respondent the sum paid in cash, and had delivered to her an order on the bank for the deed and notes held by it. Issue was taken by the respondent on the allegations of fraud, the tender of the cash payment and the order for the notes and deed, however, being specifically admitted. A trial was had on the disputed questions, at the conclusion of which the court announced its judgment in the following words: “Take a decree canceling the contract, restoring possession to the plaintiff,'and $100 and costs.” Thereafter, on January 11, 1916, notice thereof having been first duly given to the respondent’s counsel, a judgment and decree in the following language was signed and entered:

“The above entitled cause coming on regularly for trial on January 6th before the court, without a jury, plaintiffs being represented by their attorney, S. A. Keenan, and the defendant by her attorneys Beeler & Sullivan, and all things being regular, and after considering the evidence offered by the respective parties together with the argument of counsel:
“It is hereby adjudged and decreed, That the allegations and averments in plaintiffs’ complaint relative to the fraud and deception practiced on plaintiffs by defendant, A. R. Roulett and the Squire Investment Co., are sustained by the evidence.
[204]*204“It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed, That the so-called escrow agreement, a copy of which is annexed to plaintiffs’ complaint, be, and the same is hereby set aside and canceled;
“It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed that the property herein described, to wit: All furniture, furnishings and utensils of the Pickwick Hotel at 14¡09 Boren avenue, Seattle, on presentation to the defendant of a copy of this decree, be immediately thereupon delivered to these plaintiffs; and
“It is likewise ordered, adjudged and decreed, That upon the presentation of copy of this judgment and decree to the defendant, that she sign and execute a reassignment of the lease of said hotel to these plaintiffs.
“And, it is further ordered, adjudged and decreed that plaintiffs have and recover of defendant, Cora S. Snapp, in the sum of one hundred dollars ($100), together with the costs and disbursements of this action.”

The respondent, within the time prescribed by statute, moved for a new trial, setting forth all of the statutory grounds. This motion the trial court denied on January 15, 1916. The respondent thereupon gave notice of appeal from the judgment, and, on her request, the amount of a supersedeas bond was fixed in the sum of $800. The bond was not furnished, and the appellants caused an execution to issue on the judgment, under which they were restored to possession.

On March 7, 1916, the respondent, appearing by her attorney, moved the court:

“That the defendant be placed in statu quo by restoring to her the warranty deed to Patrick McCaffrey and put in escrow with the National Bank of Commerce, by returning to her the notes mentioned in said escrow agreement and by plaintiffs paying to defendant the three hundred dollars ($300) paid by defendant to the plaintiffs in pursuance to said agreement.”

The motion was heard on March 27, 1916. At that time the court entered the following decree:

“The above entitled case coming on regularly for hearing on March 27th, 1916, on defendant’s motion to amend decree [205]*205and plaintiffs being represented by their attorney S. A. Keenan and the defendant being represented by her attorney Roy L. Cadwallader, all things being regular, and the court having heard the evidence and argument of counsel and being fully advised in the premises, doth make the following amended decree:
“It is hereby ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the allegations and averments in plaintiffs’ complaint relative to the fraud and deception practiced on plaintiffs by defendant, A. R. Roulett and the Squire Investment Company, are sustained by the evidence.
“It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the so-called escrow agreement,, a copy of which is annexed to the plaintiffs’ complaint, be and the same is hereby canceled and set aside.
“It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the property therein described, to wit: All the furniture, furnishings and utensils of the Pickwick Hotel, at 1409 Boren avenue, Seattle, on presentation to the defendant of a copy of this decree be immediately thereupon delivered to these plaintiffs.
“It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed, that upon the presentation of copy of this judgment and decree to the defendant that she sign and execute a reassignment of the lease of said hotel to these plaintiffs.
“It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the National Bank of Commerce of Seattle, return to the defendant, Cora S. Snapp, the warranty deed and notes placed in escrow with said bank, under the provisions of said escrow agreement hereinbefore canceled and set aside.
“It is further ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the defendant have and recover from the plaintiffs Patrick McCaffrey and Mary McCaffrey, his wife, the sum of three hundred dollars ($300), which amount the defendant paid on the canceled escrow agreement, at the inception of the said agreement, less the sum of one hundred dollars ($100) damages allowed the plaintiffs under the allegations of the complaint, costs in the original action, and thirty dollars ($30) allowed by the court on plaintiffs’ order to show cause, said $30 being allowed by the court for unpaid gas and water bills which accrued during the time the defendant was in possession of the Pickwick Hotel, and for rents collected [206]

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

Related

State Of Washington, V. Jerry B. Bogart
546 P.3d 526 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2024)
Seattle-First National Bank v. Treiber
534 P.2d 1376 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1975)
State v. Sampson
513 P.2d 60 (Washington Supreme Court, 1973)
Huseby v. Kilgore
201 P.2d 148 (Washington Supreme Court, 1948)
State v. Ryan
261 P. 775 (Washington Supreme Court, 1927)
Marinovich v. Lindh
220 P. 807 (Washington Supreme Court, 1923)
Schmelling v. Hoffman
213 P. 478 (Washington Supreme Court, 1923)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
163 P. 406, 95 Wash. 202, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccaffrey-v-snapp-wash-1917.