McCarty v. Helbling

144 P. 499, 73 Or. 356, 1914 Ore. LEXIS 126
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 10, 1914
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 144 P. 499 (McCarty v. Helbling) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCarty v. Helbling, 144 P. 499, 73 Or. 356, 1914 Ore. LEXIS 126 (Or. 1914).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Ramsey

delivered the opinion of the court.

This is a suit in equity to obtain a decree for the specific performance of a written contract or “option” for the sale and conveyance of real property. The defendant Helbling is the owner in fee of the southwest quarter of section 34 in township 20 south, range 4 west, of the Willamette meridian, containing 160 acres, and the defendant Barnes is the owner in fee of the east half of the northeast quarter of section 8 in township 21 south, range 4 west, of the Willamette meridian, containing 80 acres.

On November 8, 1909, a contract or “option” in writing was executed to J. S. Milne by the defendants through their agent, M. G. Griffin, of which the following is a copy:

“Option.
“For Agreement of Sale of Beal Estate.
“November 8,1909.
“I hereby agree to sell to J. S. Milne of Cottage Grove, Oregon, or assigns, at any time within thirty (30) days from date hereof, the following described real estate, situate in the county of Douglas and Lane, in the State of Oregon, to wit: The E. % of the N. E. % of section 8, township 21 S., range 4 W., containing 80 acres, more or less. And also the S. W. % of section 34 in township 20 S., of range 4 W., containing 160 acres, more or less. The total price, $7,540.00, payable as follows, to wit: $100.00, the receipt of which was acknowledged September 10, 1909; $400.00, the receipt of which was acknowledged September 27, 1909; $1,500.00, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, paid this date. Which is credited to him should he complete the purchase on terms named, otherwise said sums to be retained as liquidated damages and commissions for our own use (M. G. Griffin, Louis Helbling and Oscar Barnes).
[359]*359. “I agree to furnish abstract of title to these lands to J. S. Milne, his heirs and assigns. Time is of the essence of this agreement. (The above-mentioned payments to be forfeited, if terms are not complied with.) Terms are thirty (30) days from date: $760.00 to Oscar Barnes and $1,270.00 to Louis Helbling; balance, note and mortgage to said Oscar Barnes and Louis Helbling, as their interest may appear (secured) ten per cent, interest, six months.
“M. G. Griffin,
“Duly Authorized Agent for Owners.
“I accept the foregoing agreement and will abide by its terms. J. S. Milne.
“We accept the foregoing agreement and will abide by its terms. Louis Helbling.
“Oscar Barnes.
“Witnesses :
“I. J. Fisher.
“Jerome Brant.”

M. G. Griffin was the agent of the defendants, and they approved the said contract as is shown supra. J. S. Milne was acting for other parties. The total price agreed to be paid for said two tracts of land was $7,540. Milne had paid thereon, in two partial payments, the sum of $500, and he paid at the time of the execution of said contract $1,500 additional, making a total of $2,000 that Milne paid thereon, leaving unpaid on the purchase price of said property the sum of $5,540.

Said contract states that “time is the essence” thereof, and that said amounts so paid were to be forfeited if the terms of said agreement should not be performed. By the terms of said contract, there were to be paid in 30 days from the date thereof, $760 to the defendant Barnes, and $1,270 to the defendant Helbling ; said amounts to be so paid in 30 days aggregating $2,030. The balance that would have remained after [360]*360making said payments, if they had been made, was $3,510. For this amount, a note and a mortgage were to have been made to the defendants, payable in six months, with interest thereon at the rate of 10 per cent per annum. Griffin agreed to furnish Milne or his assigns an abstract of title to said premises. By said contract, Griffin, for the defendants, agreed to sell said real premises to Milne or his assigns, at' any time within 30 days from the date of said agreement.

The tract owned by the defendant Barnes was a homestead. He had completed his residence and cultivation thereof, and had made his final proof and had received the receiver’s final certificate for said homestead; but at the date of said contract he had not received his patent for said land, but was expecting to receive it soon.

An abstract for the Barnes tract failed to show that a patent for his land had been issued by the United States. Soon after the execution of said contract, J. S. Milne, for a valuable consideration, assigned the same to the plaintiff:, James A. McCarty, and he is the owner and holder thereof, as trustee. The 30 days for the completion of the purchase of said property under the terms of said contract expired on December 8, 1909; but negotiations between the parties for said sale continued for months thereafter.

The complaint alleges, inter alia, the following:

“That defendants were not able, until some time after the expiration of 30 days from said November 8, 1909, and, to wit, on or about March 11, 1910, to furnish a good merchantable title to said land, for the reason that said defendant Oscar Barnes did not have a United States patent to a portion of said land. That on or about December 24, 1909, defendants and the plaintiff, taking into consideration, and on account of, the fact that defendant Oscar Barnes did not [361]*361yet have said patent, mutually agreed that the performance of all acts and things which under said contract dated November 8, 1909, were to be performed within 30 days from said November 8, 1909, should be deferred and postponed until defendants should receive and have recorded in the county records of the proper county the said patent to said land, and until defendants should have notified the plaintiff of the recording of said patent; and at the same time it was further mutually agreed that in consideration of the postponement of the performance of said contract, as aforesaid, the plaintiff should pay to the defendants, and the plaintiff did then pay to the defendants, and the defendants accepted from the plaintiff, the sum of $70.78, as interest, at the rate of 10 per cent per annum on the sum of $5,540, being the unpaid portion of said purchase price, from November 8, 1909, to said December 24, 1909; and that, in consideration of the payment of said interest money, the defendants agreed to waive, and did waive, whatever rights they had to insist on said contract being performed by said plaintiff within said 30 days, in accordance with its said provisions.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
144 P. 499, 73 Or. 356, 1914 Ore. LEXIS 126, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccarty-v-helbling-or-1914.