Merrill v. Wilson

33 N.W. 716, 66 Mich. 232, 1887 Mich. LEXIS 471
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 9, 1887
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 33 N.W. 716 (Merrill v. Wilson) 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
Merrill v. Wilson, 33 N.W. 716, 66 Mich. 232, 1887 Mich. LEXIS 471 (Mich. 1887).

Opinion

Champlin, J.

Complainant filed his bill in this cause on the seventh day of April, 1886, stating that he was the owner in fee of certain lands in Alger county, Michigan, therein particularly described; that prior to the third day of [233]*233October, 1885, he placed in the hands of Combs & Wilson, real-estate agents in East Saginaw, these lands for sale, with instructions to sell the same for cash, and for cash only, and that he would make no other contract, and, if a sale for cash .could not be made, he would withdraw them from the market. Combs & Wilson informed complainant that they had found a purchaser who would pay complainant the sum of 84,856, 82,000 in cash, and give a mortgage back for the balance of the purchase price, as a sale could not be made for cash. Complainant refused to make a sale except for cash. Combs was -at complainant’s home in Canada when complainant received a telegram from Wilson stating that the money was ready, and that, as soon as a deed was delivered, the money would be paid (but which he afterwards ascertained to be untrue). Complainant relying upon the truth of said telegram, with his wife, executed a deed of said timber to Denfield & Mason. He was induced to sign said deed by the false representations so made to him.

October 20, 1885, Denfield, and Mason and his wife, conveyed by deed all the pine timber on 17 forties for 86,000, of which 83,000 was paid down, and a mortgage given back for 83,000, the balance of the purchase price. There now remains unsold of the pine timber aforesaid 320 acres.

At the time the deed was made by Denfield and Mason to Eoss and Leiter, a contract was made by Combs & Wilson, and delivered to Eoss and Leiter, showing that Denfield and Mason held the pine timber for Combs & Wilson.

Complainant claims that Denfield and Mason never had any interest in the said timber. Neither was there a deed delivered to either of them, nor any money paid by either of them, but the same was held by them under an arrangement made between said Combs & Wilson by which they could resell through Denfield and Mason, and profit largely thereby. This arrangement, and its object, was well known to all the defendants, who thus conspired to cheat and defraud complainant in the premises. Combs & [234]*234Wilson paid nothing for the land or timber* and no money was paid to complainant except a portion of that which was paid by Foss and Leiter to Combs & Wilson.

On the twenty-sixth day of March* 1886* Denfield quit-claimed all right* title, and interest which he held in the timber to the complainant. Complainant requested Mason to reconvey to him all his right therein, which Mason refused to do. He charges that Combs, Wilson, Denfield, and Mason conspired to defraud complainant out of his just rights, and prays that the defendants be required to convey to complainant their interest in said land and timber, and also for general relief.

The bill was taken as confessed by defendants Combs and Denfield.

Mason answered, stating that he had conveyed to defendant Wilson, and disclaimed all interest.

Wilson answered the bill. He admits the execution of the deed of October 3* 1885; that Combs & Wilson were real-estate agents doing business in East Saginaw; denies that they ever acted as agents for the complainant; claims they had written option from complainant to purchase the timber; denies that complainant ever instructed Combs & Wilson to sell for cash, but asserts that it was always understood that a portion of the purchase price should be on time; asserts that the deed was executed to Denfield and Mason to avoid family difficulties between Combs, who was Merrill’s son-in-law* and Mr. Merrill, and that Denfield represented Combs interest, and Mason his own, and that Denfield and Mason merely held the title in trust for Comb3 & Wilson; denies all intent to cheat and defraud or harm in any manner said complainant; denies that he sent the telegram alleged in the bill, and asserts that he sent the following telegram:

“From East Saginaw, Mich., 2-10-85.
W. Merrill: Has deed b:en sent through banks here for collection ? Don’t get any letter from you folks. Money ready.
[Signed.] J. D. Wilson.”

[235]*235Says that Combs & Wilson, relying upon the option which they held from Merrill, negotiated a sale to Foss and Leiter, before the deed of October 3 was executed, for part cash and part on time, and, when he sent the telegram, he did it with the intention and for the sole purpose of having said deed forwarded through some reliable bank in the city of East Saginaw, where the same might be kept until the payment of the purchase price thereof; that he believed the said Merrill would follow the instructions and statement set forth in the telegram; says that the deed was delivered to Denfield and Mason, and they, at the request of Combs & Wilson, executed a conveyance of a portion of the timber deeded to them to Foss and Leiter, and consented that Combs & Wilson should take back a mortgage to secure the balance of the purchase price, and permitted Combs & Wilson to receive the down payment of $3,000; admits that the timber on 320 acres remains undis'posed of; says that complainant has received $3,856 of the purchase price, and that $1,000 yet remains to be paid to him according to the terms of his deed, and that it has not been paid owing to a difficulty arising between himself and partner, Mr. Combs; asserts that he is the owner in fee simple of an undivided half of the timber upon the unsold 320 acres of land, and that he is ready and willing, and in his answer offers, to pay into court or to Merrill “ all slims which a court of competent jurisdiction may decree to be due to said William Merrill as the balance of the purchase price of said lands so purchased by said Combi & Wilson.”

Alleges that complainant, with knowledge of all the facts set up in the bill, commenced an action at law against Mason to recover the sum of $1,000, balance of the purchase price of said timber, and that he also prosecuted defendant Wilson for embezzlement of said thousand dollars.

Alleges that the pine timber was purchased of Merrill up • on the express understanding that he should wait until the payment of the mortgage of $2,000 made by Denfield and [236]*236Mason at the time of the transaction to Merrill, and therefore claims that neither he nor the firm of Combs & Wilson, owed Merrill anything, as it had not become due; and that the proceeds of the sale to Foss and Leiter was the sole and individual money of Combs & Wilson, with which they could do as they pleased.

The court below entered a decree in favor of complainant against defendant Joseph D. Wilson,‘and dismissed the bill of complaint as to the others. Wilson appeals.

The material facts in the case may be briefly summarized as follows: Combs and Wilson entered into a copartnership in the real-estate business. As a part of that transaction, Combs agreed to pay Wilson $1,000. For this he gave his note on one year’s time, indorsed by William Merrill, the complainant. The articles of copartnership bear date October 6,1884. Merrill was the father-in-law of Combs, and resided at Nor-which, in the province of Ontario.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
33 N.W. 716, 66 Mich. 232, 1887 Mich. LEXIS 471, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/merrill-v-wilson-mich-1887.