Musselwhite v. Oleson

60 Fla. 342
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedJune 15, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 60 Fla. 342 (Musselwhite v. Oleson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Musselwhite v. Oleson, 60 Fla. 342 (Fla. 1910).

Opinion

Hocker, J.

Svend Oleson filed his bill of complaint against appellants in the Circuit Court of Duval County in July, 1909, wherein he alleged that J. P. Musselwhite, Theresa E. Musselwhite, W. H. Howard and Eena C. Howard on September 16, 1909, entered into a contract with Fairfield Lumber Company, a corporation, a copy of which is made a part of the bill, and that for a valuable consideration the Fairfield Lumber Company transferred all its rights and liabilities in said contract to the orator Oleson, who took the place of the Fairfield Lumber Company, and was accepted as a party to the contract by defendants Musselwhite and Howard. By the terms of the contract Musselwhite and Howard sold to the Fair-field Lumber Company and to the orator all pine and cypress timber measuring eight inches at the butt on land [344]*344described in the contract, with the privilege of going on the land to cut and remove said timber, with the stipulation, however, that Musselwhife and Howard should have the right to turpentine the timber on said land until the same should be released to the Fairfield Lumber Company and orator, in the following manner, viz: at the time of the execution of the contract four thousand acres in a contiguous body should be released from the turpentine privilege—three thousand acres on the 1st of January, 1910, as near as practicable to the former, and three thousand acres on the first of January in each and every year thereafter until all of said timber shall be released.

In consideration of said contract said Fairfield.Lumber Company paid Musselwhite and Howard $10,000.00, and delivered to them sixteen promissory notes, payable to their order, for the aggregate sum of $39,490.00. These notes were surrendered and orator’s notes given in their place. All of the notes were for $2,500,00 with eight per cent, interest, except the sixteenth, which was for the sum of $1,990.00 due on October 1st, 1912. These notes were payable in a series on 1st of January, 1st of April, 1st of July and 1st of October, and ending October 1st, 1932. When the $10,000.00 was paid certain lands described in the bill were released. Orator paid the notes due respectively on January 1st, 1909, and April .1st,. 1909, and alleges he complied in all respects with the contract.

The bill alleges it is provided in the contract that Musselwhite and Howard would warrant the title to said timber and would pay off and discharge all liens, and would procure a release from any purchase money lien or mortgage on all timber delivered at or before date of delivery. That said Fairfield Lumber Company ■ and your orator were informed at the time of the execution-of the said contract there was a mortgage conveying the property [345]*345described in said contract held by West-Flynn & Harris Company, but neither Fairfield Lumber Company nor orator knew or were informed there was any other lien on the property up to and until the time orator became a party to the contract. After the payment of the note payable 1st of April, 1909, orator first learned what is the fact, that there is a further purchase money mortgage lien on said property in favor of James Council and Arthur L. Council for $15,000.00 executed 17th of January, 1907; that the indebtedness thereby secured became due and payable on November 8th, 1907, and has not been paid, and the property delivered as aforesaid has not been released from said mortgage, and the lien is liable to be enforced at any time; that by reason of the said failure of title and failure of Musselwhite and Howard to procure a release from said mortgage of the property delivered, said contract has been violated by them, though orator demanded of them that they procure a release which they have failed to do. The bill further alleges that thé contract contained an agreement that Musselwhite and Howard, their heir-s and assigns to work the timber in a good and careful manner, and will not place more than three boxes in any one tree, and that this agreement lias been broken by the defendants; that they have not worked said trees in a good and careful manner, but on the contrary have done so in a bad and negligent manner—have negligently allowed fires to be built in the vicinity of the timber while the wind was blowing strong, have allowed such fires to spread to and burn large quantities of timber causing great deterioration in the value of the timber contracted to be conveyed to the orator, many of the trees having been killed and will rot and become valueless as timber,' and that the defendants by back-boxing and back-cuffing the trees have killéd and are kill[346]*346ing about ten per cent of the trees; that upon learning,of the said breaches of the contract the orator, being unable to obtain any satisfactory settlement, elected to consider said contract at an end and refused to pay the note due 1st of July, 1909. The orator avers upon information and belief that Musselwhite and Howard are badly involved financially and unable to pay their debts, that their property is heavily encumbered and that a judgment at law against them for breach of contract would not be collectible. The orator avers that he has a lien on the interest of Musselwhite and Howard in the land described in the contract for the repayment to him of the money already paid by the orator and Fairfield Lumber Company on the purchase price of the property.

The bill alleges that Musselwhite and Howard have endorsed and delivered to the defendant West Flynn and Harris Company, a corporation, the notes hereinbefore described, and that the West Flynn and Harris Company is now the holder of said notes, but not an innocent holder, but a holder with full notice of orator’s equities in the premises, having no stronger rights than Musselwhite and Howard would have; that orator informed defendant West Flynn and Harris Company of the breaches of said contract as aforesaid, and of the recision thereof as aforesaid, before the note of July 1st, 1909, became due, and that orator was not liable on said notes.

The bill alleges that defendant Flynn Harris Bullard Company, a corporation, has entered into business relations with West Flynn and Harris Company, by merger or otherwise, and that by reason thereof has some sort of interest in said notes, but such interest is bound by all the equities that exist as aforesaid against West Flynn and Harris Company. The bill prays that defendants Musselwhite and Howard be required to repay to orator [347]*347tlie money advanced by Fairfield Lumber Company and orator in payment of the purchase price; that a lien for repayment of said purchase be decreed to exist in favor of orator on the interest of defendants MusselwMte and Howard in and to the lands described in the contract, and that the same be sold and proceeds applied to the decree, and that West Flynn and Harris Company and Flynn Harris Bullard Company be required to cancel and surrender to orator the said notes, and orator be granted such other or further relief as in the premises may be equitable. The bill prays for process, for answer not under oath, etc. The bill also prays for an injunction against any disposition of the notes to prevent a multiplicity of suits.

The foregoing abstract of the bill presents all that we deem necessary for a proper consideration of the case. The contract made a part of the bill shows the terms set forth in the bill with reference to discharging all liens of any nature against the property, and for working the timber in a good and careful manner, and not placing more than three boxes in any one tree, and which it is alleged were violated.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
60 Fla. 342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/musselwhite-v-oleson-fla-1910.