Nakamura v. Kalapaki Associates

718 P.2d 1092, 68 Haw. 488
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedMay 16, 1986
DocketNO. 10672; CIVIL NO. 72041
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 718 P.2d 1092 (Nakamura v. Kalapaki Associates) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nakamura v. Kalapaki Associates, 718 P.2d 1092, 68 Haw. 488 (haw 1986).

Opinion

[489]*489OPINION OF THE COURT BY

PADGETT, J

Appellant, an escrow company, appeals from a summary judgment entered against it and made final pursuant to the provisions of HRCP 54(b). We affirm.

Kalapaki Associates was the developer of a condominium project located in Lihue, Kauai, and known as the “Kalapaki Villas Increment No. 1.” In March of 1980, appellees Nakamura and Kaminaka entered into condominium reservation agreements, deposits, receipts and sales agreements with the developer. The Nakamuras deposited $14,150 and the Kaminakas $ 13,900 with appellant who was acting as escrow agent.

The escrow agreement, under which appellant was acting, provided in part as follows:

7 Requirements Prior to Disbursement of Purchaser’s Fund. Escrow shall make no disbursements of purchasers’ funds or proceeds from the sale of such apartments (including any payments made on loan commitments from lending institutions), except by way of refunds thereof as provided hereinbelow, until Escrow has received a single opinion letter from Seller’s attorneys that assuming the purchasers have signed receipts for public reports and that no subsequent events occur which would give the purchasers the right to rescind, that the Reservation and Sales Agreements have “become effective” and that “the requirements of Sections 514A-39,514A-63. 514A-64 and 514A-66” of the Hawaii Revised Statutes have been met as said phrases are used in Section 514A-65, Hawaii Revised Statutes.
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8. Refunds to Purchasers; Return of Documents. Subject to such deductions as may be provided in said Reservation and Sales Agreement and the escrow cancellation fee, purchaser shall be entitled to a return of his funds, and Escrow shall pay such funds to [490]*490such purchaser, without interest, promptly after request for return by the purchaser if one of the following has occurred:
(a) Escrow receives a written request from the Seller to return to the purchaser the funds of the purchaser then being held hereunder by Escrow; or
(b) Seller notifies Escrow in writing of the Seller’s exercise of the option to rescind the Reservation and Sales Agreement pursuant to any right of rescission stated therein or otherwise available to the Seller; or
(c) The conditions provided for a refund under Sections 5[l]4A-63, 514A-64 or 514A-66 of the Horizontal Property Act (as amended on the date upon which the Reservation and Sales Agreement becomes binding and effective) have been met, and written notice thereof has been provided to the Seller.
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20. Subordination. This Agreement is, in all of its provisions, to be deemed and interpreted as supplementary and subject to the provisions of Chapter 514A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, as now or hereafter amended, and if any conflict should arise between the provisions of this Agreement and the provisions of said Chapter 514A, the provisions of the latter shall control.

On February 15, 1980, the Hawaii Real Estate Commission issued a Preliminary Horizontal Property Regime Public Report on the project.

The Reservation Agreements entered into between the developer, as seller, and the appellees, as purchasers, provided in part:

III. Purchase Price, Method of Payment, Additional Sums to be Paid, Purchase Agreement and Public Reports:
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D. Reservation and Purchase Agreement. * * * provided, however, that in the event that this Agreement is executed before Final Public Report for the Project is issued, then pursuant to Article IV Section E.2, this Agreement shall constitute a “reservation” and shall not be a binding contract unless both Purchaser and Seller execute a separate confirmation letter after a Final Public Report for the Project is issued. PURCHASER ACKNOWLEDGES HAVING READ ARTICLE IV IN FULL.
[491]*491*‘ * * *
ARTICLE IV — TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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B. FINANCING AND PAYMENT.
1. Escrow Agreement. Seller had entered into an Escrow Agreement covering the deposit, receipt, collection and disbursement of all funds to be paid by Purchaser hereunder with the company named in Article III above (the “Escrow”), a copy of which is on file in Seller’s office and available for inspection by Purchaser and Purchaser’s mortgagee during reasonable business hours, which Escrow Agreement (as it may be amended from time to time) by this reference is incorporated herein and made a part hereof. All payments to be made hereunder shall be paid by Purchaser to Escrow pursuant to the Escrow Agreement. Purchaser agrees that Purchaser’s funds paid into Escrow pursuant hereto may be disbursed by Escrow as provided in the Escrow Agreement and prior to the recordation of the Purchaser’s apartment deed. Purchaser acknowledges that he has examined a copy of and does approve the terms of the Escrow Agreement and hereby accepts the terms and provisions thereof and assumes the benefits and obligations set forth therein. Purchaser hereby authorizes, requests and instructs Escrow to comply with the terms of the Escrow Agreement and to disburse all funds deposited in escrow under said Escrow Agreement in accordance with the provisions thereof.
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E. BINDING EFFECT AND CANCELLATION OF AGREEMENT.

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2. Reservation Agreement Based on Preliminary Public Report,
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, it is expressly understood and agreed that if at the time of execution of this Agreement by the Purchaser and the Seller, a Final Public Report for the Project has not been issued by the Real Estate Commission of the State of Hawaii, this Agreement shall not be legally binding upon either the Purchaser [492]*492or Seller. In such event, this Agreement shall constitute a “reservation,” not a binding contract, and Seller shall have no obligation to sell and Purchaser shall have no obligation to buy the Property. A reservation agreement cannot become a binding sales agreement unless and until a Final Public R[e]port is issued on the Project, the Purchaser has receipted or is deemed to have receipted therefor, and the Seller and Purchaser execute a separate confirmation letter in which they agree to render this Agreement a binding contract. A RESERVATION MAY BE TERMINATED AT ANY TIME BEFORE IT IS RENDERED A BINDING CONTRACT, WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE, AT THE OPTION OF EITHER PARTY, BY WRITTEN NOTICE OF SUCH TERMINATION TO THE OTHER PARTY.

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Bluebook (online)
718 P.2d 1092, 68 Haw. 488, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nakamura-v-kalapaki-associates-haw-1986.