Nugent v. Scharff

476 S.W.2d 414
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 29, 1971
Docket15000
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 476 S.W.2d 414 (Nugent v. Scharff) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nugent v. Scharff, 476 S.W.2d 414 (Tex. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinions

KLINGEMAN, Justice.

This suit was brought by Daniel N. For-estier, hereinafter called Forestier, against C. W. Nugent and wife, Lena Nugent, hereinafter called Nugent, and Daniel Scharff and wife, Golda Scharff, hereinafter called the Scharffs, to recover a real estate commission on a transaction that was never consummated. The case before us involves two separate appeals, one by Nugent from an instructed verdict of the trial court that Forestier recover from Nugent a real estate commission in the amount of $53,750.00, and the other, an appeal from an instructed verdict of the trial court that Forestier recover nothing from the Scharffs.

On January 29, 1969, Forestier, a real estate broker, obtained a Nonexclusive Listing Agreement from Nugent as owner of Berrendo Square Apartments, in which Nugent agreed to pay Forestier, in cash, at the time of closing, a commission equal to 5% of the gross sales price of such property.1 Thereafter, on April 26, 1969, [416]*416an Earnest Money Contract of sale and purchase was executed by Nugent, Forestier and the Scharffs, wherein the Scharffs agreed to purchase from Nugent the Berrendo Square Apartments for a total sales price of $1,075,000.00.

Under the terms of such contract, the purchaser (Scharffs) was to pay $70,000.00 in cash, assume two mortgages in the approximate amount of $885,000.00, and assume a note to Finger Furniture Company in the approximate amount of $3,802.00. The purchaser further agreed to enter into a note in the amount of approximately $116,198.00, payable to Nugent and Forestier at 8% for fifteen years. Such contract further provides that Forestier was to receive $8,000.00 cash at the time of closing from Nugent. In such contract Nu-gent agreed to pay Forestier a commission of 5% for services rendered.

On April 10, 1969, the last day for the closing of the transaction under the contract, Forestier, Nugent and the Scharffs met at the title company and executed a deed of conveyance, deed of trust, notes and other papers necessary to consummate the transaction. Instead of one note payable to Nugent and Forestier, the Scharffs executed one note in the amount of $76,070.00, payable to Nugent, and one note for the sum of $45,750.00, payable to Forestier. Contemporaneously with the signing of the notes and deed of trust, the Scharffs issued a check in the sum of $56,701.27, payable to Stewart Title Company, being the amount due by them at the time of closing. This check was attempted to be cashed by Stewart, but was returned because of insufficient funds. A few days later, the Scharffs stopped payment on the check and notified all of the interested parties that they would not go through with the deal because of alleged misrepresentations by Forestier. There is testimony that the Scharffs knew at the time that they gave such check that they did not have sufficient funds on hand to make the check good, but were relying upon the sale of another house from the Scharffs to another party for the funds to make the check good, and that Forestier was aware of this. On November 17, 1969, Nugent and the Scharffs rescinded the contract of sale entered into by them on April 26, 1969, and mutually released each other from any and all liability under said contract.

Forestier brought suit against Nugent and the Scharffs to recover commissions in the amount of $53,750.00, which he alleged to be due him as commissions under the contracts. In the alternative, he sought recovery of the sum of $45,750.00 on the note executed by the Scharffs, and the sum of $8,000.00 from Nugent. He also sought recovery in the alternative on the theory of quantum meruit in the sum of $53,750.00.

In this opinion the two appeals will be discussed separately.

Nugent’s Appeal

Nugent asserts two points of error: (1) that the trial court erred in overruling his motion for directed verdict, and in failing to direct a verdict in his behalf that Fores-tier take nothing against him; and (2) the trial court erred in rendering judgment for Forestier against Nugent as a matter of law in ruling that the evidence presented no disputed fact issue to be decided by the jury. We sustain Nugent’s second point of error.

Nugent’s basic contentions on this appeal are: (1) the record conclusively shows that the broker (Forestier) did not produce a buyer who was ready, willing and able; or in any event, there is a fact issue as to whether Forestier produced such a buyer; (2) the broker’s right to a commission depended upon an actual sale of the property, [417]*417and the closing or consummation of the sale of the property involved was a condition precedent to any payment of commission; and (3) that there was a failure of consideration of the contract by reason of the insufficient check given by the Scharffs.

In Stevens v. Karr, 119 Tex. 479, 33 S.W.2d 725, 727 (1930), the Supreme Court of Texas describes as well established these rules:

“ ‘A commission ordinarily becomes payable on completion of the transaction which the broker was employed to negotiate, unless there is a stipulation in the contract of employment to the contrary. If by the contract of employment the broker is merely to find a customer who is able, ready, and willing to enter into a transaction with the principal on the terms prescribed by him, the broker is entitled to compensation on performing that service, whether or not the principal completes the transaction. Thus a broker employed to find a purchaser or a vendor or to exchange lands ordinarily becomes entitled to a commission on the execution of a contract of purchase or sale or exchange, although without any fault on the part of the broker the contract is never carried out, unless there is a stipulation, express or implied, making his right to compensation depend on the performance of the contract or the happening of some other event.’ 9 C.J. p. 591, § 86b.”

It is undisputed that the check given by the Scharffs for the cash consideration provided for under the contract of sale was not honored by the bank because of insufficient funds. Mrs. Scharff testified that at the time she gave the check she knew that she did not have sufficient funds to cover the check, and there is testimony that Forestier was aware of this. Mrs. Scharff also testified that she could not get the necessary funds from any bank and that the deal would fail unless she was able to sell her home to raise sufficient funds to complete the down payment. A representative of the title company testified that because the check given by the Scharffs for the down payment was not honored by the bank, and was returned to the title company, they stopped everything, and that the closing papers held by them were never recorded or delivered. It is clear from the record that the cash consideration called for in the contract of sale was never paid. There is testimony that the sale was never completed because the Scharffs were unable to raise the cash consideration provided for in the contract. Forestier, on the other hand, contends that the financial statement of the Scharffs establishes that the Scharffs were able to purchase the property.

There' is no conclusive evidence that the purchaser produced by the broker was ready, willing and able to purchase on the seller’s terms. We hold that under the record there is a disputed fact issue as to whether Forestier produced a purchaser who was ready, willing and able.

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476 S.W.2d 414, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nugent-v-scharff-texapp-1971.