Original Ampthill Development Corp. v. Gathright

153 S.E. 897, 154 Va. 557, 1930 Va. LEXIS 233
CourtSupreme Court of Virginia
DecidedJune 12, 1930
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 153 S.E. 897 (Original Ampthill Development Corp. v. Gathright) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Original Ampthill Development Corp. v. Gathright, 153 S.E. 897, 154 Va. 557, 1930 Va. LEXIS 233 (Va. 1930).

Opinion

Epes, J.,

delivered the opinion of the court.

'This is an appeal taken by the Original Ampthill Development Corporation from a decree entered by Circuit Court of Chesterfield county in a suit for the partition of the “Ampthill” tract of land lying in said county, instituted by Carroll C. Gathright and David Meade White, against Elizabeth J. Ford, Grayson B. Watkins, and others. In this suit Original Ampthill Development Corporation purchased that portion of the “Ampthill” tract lying west of the Riehmond-Petersburg Turnpike.

The main question involved in this appeal is whether or not the Original Ampthill Development Corporation is entitled to an abatement in the purchase price of the land bought by it by reason of the fact that the land purchased by it in fact contains only seventy-one and twenty-eight hundredths acres instead of eighty-three and .one-half acres.

W. O. Watkins' formerly owned the “Ampthill” tract through which the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike runs in a generally north and south direction. [561]*561Under his will twenty-one and thirty-eight hundredths undivided interest therein had passed to David Meade White, Carroll C. Gathright and certain others to whom, collectively, we shall refer as the White-GathrightFulton-Reed group, and seventeen and thirty-eight hundredths undivided interest had passed to Elizabeth J. Ford, Grayson B. Watkins and certain others to whom we shall refer as the Ford-Watkins group. The members of these two groups constituted the parties to said partition suit.

In February, 1927, Carroll C. Gathright and David Meade White instituted this partition suit against the other parties in interest seeking partition of the whole “Ampthill” tract. In the bill filed the portion lying-on the east side of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike is described as “containing three hundred and ninety-seven acres more or less”; and the portion lying on the west side of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike as-“consisting of seventy acres, more or less, near stop fifteen on the Richmond-Petersburg Electric Line, touching the iands of Agnes B. Winfree, Ben Brown, Lena Watkins, and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and others.”

'• During the pendency of this suit, by the consent of all parties, that portion of the “Ampthill” tract lying east of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike was sold and conveyed to DuPont Rayon Company, Incorporated, and is not involved in this bill.

About April 25, 1927, W. W. LaPrade & Bro. prepared a map (it does not appear for whom) which is denominated on its face as “a sketch of Ampthill” and is thereon stated to have been “compiled from old surveys.” On this sketch the portion lying west of the turnpike is shown as containing eighty-three and one-half acres.

[562]*562This, sketch map seems to have been known to all of the owners of the land, and to the Original Ampthiil Development Corporation, or to their respective representatives in the transaction here involved. The parcel of land on the west of the turnpike was greatly increased in value by the location of the plant of the DuPont Rayon Company on the eastern portion of the “Ampthiil” tract; and the owners were in disagreement as to whether it should be sold or not and as to the price at which they would be willing to sell it. The White-Gathright-Fulton-Redd group desired to sell. The Ford-Watkins group did not desire to sell.

David Meade White and those represented by him owned eighteen and thirty-eight hundredths plus four and six-tenths of one and thirty-eight hundredths undivided interest in this land. Some time during the spring of 1928 Berry L. Stainbaek, who was connected with L. W. McVeigh, Incorporated, a real estate agency, called on Mr. White with a view to acquiring his undivided interest and that of those represented by him in the portion of the “Ampthiil” tract lying west of the turnpike. • When Stainbaek first approached White he did not disclose the name of his, Stainback’s, client. However, the negotiations conducted by Stainbaek were being conducted for Mr. F. V. Berry, who was at that time arranging for the organization of the Original Ampthiil Development Corporation, which was later organized and of which Mr. Berry became the secretary.

During these negotiations Mr. White showed Stain-back the sketch map compiled by W. W. LaPrade & Bro. on which the portion of the “Ampthiil” tract lying west of the turnpike is shown as containing eighty-three and one-half acres; and later Stainbaek and Berry went to the office of LaPrade & Bro. and there [563]*563saw an old plat similar to the one exhibited by White, which indicated that the tract lying west of the turnpike contained eighty-three and one-half acres. Throughout the negotiations for the sale of the land to Berry or the Original Ampthill Development Corporation,White constantly referred to this tract of land as containing eighty-three and one-half acres. After some negotiations with reference thereto, Mr. Stainback submitted to Mr. White an offer from his client, Mr. F. V. Berry, for the purchase of twenty and thirty-eight hundredths undivided interest in said land, which was in the form of a contract signed by Mr. Berry, dated April 30, 1928, the material parts of which are as follows:

“This agreement made this 30th day of April, 1928, between devisees under the will of W. 0. Watkins, deceased, their heirs and assigns, owners of twenty and thirty-eight hundredths undivided interest in the hereinafter described property, parties of the first part and F. V. Berry, of the city of Richmond, Virginia, party of the second part.

“Witnesseth: That the said parties of the first part do hereby bargain and sell, and covenant to convey ******* to the said party of the second-part or his assigns the following property, to-wit: Twenfcy- and thirty-eight hundredths undivided interest in all that certain tract of land containing eighty-three and one-half acres more or less, situated in Manchester magisterial district, county of Chesterfield, Virginia, on the western side of the Richmond and Petersburg Turnpike between stops fourteen and fifteen, and running back westwardly to the right of way of the Atlantic Coast Line Railway, opposite the northern part of “Ampthill” tract recently sold to the DuPonts, at the price of $400.00 net per acre in gross for the whole thirty-eight and thirty-eight hundredths, and upon the following terms, viz, all in cash. *********_

[564]*564“The parties of the first part agree to sell and convey their respective undivided interests aggregating twenty and thirty-eight hundredths in the above property to be prorated at the rate of 1400.00 net per acre in gross, and this contract is void unless all agree to sell as above.”

As this offer was originally drafted it read eighty-two and one-half acres, but was changed by Mr. White to read eighty-three and one-half acres, apparently before it was signed.

In its petition for an abatement of the purchase price, the Original Ampthill Development Corporation alleges that it “became the purchaser on the basis set forth in the said offer signed by F. V. Berry, and which was consummated by decree of August 7, 1928.”

Mr. White took up said offer with his clients who, with himself, owned eighteen and thirty-eight hundredths plus four and six tenths of one and thirty-eight hundredths undivided interest in the property; and he and they agreed to sell their undivided interest, on basis of said offer.

On May 23, 1928, Mr. White wrote a letter to L. W.

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Bluebook (online)
153 S.E. 897, 154 Va. 557, 1930 Va. LEXIS 233, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/original-ampthill-development-corp-v-gathright-va-1930.