Owen v. Pomona Land & Water Co.

61 P. 472, 6 Cal. Unrep. 438, 1900 Cal. LEXIS 1113
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedJune 15, 1900
DocketL. A. No. 637
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 61 P. 472 (Owen v. Pomona Land & Water Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Owen v. Pomona Land & Water Co., 61 P. 472, 6 Cal. Unrep. 438, 1900 Cal. LEXIS 1113 (Cal. 1900).

Opinion

COOPER, C.

This action was brought to rescind and cancel a contract for the sale of certain land and stock in a corporation, and to recover the amount paid by plaintiff upon the purchase price, with interest, and the value of certain improvements and amounts paid for taxes, and for a decree that the plaintiff has a lien upon the premises for the amount ' that may be found to be due. Plaintiff recovered judgment, and defendant made a motion for a new trial, which was denied. This appeal is from the order denying defendant’s motion, and comes here on the judgment-roll and a statement of the case.

Upon this appeal we cannot consider the sufficiency of the complaint, nor whether or not the findings support the judgment. We can only consider questions as to the sufficiency of the evidence to support the findings and errors of law occurring during the trial, and excepted to by the defendant: Brison v. Brison, 90 Cal. 327, 27 Pac. 186; Riverside Water Co. v. Gage, 108 Cal. 243, 41 Pac. 299. As the discussion is thus narrowed, we will consider the main propositions in what we deem to be their regular order, regardless of the arrangement in the briefs of counsel.

The defendant had, by an agreement in writing, covenanted to convey to plaintiff, by good and sufficient conveyance, the lands described in the complaint, and certain corporate stock [441]*441representing 2.032 inches of water, at the time therein stated, and upon payment of the amount therein named. Under this agreement the plaintiff went into possession of the land described in the contract, erected valuable improvements thereon, and made certain partial payments therefor. The complaint alleges that the title of defendant to the land has failed, that it could not convey a valid' title, that plaintiff rescinded the contract, and that he has been damaged in a large amount. One of the most important questions to be determined is as to whether or not the title of defendant failed, or was not a valid and sufficient one. The court found- that the defendant “did not have, has not now, and never did have, any valid title to the lands described in said contract, or to any part thereof.” Several pages of defendant’s brief are devoted to the argument that this finding is not supported by the evidence. The finding is based upon a stipulation agreed to by defendant, and introduced in evidence, which ' is as follows: ‘ ‘ That the lands involved in this action are part of those included in the provisions of the act of Congress of of July 27, 1866, purporting to grant them to the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company, and also in the act of Congress of •March 3, 1871, purporting to grant them to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company; that, under the supposed authority of said act of March 3, 1871, a patent was issued by the President of the United States, April 14, 1879, purporting to grant said lands to said Southern Pacific Railroad Company, which patent is recorded in the office of the recorder of said San Bernardino county, and which patent was in the usual form; that the said Southern Pacific Railroad Company on the 18th of May, 1882, entered into a contract with one M. L. Wicks to convey to him the lands in question; that afterward said Wicks assigned said contract to defendant, who afterward complied with the terms thereof, and said Southern Pacific Railroad Company, on the 18th of November, 1886, executed a deed which purports to convey said lands to defendant; said deed is recorded in book 51 of Deeds, at page 16, in said recorder’s office (Defendant’s Exhibit I); that defendant’s only right and title to said lands is that derived under the chain of title above set forth, with such remedial legislation, if such legislation is necessary to the establishment of title of defendant, as may be found in any act of Congress applicable to the case.”

[442]*442It will be seen from the stipulation that defendant’s only title is derived from the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, and that the lands were included in the prior grant of Congress of July 27, 1866, granting them to the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company.

It has been held by the supreme court of the United States that the title to those lands passed to the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad Company by the prior grant, and that the Southern Pacific Railroad Company had no title thereto (United States v. Southern Pac. R. Co., 146 U. S. 570, 36 L. Ed. 1091, 13 Sup. Ct. Rep. 152, 146 U. S. 615, 36 L. Ed. 1104, 13 Sup. Ct. Rep. 163); and it was expressly so held by this court in Southern Pac. R. Co. v. Painter, 113 Cal. 251, 45 Pac. 320. It is not necessary to decide the question as to whether the defendant’s title could have been cured and confirmed under the acts of Congress of 1887, or of March 2, 1896. It does not appear that it was so cured or confirmed, and it was not the duty of plaintiff to take any steps to perfect defendant’s title. Under the contract the plaintiff was entitled to a valid title. He was entitled to a title unencumbered, and without any palpable defects, free from litigation and grave doubts: Easton v. Montgomery, 90 Cal. 314, 25 Am. St. Rep. 123, 27 Pac. 280; Turner v. McDonald, 76 Cal. 179, 9 Am. St. Rep. 189, 18 Pac. 262.

Defendant devotes a large part of his brief in endeavoring to show that finding numbered 26 is not supported by the evidence. This finding is to the effect that plaintiff, after discovering the defect in- defendant’s title, rescinded the contract, and tendered to defendant a reconveyance and possession of the property, upon the defendant paying plaintiff the amount due him for improvements and payments made on account of the purchase. The finding is quite lengthy, covering some seven "folios of the transcript, and contains all the probative facts which are claimed to show that plaintiff rescinded the contract. It is claimed that the evidence is insufficient to justify the finding. We have examined the evidence, and we think it sufficient. The probative facts claimed to show that the contract was rescinded are fully found and set forth. As to whether or not they did amount in law to a rescission cannot be considered on this appeal. It is found that no objection was at any time made as to the character or form of the rescission. When plaintiff tendered defendant possession [443]*443upon conditions, if there were objections to the conditions the defendant waived them by not specifying them: Civ. Code, sec. 1501; Code Civ. Proc., sec. 2076; Kofoed v. Gordon, 122 Cal. 320, 54 Pac. 1115.

It is claimed that the plaintiff did not rescind in time, and was therefore guilty of laches. The court found in the conclusions of law that plaintiff had not been guilty of laches in the rescission of the contract. This conclusion is based upon the other facts found and upon the facts admitted by the pleadings, and we think is fully justified. The complaint alleges that on the day fixed in the contract, to wit, January, 1894, plaintiff offered to, and was ready and willing to, make final payment for the said lands upon the defendant giving him a good title; that immediately thereafter defendant ‘ ‘ commenced to assure plaintiff, and from time to time promised him, it could and would acquire title to said lands for plaintiff; that plaintiff need have no concern or do anything about it, that it would be all right”; that plaintiff relied upon such promises and assurances, and believed that defendant would, under the acts of Congress, perfect its title to said lands.

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Bluebook (online)
61 P. 472, 6 Cal. Unrep. 438, 1900 Cal. LEXIS 1113, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/owen-v-pomona-land-water-co-cal-1900.