Purcell v. Hickman

170 P. 784, 51 Utah 350, 1918 Utah LEXIS 107
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 24, 1918
DocketNo. 3148
StatusPublished

This text of 170 P. 784 (Purcell v. Hickman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Purcell v. Hickman, 170 P. 784, 51 Utah 350, 1918 Utah LEXIS 107 (Utah 1918).

Opinion

THURMAN, J.

The questions involved in this appeal are: (1) Are there several causes of action improperly united? and (2) Áre there several causes of action not separately stated? The complaint, including. the exhibits made a part thereof, is voluminous. It covers 33 pages of the printed abstract, and contains an unusual amount of verbiage and matter which may be treated as surplusage and wholly disregarded. It becomes necessary, however, to state the substance of the material allegations. It alleges:

(1) The corporate existence of the defendant corporation and its ownership of the property known as the Keith Apartments in Salt Lake City.

[351]*351(2) Tbe leasing of said apartments on the 29th day of December, 1913, for a term of five years, which lease, by assignment, was finally succeeded to by the defendant F. L. Hickman.

(3) The ownership of some real property by the plaintiff in Salt' Lake City of the value of $6,600.

(4) Plaintiff’s acquaintance with the defendant George E. Evans, a real estate broker of Salt Lake City, and the fact that she had only a few other acquaintances in the city.

(5) The proposal of defendant Hickman to exchange his lease of the Keith Apartments for plaintiff’s land, and the promise of the defendant Evans to investigate the matter for her and report.

(6) The indebtedness of the defendant Hickman to the defendant company on account of arrears in the payment of rent in the sum of $800.

(7) A conspiracy entered into by all of the defendants on or about December, 1915, to cheat and defraud plaintiff out of her said land and induce her to become an assignee and lessee of the lease held by Hickman of the Keith Apartments for the remainder of the term of said lease.

(8) The fact that by means of said conspiracy and by false statements and representations made by said defendants they did cheat and defraud plaintiff out of her said land and induced her to become an assignee and lessee of said Keith Apartments, and to purchase the goods and furniture thereof.

(9) The false representations made by defendants in pursuance of said conspiracy are alleged to be, in substance, as follows: (a) 'That the Keith Apartments during Hickman’s tenancy under the lease had yielded in profits from $350 to $400 per month, except during the month of October, when it had yielded $1,100 in profits, and that it would continue to yield from $350 to $400 per month in profits during the remainder of the term of the lease; (b) that the total expense including the rent reserved in the lease, of operating the apartments during Hickman’s tenancy had not exceeded $600 per month, and would not exceed that sum during the remainder of the term; (e) that the apartments on said 26th' [352]*352day of December, 1915, were, and for a long time prior thereto had been, fully occupied by bona fide tenants, with the exception of four rooms in the basement which were then vacant; (d) that every room in the apartments was completely furnished to the minutest detail; (e) that the remainder of the term of said lease was reasonably worth $6,600, and far in excess of the value of plaintiff’s land; (f) that it was necessary for plaintiff to execute a warranty deed of her land to the defendant Olive Hickman and place the same in escrow in the hands of the defendant Evans together with an abstract and muniments of title; (g) that it was necessary for plaintiff to sign her name as assignee to the proposed assignment to Olive Hickman, and deliver that also to the defendant Evans.

(10) It is then alleged in the complaint that all and each of the said representations made by defendants were false and untrue and known by said defendants to be so when made; that said representations were material; that they were made by defendants with the intention that plaintiff should believe them and act upon them, and that except for said representations and acts of defendants, as set forth- in the complaint, plaintiff would not have agreed to convey her land or become obligated as assignee or lessee of said premises for the remainder of the term of said lease; that plaintiff believed said representations and statements and relied upon them as being true, and so believing and relying executed the conveyance of her said land to said defendant Olive Hickman and signed her name as assignee to the proposed assignment of said lease; that she delivered said deed, abstract and muniments of title to her said land, together with said assignment of said lease, signed by her, to the defendant George E. Evans on the 27th day of December, 1915, upon the express terms and conditions, which plaintiff, on information and belief, alleges were fraudulently made, to wit: (a) The defendants were to furnish and deliver to plaintiff a complete inventory of household goods and furniture of the said Keith Apartments, and plaintiff should have time and opportunity to examine and check the same; (b) books and papers showing the financial status of the business were to be turned over to plaintiff to [353]*353give her an opportunity to examine the same and determine the income and disbursements incident to the business during the tenancy of the defendant Hickman; (c) that the plaintiff should be given ample time to examine the rooms of the apartments to ascertain whether they were occupied by bona fide tenants as represented by the defendants; (d) that plaintiff and the defendant Hickman were to examine the books to determine the status of the rents paid in advance, and the rents unpaid, and adjust the same if the exchange of their said properties was consummated; (e) that plaintiff was to be fully satisfied in every particular^ and if satisfied, then to notify said defendants, whereupon defendants were to'execute and deliver to her a bill of sale of all household goods and furniture in the apartments clear of liens and indebtedness together with an assignment for the remainder of the term of said lease, and that at the same time the said warranty deed executed by her should be delivered to the defendant Olive Hickman, otherwise the said deed should be returned to plaintiff, and her signature as assignee to said proposed assignment of the lease should be canceled and held for naught.

(11) It is then alleged that, in pursuance of said conspiracy, and fraudulently and in violation of the conditions precedent aforesaid, defendants delivered said warranty deed to the defendant Olive Hickman immediately upon receipt thereof by the defendant Evans, and immediately thereafter, in pursuance of said conspiracy, obtained a loan of $1,500 from the Zion’s Savings Bank & Trust Company, and executed and delivered as security for said loan a mortgage upon plaintiff’s said land, and caused said warranty deed and the mortgage to be recorded in the office of the county recorder of Salt Lake County January 7, 1916; that defendants further, in pursuance of said conspiracy, executed and delivered a mortgage upon said lands to the defendant Keith Realty Company for $118.14, and also, in pursuance of said conspiracy, and in violation of the conditions precedent, above mentioned, delivered to said defendant company the said assignment of said lease with plaintiff’s signature thereon.

(12) That none of the conditions precedent upon which [354]

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Bluebook (online)
170 P. 784, 51 Utah 350, 1918 Utah LEXIS 107, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/purcell-v-hickman-utah-1918.