Sadler v. Ballantyne

268 N.W.2d 119
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 13, 1978
DocketCiv. 9441
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 268 N.W.2d 119 (Sadler v. Ballantyne) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sadler v. Ballantyne, 268 N.W.2d 119 (N.D. 1978).

Opinions

PAULSON, Justice.

This is an appeal by the defendants, Melvin W. Ballantyne [hereinafter Ballantyne], and Ralph M. Clark, as Receiver of Amidon East, Ltd. and Continental Title Company [hereinafter Clark], from the judgment of the Slope County District Court entered October 20, 1977, wherein the court quieted title to certain farm property in the plaintiffs, Leroy W. Sadler and Virginia M. Sa-dler [hereinafter the Sadlers].

On October 16, 1972, the Sadlers and Bal-lantyne executed a contract for deed whereby the Sadlers sold their 3200-acre farm located in Slope County to Ballantyne for a price of $326,500.00. Pursuant to the terms of this contract for deed Ballantyne was required to pay $32,650.00 upon execution of the agreement and to pay the balance of the purchase price with twenty-five annual installments of $11,754.00 each plus interest at the rate of 6¾% on all deferred balances. The first annual installment was due October 16, 1973, and an annual installment was due each October 16 thereafter until the total price had been paid. Pursuant to the contract for deed, Ballantyne was also required to pay the taxes and assessments on the property beginning in 1973 and to continue all subsequent years thereafter during the life of the contract. Upon execution of the contract for deed, the Sadlers and Bal-lantyne had an agreement whereby the Sa-dlers continued to farm the property on a share-crop basis with Ballantyne.

On September 20, 1974, the Sadlers and Ballantyne executed a second contract for deed whereby Ballantyne sold the same 3200-acre farm property back to the Sadlers for a price of $600,000.00. Under the terms of this second contract for deed, the Sadlers were required to pay $100,000.00 upon execution of the agreement and to pay the balance with twenty-five annual installments of $20,000.00 each plus interest at the rate of 6¾% on the unpaid balance. The first annual installment was due on November 1, 1975, and an annual installment was due on November 1 each year thereafter until the total price had been paid. Under the second contract for deed Ballantyne was required to pay the taxes on the property for 1974 and prior years, and the Sa-dlers were required to pay the taxes on the property for 1975 and all subsequent years thereafter. There was also a clause in the second contract for deed which specifically expressed that it was the intent of the parties to have the October 16, 1972, contract for deed as well as the September 20, 1974, contract for deed continue in full force and effect.

[121]*121The Sadlers and Ballantyne also executed a written contract, on September 18, 1974, in which the Sadlers agreed to deliver to Ballantyne 14,400 bushels of hard red spring wheat as follows:

“(a) 9,400 bushels now situated in a grain elevator, transfer to be made immediately;
“(b) 5,000 bushels of grain to be delivered on or before the 1st day of April, 1975, to a grain elevator selected by Leroy Sadler, freight to be paid by Melvin Ballentyne [sic].”

The contract stated that Ballantyne was to receive the 14,400 bushels of wheat “FOR AND IN consideration of One Dollar ($1.00) and other good and valuable consideration”. It is undisputed, however, that the parties’ actual intent was that 10,000 bushels of the 14,400 bushels of wheat were to be delivered to Ballantyne as part of the Sadlers’ down payment for the farm purchase under the September 20, 1974, contract for deed, and the remaining 4,400 bushels were in consideration of Ballantyne’s share of the 1974 crop.

As of November 6, 1974, Ballantyne had not received the 14,400 bushels of wheat and his counsel sent a letter to the Sadlers’ counsel requesting the storage tickets to transfer the wheat pursuant to the September 18, 1974, agreement. On January 16, 1975, the Sadlers’ counsel sent a letter to Ballantyne’s counsel, stating that the storage tickets for the 14,400 bushels of wheat would not be sent to Ballantyne until after Ballantyne had paid the 1973 and 1974 real estate taxes on the farm property, had paid the past due installments on the October 16, 1972, contract for deed, and had updated the farm property abstracts. During August of 1975, Ballantyne received from the New England Elevator Company the net proceeds for 9,400 bushels of wheat, but the Sadlers retained 5,000 bushels of wheat due and owing to Ballantyne. The Sadlers’ counsel, by telephone conversation with Ballantyne’s counsel, requested authorization to sell the 5,000 bushels of wheat to acquire money to pay the delinquent 1973 and 1974 real estate taxes. The Sadlers never received such authorization from Bal-lantyne. On November 16, 1976, the Sa-dlers released the remaining 5,000 bushels of wheat to Ballantyne’s account.

On March 21, 1975, the Sadlers served upon Ballantyne a notice of cancellation of the October 16, 1972, contract for deed, pursuant to Chapter 32-18 of the North Dakota Century Code. The notice of cancellation informed Ballantyne that he was in default of the October 16, 1972, contract for deed in the following respects: (1) by failure to pay the 1973 and 1974 real estate taxes on the farm property in the amount of $4,706.30, including interest and penalties; and (2) by failure to pay the October 16, 1974, annual installment payment of principal and interest in the amount of $30,-913.02. The notice further informed Bal-lantyne that the October 16, 1972, contract for deed would be canceled one year from service of the notice upon him unless he cured the specified defaults within that one-year period.

On November 11, 1975, within the one-year cure period, Ballantyne paid the Sa-dlers the 1974 annual installment payment which was in default and also paid the 1975 annual installment payment which was currently due.1 With this payment Ballantyne sent the Sadlers a letter stating that “This would bring both contracts up to date as of November 1, 1975.” The Sadlers understood the November 11, 1975, letter from Ballantyne to mean that Ballantyne had made payment of the 1973 and 1974 real estate taxes for the farm property to the county auditor and county treasurer. Consequently, the Sadlers accepted the 1974 and 1975 installment payments from Bal-lantyne on the October 16, 1972, contract [122]*122for deed.2 Ballantyne had not, in fact, paid the 1973 or 1974 real estate taxes. Upon learning that Ballantyne had not paid the real estate taxes within the one-year cure period, the Sadlers, on March 23, 1976, recorded an affidavit canceling the October 16, 1972, contract for deed pursuant to § 32-18-05, N.D.C.C. On that same date, March 23, 1976, the Sadlers also paid the delinquent real estate taxes together with penalty and interest in the amount of $5,140.52. However, the Sadlers retained the 1974 and 1975 installment payments which they received from Ballantyne on the October 16, 1972, contract for deed and have not tendered their return to Ballan-tyne.

On September 9, 1976, the Sadlers commenced a quiet title action with the Slope County District Court to confirm the statutory cancellation of the October 16, 1972, contract for deed. The Sadlers also requested the district court to declare the September 20, 1974, contract for deed terminated and to award the Sadlers a return of the amounts they had paid on the September 20, 1974, contract for deed in the amount of $157,541.10 plus interest. The district court, on October 20, 1977, filed very thorough and extensive findings of fact and conclusions of law.

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Sadler v. Ballantyne
268 N.W.2d 119 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 1978)

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Bluebook (online)
268 N.W.2d 119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sadler-v-ballantyne-nd-1978.