Savage v. Savage

8 P. 754, 12 Or. 459, 1885 Ore. LEXIS 68
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 16, 1885
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 8 P. 754 (Savage v. Savage) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Savage v. Savage, 8 P. 754, 12 Or. 459, 1885 Ore. LEXIS 68 (Or. 1885).

Opinion

Thayée, J.

This appeal is from the Circuit Court for the county of Marion. The appellant commenced a suit in that court against the respondent to have a certain deed executed by the former to the latter, on the 3d day of October, 1882, to certain lands in said county, canceled, and said lands reconveyed to her. She alleged in her complaint that on and prior to the 3d day of October, 1882, she owned said lands in fee; that in April, 1882, she executed to the respondent a power of attorney appointing him her attorney in fact, to take possession and have charge of said lands, to sell the same, execute deeds to purchasers, and do all acts necessary to carry out said power; that after executing said power of attorney, she left the State and [461]*461went to Kansas City, Mo., where she remained until April, 1884; that on or about the 1st of October, 1882, she received through the mails an offer from the respondent of $6,000 for the whole of said lands, and desiring to sell the same, and not knowing at the time that any greater sum of money could be obtainéd therefor, and relying upon the respondent’s honesty and good faith, she accepted the said offer, and made him the deed; that the respondent knew that as appellant’s agent he had been offered before, and was offered at the said time, and could have sold one of the parcels of the lands, a certain one hundred and twenty-four acre tract, for the sum of $6,000 cash, and could have sold the whole of said lands for $8,000 cash; that they were reasonably worth that sum, and that he fraudulently concealed from the appellant said facts, and by reason of such suppression obtained from her the said deed; that she had after learning of the fraud offered to return him his money and had demanded a reconveyance.

The respondent denied the allegations of the complaint as to his attorneyship, the offer, value of the land, and fraud, and alleged affirmatively that since he purchased the land he had paid out for taxes the sum of $115.

Depositions and proofs having been taken, the case was heard by said Circuit Court and the complaint dismissed, from which decision the appeal was taken to this court. It appears from the testimony and proofs that the appellant was born and . raised upon the lands in question; that about 1875 she married and went East with her husband; that her husband having obtained a divorce from her in 1881, she returned and lived with her uncle, John Savage, Jr., on the lands until April 5, 1882, when she went back to Kansas City, Mo., where she resided, as alleged in the complaint; that she and the respondent are second cousins; that she was the owner of the lands; that about the 16th day of September, 1880, she executed to the respondent the following power of attorney: —

Know all men by these presents that I, Bertha E. Savage, of Junction City, Kansas, have made, constituted, and appointed, and by these presents do make, constitute, and appoint, John [462]*462Savage, Sr., of Salem, Marion County, Oregon, my true and lawful attorney in fact for me and in my name, place, and stead, and for my use, to ask, demand, sue for, collect, and receive and receipt for all such sums of money which now or shall be or hereafter are owing or belong to me in the State of Oregon by any person or persons whatsoever; and I hereby further authorize and empower my said attorney in fact to lease or rent any and all lands now owned by me, or which I may have any interest in, in the said State of Oregon, and to collect the rents therefor, and to do everything in and about the premises as fully to all intents and purposes as I could or would do if personally present (with full power of substitution or revocation), hereby ratifying, confirming, and holding valid all that my said attorney shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of these presents. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this-day of-, A. P. 1880.

[seal.] “ Bertha E. Savage.

“Pone ip presence of Arthur P. Pa vis.”

That the respondent accepted the trust and acted under said power of attorney until the execution of the deed sought to be canceled. It is claimed by the appellant that there was a subsequent power of attorney executed by her to the respondent in April, 1872, empowering him to sell and convey the property as alleged in the complaint, but that is stoutly denied by the latter, and, in the opinion of all the members of the court is not sustained by the evidence.

It further appears from the proofs that the following correspondence, at the respective times therein mentioned, took place between the appellant and the respondent in reference to the sale and purchase of said lands. —

“Kansas City, Aug. 31,1882.

“Dear Cousin John: — In a letter received from Aunt Hattie a short time ago she said you were going to write and advise my selling my property there. At the time I received her letter I thought I would never, never sell, but have changed my mind. There are splendid chances here every day to invest in city residence property which would bring me each year as much as I [463]*463get off from the farm in two. And more than this, property is advancing at least ten per cent each year, and in some localities fifty. I shall always hope to sometime get the little farm back again: Please give your earliest attention—write me what yon will give me for it in cash, and to facilitate matters I will answer your letter by telegram if I accept your proposition; and any way that you can hurry the matter along do so.

“Hope this will find you all well and in the midst of a bountiful harvest with favorable weather to assist in securing it.

“If I thought ma could pay me cash for the place, and as much as anyone else would be willing to pay for it, she would be the one I would write to of my desire to sell; for I remember she once said if I sold. she would like to buy it from me; and it is only natural that she should want it. Let me hear from you as soon as possible. I am real well and enjoy myself sometimes. Have been at work this summer you know. When you write, address me at Kansas City, Missouri, as I get my letters at the postoffice. With kind regards, I am

“Yours, etc., Bertha Savage.”

The following is the respondent’s answer to the above: —

“Salem, Sept. 11, 1882.

Dear Cousin: — I received yours of the 31st yesterday, and was glad to hear you was well. I did not tell Hattie I was going to advise you to sell; I told her if I could not make the land fetch in more profit, you had better sell it. I only got three hundred and sixty bushels of oats and sold them for thirty-seven and one half cents per bushels and one hundred and thirty bushels of wheat. I shall sell it as soon as hauled, then I will pay Ford and Stratton and will send you what is left. I had not thought of buying your land. I was going next week to Walla Walla with my money, for I can’t let it out here any more only in small dribbs. So if you conclude to take me up at my offer I won’t go; I will give you six thousand dollars for your whole interest here; at that it will be a good while before I could get my money back. If you conclude to take me up at my offer, telegraph immediately. John is talking of buying the two other heirs out on the Miller [464]*464place—the two hundred and fifteen acres—for three thousand six hundred dollars. If he had not of bought the one, I would of bought it, for it is cheaper than yourn, bein’ more land and laying together.

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Bluebook (online)
8 P. 754, 12 Or. 459, 1885 Ore. LEXIS 68, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/savage-v-savage-or-1885.