Seeck v. Jakel

141 P. 211, 71 Or. 35, 1914 Ore. LEXIS 148
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedApril 28, 1914
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 141 P. 211 (Seeck v. Jakel) 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
Seeck v. Jakel, 141 P. 211, 71 Or. 35, 1914 Ore. LEXIS 148 (Or. 1914).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Burnett

delivered the opinion of the court.

It appears by the complaint, and is admitted by the answer, that on June 29, 1907, the plaintiffs were the owners of two separate tracts of land in Lebanon, Linn [37]*37County, Oregon, on one of which, they were conducting a general livery and feed stable business, and on the other, which they conveyed to the defendant Jakel, a feed stable, without any livery service. For convenience one tract will be designated as the livery stable, and the other as the feed stable. On the date mentioned the plaintiffs, with the wife of the married one, conveyed the feed stable to the defendant Jakel, in the usual form of bargain and sale deed, but with the following forfeiture clause:

“The above-described real property shall divert back to the grantors, without any cost or expense, if any person or persons shall conduct or allow to be conducted any livery business in or on said described premises, unless by quitclaim deed or written consent of the grantors of this deed.”

This deed is set out in full in the complaint, and is said to have been recorded October 2, 1907. After stating that the term “livery business” had a certain clearly distinct local meaning in and about Lebanon, Oregon, which however, is not different from the generally accepted signification of that term, that the property was sold to Jakel for less than the market value, with the understanding that the forfeiture clause should be embodied in the deed as stated, and that the only claim the defendants have to the property is by virtue of the deed, the plaintiffs charge that, in violation of the condition set out in the conveyance, the defendants have continuously, wrongfully, and willfully, since about February 1,1912, conducted and permitted and allowed to be carried on and conducted at the feed stable a livery stable business and livery business, and that by reason thereof the title to the feed stable has reverted to the plaintiffs in fee simple. They conclude with the allegation that “the plaintiffs are entitled to the possession of the said lots and prem[38]*38ises and barn and tbe- whole thereof, and that the defendants wrongfully withhold the same from them to their damage in the sum of $1,000.” They pray for the immediate possession and restitution of the property, together with $1,000 as damages for withholding the same, and for the costs and disbursements. The original ownership of the property and the execution and delivery of the conveyance are admitted by the answer. The defendant Jakel says that since December 1, 1911, he has not been in possession or control of the feed stable, but that the same has been in the exclusive control and possession of the other defendants under and by virtue of a lease which he executed to them, and that whatever use of the premises the other defendants have made was without his authority. The answer also contains this statement:

“And all of the defendants herein allege that since about the 1st of October, 1911, the defendants A. J. Newman and J. W. Newman, .without the authority or consent of the said A. Jakel, have in a small way conducted the business of renting and hiring horses and vehicles to third persons from the barn and buildings upon the said premises.”

Further answering, the defendants allege’ in substance that all the real property mentioned is situated in Lebanon, Oregon, a city of about 2,000 population, and that, for the purpose of securing a monopoly of the livery business in said city, and of preventing competition by the defendant A. Jakel in that business, there was incorporated in the deed the provision mentioned; that the real estate was not so situated with reference to other property in the city as to make a restriction upon the use thereof mentioned a reasonable restriction; and that the provision was inserted in the deed for no other purpose than that of preventing Jakel, or any party who might succeed to his title, [39]*39from competing upon the said premises with the livery business so carried on by the plaintiffs aforesaid. Again the defendants allege:

‘ ‘ That as a part of the said agreement in restraint of competition it was, before the said deed of conveyance was delivered and said sale consummated, agreed between the plaintiffs and the said A. Jakel that the plaintiffs would not carry on the feed business upon the property owned by them and described in the second paragraph of the complaint herein; that the said defendant A. Jakel was induced to consummate said deal and purchase said property relying upon the said agreement made by plaintiffs aforesaid, and that the plaintiffs caused the said agreement to be reduced to writing, and that the same was signed by the plaintiffs and the defendant A. Jakel; that the defendant A. Jakel was at said time unable to read written English, and that the plaintiffs, knowing said fact, fraudulently inserted in said written agreement a provision allowing plaintiffs to carry on the feed business on the said premises at all times, and that the plaintiffs, for the purpose of deceiving and defrauding the defendant, caused the said contract to be so read to the defendant A. Jakel before the same was signed by him as to omit in the reading thereof the provisions allowing said feed business to be carried on by plaintiffs at all times, and that the agreement as so read to defendant A. Jakel was an absolute agreement on the part of the plaintiffs not to carry on the said feed business on said premises at any time; and defendants allege that the said plaintiffs, in violation of their said agreement not to carry on the feed business upon the premises described in the second paragraph of the complaint, have ever since the execution and delivery of the deed set forth in the third paragraph of said complaint been engaged in carrying on the feed business upon the said premises described in said paragraph in said complaint.”

Alleging that the sole purpose of the condition in the deed was to protect plaintiffs against damage to their livery business from the use by defendant A. [40]*40Jakel of the feed bam for a livery business, the defendants “offer and tender to the plaintiffs any damage which the plaintiffs may have sustained by reason of a livery business being carried on on said premises by the defendants A. J. Newman and J. W. Newman, in case the court adjudges that the said provision against carrying on said business on said premises, is a lawful provision.” It is charged, also, by the answer that previous to the commencement of the action the plaintiffs had not demanded possession of the feed barn from any of the defendants, nor made any claim that the condition of the deed was being violated. The answer closes with the statement, in substance, that the defendant A. Jakel, in addition to the payment of $3,000 as the purchase price of the feed barn, has put improvements thereon amounting to $3,500, and that the premises are now worth $8,000. The prayer of the answer is in substance that the action be dismissed; that the defendants have judgment declaring the condition in the deed to be void; that, if the court adjudges the condition to be lawful, the defendants be relieved from any forfeiture, upon paying to the plaintiffs such damages as they may have sustained; and, lastly, for such other and further relief in the premises as may be just and equitable. The answer is traversed by the .reply, except as stated in the complaint.

1. Practically the only material dispute on the facts is about the alleged fraud in the agreement restricting the plaintiffs ’ right to carry on the feed business.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

ELDRIDGE v. Johnston
245 P.2d 239 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1952)
Buckalew v. Niehuss
32 So. 2d 299 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1947)
Donohue v. Peterson
87 P.2d 770 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1939)
Messett v. Cowell
79 P.2d 337 (Washington Supreme Court, 1938)
Columbia Tent & Awning Co. v. Thiele
295 P. 501 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1930)
Magness v. Kerr
254 P. 1012 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1927)
Billups v. Colmer
244 P. 1093 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1926)
Thompson Optical Institute v. Thompson
237 P. 965 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1925)
Ward v. Klamath County
218 P. 927 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1923)
Carty v. McMenamin & Ward
216 P. 228 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1923)
Coker v. Richey
202 P. 551 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1921)
Larsen v. Lootens
194 P. 699 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1921)
Scott Co. v. Roman Catholic Archbishop
163 P. 88 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1917)
Stennick v. J. K. Lumber Co.
161 P. 97 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1916)
T. B. Potter Realty Co. v. Breitling
155 P. 179 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1916)
Stansbery v. Church
154 P. 887 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1916)
Jakel v. Seeck
154 P. 424 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1916)
Wagner V. Wallowa County
148 P. 1140 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1915)
Duester v. Alvin
145 P. 660 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1915)
School District No. 21 v. Wallowa County
142 P. 320 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1914)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
141 P. 211, 71 Or. 35, 1914 Ore. LEXIS 148, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/seeck-v-jakel-or-1914.