State ex rel. Gordon v. Smith

98 Wash. 100
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 24, 1917
DocketNo. 14243
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 98 Wash. 100 (State ex rel. Gordon v. Smith) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Gordon v. Smith, 98 Wash. 100 (Wash. 1917).

Opinions

Fullerton, J.

This is an original application for a writ of mandamus. To an understanding of the questions involved, a somewhat extended statement of the facts is necessary.

On July 7, 1913, the relator, E. M. Gordon, and his then wife entered into a contract with C. D. Hillman and Bessie Olive Hillman, his wife, for an exchange of properties. The property to be exchanged on the part of the Gordons consisted of three separately described tracts of real property situated in King county, together with certain furniture and fixtures then in an apartment house erected on one of such tracts. ■ The property on the part of the Hillmans consisted of numerous described tracts of real property situated in the counties of King, Thurston and Mason, together with a number of promissory notes payable to C. D. Hillman, with certain securities. The transfer of the properties was made on the day following the execution of the agreement, and was made subject to the existing liens then on the properties and subject to the taxes for the year 1912.

Shortly after the completion of the transaction, Gordon and wife conceived that they had been defrauded thereby, and instituted an action of rescission. In this action they were successful, the judgment of the trial court being affirmed in this court on the appeal of Hillman and wife. Gordon v. Hillman, 91 Wash. 490, 158 Pac. 96.

The judgment directed that the defendants, within thirty days after the entry thereof, or, in case of an appeal and an affirmance of the judgment by the appellate court, within thirty days after the return of the remittitur from such court, reconvey to the plaintiffs by a special warranty deed the real property conveyed to them by the plaintiffs; or, in default of such conveyance, that the plaintiffs have judgment against them in the sum of $42,000; also that they convey by bill of sale, within a like period of time, the furniture in the apartment house, or in case of default, that the plaintiffs have judgment against them for the sum of $2,500. It was also [102]*102provided that the conveyances be made subject to all liens and incumbrances on the property existing on the 7th day of July, 1913, and also subject to all taxes subsequently accruing upon the property. The judgment likewise provided for a reconveyance and assignment to the defendants by the plaintiffs of all of the property conveyed and assigned to them, within sixty days after the date of the judgment, subject to the liens existing on the property at the date of the original conveyance and subject to the subsequently accruing taxes. The judgment also provides: It is,

“Further ordered, adjudged and decreed that within thirty days from the date of the entry of this decree, or within thirty days of the filing of the remittitur herein in the event that this cause is appealed to the supreme court, and forthwith upon reconveyance by defendants as above provided, that the plaintiffs repay to the defendants the sum of $4,369.01, said principal representing sums expended by the defendants upon properties conveyed by plaintiffs to defendants and herein directed to be reconveyed as shown in defendant’s exhibit 25, and it is
“Further ordered, adjudged and decreed, that the said plaintiffs, in default of the reconveyance of the above mentioned note of $2,000, together with the mortgage securing the same given by one Gorman, shall pay to the defendants the sum of $1,000 hereby fixed as the value of said note and mortgage, and it is
“Further ordered, adjudged and decreed that the question of liability of plaintiffs to repay to the defendants the sum of $459.78, with interest thereon, being the amount represented by a certain note made by plaintiffs, E. M. Gordon, to the defendant on July 15th, 1913, is hereby left specifically undetermined and to be determined by supplemental decree herein. It is
“Further ordered, adjudged and decreed that if the parties hereto fail, neglect or refuse within the period herein named to make conveyances herein as ordered, that a commissioner be appointed to make such conveyances. It is
“Further ordered, adjudged and decreed that the plaintiffs account for any interest or other payments received from [103]*103the properties conveyed to them by the defendants under said agreement of July 7, 1913. It is
“Further ordered, adjudged and decreed that plaintiffs have and recover of and from the defendants herein, their costs and disbursements to be taxed.”

The remittitur from this court was returned to the lower court on April 2, 1917. The defendants did not tender within the thirty days after the return of the remittitur, nor have they since tendered, a reconveyance of the property as directed in the judgment. They did, however, “on or about May 1, 1917,” file in the cause a verified petition in which they set forth certain facts thought to entitle them to relief against the judgment. They averred that, subsequent to the judgment and while the cause was pending on the appeal, they paid interest on the loans existing upon the property conveyed to them by the plaintiffs in sums aggregating $1,-680, and taxes thereon aggregating $54.76; that the plaintiffs, during the pendency of the appeal, had negligently suffered the taxes existing at the time of the conveyance and the accruing taxes on the real property to become delinquent and the property to be sold by the public authorities, causing a loss of the properties, and had negligently suffered the promissory notes assigned at the time of the conveyance with their securities to become wasted and uncollectible, which, with certain other matters set forth, resulted in an aggregate damage to them in'the sum of $70,775. Certain other matters were also set forth, on the whole of which they asked that the court adjudge the equities of the case to be with them, and wholly and completely confirm in them the title to the property the original judgment awarded to the plaintiffs; that the plaintiffs be awarded all of the original properties conveyed to them, and that they be adjudged to take nothing by their action. They further asked that, in case the foregoing relief be not awarded to them, they have judgment against the plaintiffs because of a loss of the property they had conveyed to the plaintiffs, and judgment for the interest [104]*104and taxes they had paid to preserve the plaintiffs’ property from loss, and that the judgment be declared an equitable lien upon such property, to be foreclosed in the manner provided by law for the foreclosure of liens.

To the petition, although it was served upon the plaintiff E. M. Gordon, no answer was made, the plaintiff expressly refusing to answer thereto. He appeared, however, after the expiration of the thirty days, and set forth the death of his wife and his appointment as administrator of her-estate, paid into court the sums required of him by the judgment, tendered a return of the promissory notes and the' securities, and asked the court to appoint a commissioner to reconvey to the defendants the property in accordance with the terms of the judgment, tendered an issue on the right of the defendants to recover the sum of $459.58, left undetermined in the original decree, and elected to take a conveyance for a certain lot conveyed by himself and wife to the defendants, and a judgment for the remainder of the property in accordance with the findings of value as set forth in the original judgment.

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

Related

Parish v. McConkie, District Judge
35 P.2d 1001 (Utah Supreme Court, 1934)
Adams v. Bell
27 P.2d 757 (California Supreme Court, 1933)
Hillman v. Gordon
219 P. 46 (Washington Supreme Court, 1923)
State ex rel. Hillman v. Superior Court
103 Wash. 288 (Washington Supreme Court, 1918)
Gordon v. Hillman
102 Wash. 411 (Washington Supreme Court, 1918)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
98 Wash. 100, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-gordon-v-smith-wash-1917.