Thumlert v. Jarvis

111 P.2d 597, 8 Wash. 2d 162
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 28, 1941
DocketNo. 28139.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 111 P.2d 597 (Thumlert v. Jarvis) 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
Thumlert v. Jarvis, 111 P.2d 597, 8 Wash. 2d 162 (Wash. 1941).

Opinion

Jeffers, J.

This is an appeal by plaintiffs,, Dan Thumlert and Thumlert, Inc., a corporation, from a judgment dismissing plaintiffs’ complaint. The action was instituted by Dan Thumlert against Frank Jarvis and wife. Thumlert, Inc., of which Dan Thumlert is president, was made an additional party plaintiff.

The complaint alleges that Frank Jarvis was entrusted by Thumlert, Inc., with certain deeds, in which the name of the grantee was not written, to property in Hood River county, Oregon; that the deeds were given to Jarvis in trust, in order that Jarvis, as the agent and broker for Thumlert, Inc., might negotiate certain contemplated sales and exchanges of the above property; that, at the time the above deeds were turned over to Jarvis, he executed and delivered to Thumlert, Inc., the following receipt:

“Seattle Aug. 3rd 1937
“Reed of Thumlert, Inc., warranty deed of A. L. Stewart in blank to lots 6-7-8 & 9, Bk 2, Leavens Heights Hood River County Oreg, & a second deed of A L Stewart in blank to Tract 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6, by metes & bounds description, in Hood River County Oreg. & Bill of Sale of A L Stewart in blank to certain personal property according to inventory attached all located in City of *164 Cascade Locks, Oreg, which instruments I am to use in consumating exchange according to terms of exchange agreement between Thumlert Inc & W Minton with the exception that it is understood one farm is to have a $3800 mtg instead of $2500.00 as specified. Any other change must meet with the approval of Thumlert, Inc before the deeds & Bill of sale can be surrendered. If deal is not consumated within 5 or 6 days the instruments herewith receipted for are to be returned, intact, to Clarence W. Pierce, atty, for Thumlert Inc.
Frank Jarvis /S/”

It is further alleged that Jarvis, in accepting the trust and in attempting to sell, exchange, and deal with the property belonging to Thumlert, Inc., was acting in his own behalf and for the benefit of the community composed of himself and wife; that, contrary to the terms of the trust, Jarvis pretended to have exchanged all of the above described property for a certain house and lot in Portland, Oregon, whereas only a small portion of the property was exchanged for the Portland property; that such misrepresentations were knowingly made by Jarvis, and were made with the intention of having Thumlert, Inc., rely upon them; that Thumlert, Inc., did rely upon them, and was thereby deceived, and accepted from Jarvis a conveyance of the Portland property, which is reasonably worth the sum of thirty-five hundred dollars; that, after receipt by Jarvis of the deeds above mentioned, he placed his own name in the deeds as grantee, and proceeded to deal with the properties as his own, conveying the same to third parties; that Thumlert, Inc., discovered the fraudulent acts in April, 1938.

The complaint further states that the properties secretly retained by Jarvis were of the reasonable value of fifteen thousand dollars, for which no consideration was received by Thumlert, Inc.; that plaintiff Dan *165 Thumlert has succeeded to all the rights of Thumlert, Inc., in and to the property and/or for damages for the wrongful conversion of same by defendants.

It is further alleged in the complaint that Jarvis still holds control of the titles to a portion of such real estate, and that some has been exchanged for real estate situated in Seattle, Stevens county, Washington, and Spokane.

Defendants, by their answer, denied generally the allegations of the complaint, and specifically denied that they have any property of any kind belonging to or in trust for plaintiffs, or either of them, or that they are indebted to plaintiffs, or either of them, in any amount.

For a first affirmative defense, defendants allege that Thumlert, Inc., prior to July 21, 1937, was the owner of an equity in the south 55 feet of lot 10, block 13, Greene’s Addition to Seattle, on which was located the Morris Apartments; that one A. L. Stewart was the owner of the land in Cascade Locks, Oregon, described in plaintiffs’ complaint, and Stewart was willing to exchange the same for the equity of Thumlert, Inc., in the Morris Apartments, but Thumlert, Inc., was unwilling to accept the property in Cascade Locks, believing that it was not worth more than fourteen hundred dollars; that defendant Frank Jarvis was willing to acquire the property in Cascade Locks, and offered to exchange for the Cascade Locks property the property mentioned in the complaint as the Portland property; that, after Thumlert, Inc., had made a full investigation of all the properties, an exchange of properties was made, whereby Thumlert, Inc., secured the Portland property, A. L. Stewart secured the Morris Apartments, and defendants secured the property in Cascade Locks, Oregon.

*166 It is further alleged that all parties were acting with full knowledge as principals, after inspection and investigation, and Jarvis was not acting as agent of Thumlert, Inc.

For a second affirmative defense, it is alleged that, on November 13,1937, the attorney for plaintiffs herein, as plaintiff, instituted an action in the circuit court of the state of Oregon for Hood River county, entitled “J. Lael Simmons, Plaintiff, v. Frank Jarvis et al., Defendants,” for the recovery of judgment against defendants on a promissory note, causing a writ of attachment to issue, by virtue of which the land in Cascade Locks was attached and subsequently sold by the sheriff to satisfy the judgment rendered in that case against defendants; that plaintiffs in the instant case had actual knowledge of that attachment, and that the property was attached and sold as the property of these defendants; that plaintiffs herein made no appearance in the Oregon suit, and claimed no right in or to the property.

Defendants, as a third affirmative defense, allege that there was instituted in the superior court for King county, on September 13,1937, an action by A. L. Stewart against these defendants and others, the issues in which action involved the land in Cascade Locks, Oregon, and the Morris Apartments; that such action was settled and, by stipulation of all parties, dismissed; that the agreement and release upon which the dismissal was based, reads as follows:

“Seattle, Washington,
“Feb. 2, 1938
“It is hereby agreed by and between the undersigned that the action between A. L. Stewart as plaintiff and Thumlert Inc. and others as defendants, being case No. 301907 King County Wash, shall be dismissed with prejudice and without costs as to all parties, that A. L. Stewart will execute and deliver his note for $1500, *167 payable at $25.00 per month beginning February 2nd, 1939 interest at 5% to A. V. Wilson secured by a third mortgage on Lot 1 blk 17 Union Addition to Seattle, Wash.
“That this agreement constitutes a settlement of all claims of every character between each, every and all of the parties hereto.
“ (Signed) Ruth Wilson A. V. Wilson
E.

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Bluebook (online)
111 P.2d 597, 8 Wash. 2d 162, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thumlert-v-jarvis-wash-1941.