United States v. Duke Building Corp.

79 F. Supp. 681, 1948 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2354
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. Florida
DecidedSeptember 21, 1948
DocketCiv. No. 2204-M
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 79 F. Supp. 681 (United States v. Duke Building Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Duke Building Corp., 79 F. Supp. 681, 1948 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2354 (S.D. Fla. 1948).

Opinion

MIZE, District Judge.

On the 2nd day of April, 1946, the defendant, Duke Building Corporation, by and through Joseph H. Parker, its President, filed with the Federal Housing Administration at Miami, Florida, on Form CPA 4386, an application for a priority rating for the construction of five residence structures, and which priority was granted on the 3rd day of April, 1946. A stipulation was filed in this record to the effect that the four structures described in the bill of complaint and hereinafter particularly mentioned were built under the authority of such priority wherein the maximum sale price of said structures was fixed at the sum of $7,750. At the time said priority was granted, Priority Regulation 33 contained the following provision:

“(i) Notices In Advertisements And Deeds.
“(1) As long as this regulation remains in effect, a builder who has used the HH rating to get materials for a dwelling and every other person who has acquired title to a dwelling (whether completed or not) in which materials obtained with an HH rating have been incorporated must include a statement in substantially the following form in any deed, conveyance or other instrument by which the dwelling is sold, transferred or mortgaged to any other person:
[682]*682“The building on the premises hereby conveyed was built (converted) under the Reconversion Housing Program of the Civilian Production Administration under Priorities Regulation 33 (Builder’s Serial No.-) and an HH rating was used to get materials for the construction. Under that regulation a limit is placed on either the sales price or the rent for the premises or both and preferences are given to veterans of World War II in selling or renting. As long as that regulation remains in effect, any violation of these restrictions by the grantee or by any subsequent purchaser will subject him to the penalties provided by law. The above is inserted only to give notice of the provisions of Priorities Regulation 33 and neither the insertion of the above nor the regulation is intended to affect the validity of the interest hereby conveyed.”

It appears from the stipulation of the parties and exhibits filed in evidence pursuant to said stipulation that on the 29th day of November, 1946, the defendant Duke Building Corporation executed a deed wherein it conveyed to Wilks B, Hale and Patricia Ann Hale, his wife, certain property described in said deed as “Lot 2, Block 2 of Parkers Shores, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Plat Book 45, at Page 68, of the Public Records of Dade County, Florida,” and that said deed was filed for record in Deed Book 2787 at page 1, of the Public Records of Dade County, Florida; that on the 29th day of November, 1946, the defendant Duke Building Corporation executed a deed wherein it conveyed to Edgar H. White and Shirley A. White, fais wife, certain property described in said deed as “Lot 3, Block 2 of Parkers Shores, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Plat Book 45, at Page 68, of the Public Records of Dade County, Florida,” and that said deed was filed for record in Deed Book 2786 at page 541, of the Public Records of Dade County, Florida; that on the 27th day of December, 1946, the defendant Duke Building Corporation executed a deed wherein it conveyed to James C. Watkins and Virginia B. Watkins, his wife, certain property described in said deed as "Lot 4, Block 2 of Parkers Shores, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Plat Book 45, at Page 68, of the Public Records of Dade County, Florida,” and that said deed was filed for record in Deed Book 2801, at page 26, o.f the Public Records of Dade County, Florida; that on the 29th day of November, 1946, the defendant Duke Building Corporation executed a deed wherein it conveyed to Roger C. Steiden and Betty Steiden, his wife, certain property described in said deed a-s “Lot 5, Block 2, Parkers Shores, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Plat Book 45, at Page 68, of the Public Records of Dade County, Florida”, and that said deed was filed for record in Deed Book 2786 at Page 550, of the Public Records of Dade County, Florida. Not any of the ■ deeds contained the warning notice hereinabove referred to, as is required by the act,

The defendants, Dulce Building Corporation and Joseph H. Parker will be ■ordered, at their own expense, to prepare and cause to be placed of record in the ■public records of Dade County, Florida, a corrective deed wherein the property is conveyed to the identical grantees in the deeds above mentioned but containing the warning notice from Priority regulation 33 as hereinbefore stated, and the recording fees for said corrective deeds shall be paid by the defendants.

There was also an application of the government for a mandatory injunction requiring the defendants to pay to the .purchasers severally the sum of $1,250 each alleged to have been unlawfully demanded and received by the said defendants. It appears from the stipulation of the parties that after the granting of the priority hereinbefore .mentioned, which was given No. 66-066-01335, no application was made to the Federal Housing Administration for any change in said priority or increase in the sale price, nevertheless the defendant Duke Building Corporation, acting by and through the defendant, Joseph H. Parker, its President, did demand and receive as the sale price of “Lot 2, Block 2 of Parers Shores, according to the plat thereof,” from Wilks B.. Hale and Patricia Ann Hale, his wife, the sum of $9,000.00; and did demand and receive as the sale price of Lot 3, Block 2 of Parkers Shores, ac[683]*683cording to the plat thereof, from Edgar H. White and Shirley A. White, his wife, the sum of $9,000.00; and did demand and receive as the sale price of “Lot 5, Block 2, Parkers Shores, according to the plat thereof,” from Roger C. Steiden and Betty Steiden, his wife, the 'sum of $9,000; and did demand and receive as the sale price of “Lot 4, Block 2 of Parkers Shores, according to the plat thereof” from James C. Watkins and Virginia B. Watkins, his wife, the sum of $9,000; and that the said sale price so demanded and received by said defendants was the sum of $1,250 above the maximum sale price as fixed in said priority.

The defendants, Duke Building Corporation and Joseph H. Parker, will be required to pay back to Wilks B. Hale and Patricia Ann Hale, his wife, the sum of $1,250 in cash, together with interest thereon at the rate of six per cent per annum; and to pay to Edgar H. White and Shirley A. White, his wife, the sum of $1,250 in cash, together with interest thereon at the rate of six per cent per annum; and to pay to James C. Watkins and Virginia B. Watkins, his wife, the sum of $1,250 in -cash, together with interest thereon at the rate of six per cent per annum; and to pay to Roger C. Steiden and Betty Steiden, his wife, the sum of $1,250 in ca-sh, together with interest thereon at the rate of six per cent per annum.

All the facts hereinabove were admitted by the defendants, 'but after the Government had rested the defendants stated they expected to prove as their defense that the prospective purchasers, before the houses were completed and before any contract of sale had been entered into, had ¡requested the defendants to make alterations and changes in the houses and that they would pay the cost of the extras.

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Bluebook (online)
79 F. Supp. 681, 1948 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2354, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-duke-building-corp-flsd-1948.