Vandeventer v. Dale Construction Company

534 P.2d 183, 271 Or. 691, 82 A.L.R. 3d 1108, 1975 Ore. LEXIS 554
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedApril 17, 1975
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 534 P.2d 183 (Vandeventer v. Dale Construction Company) 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
Vandeventer v. Dale Construction Company, 534 P.2d 183, 271 Or. 691, 82 A.L.R. 3d 1108, 1975 Ore. LEXIS 554 (Or. 1975).

Opinions

TONGUE, J.

This is a suit for specific performance by the purchasers of a house and lot against both the seller of the house and the mortgage company which allegedly reneged upon a loan commitment to provide funds for the purchase of the house. Both defendants filed demurrers to the complaint, which were sustained. Plaintiffs appeal.

The complaint alleges that plaintiffs entered into an earnest money agreement with defendant Dale Construction Company for the purchase of a lot and house which Dale was to build. That agreement, dated January 2, 1973, provided for a purchase price of $31,500, of which $1,650 was paid down and the balance “payable as follows: Transaction subject to purchaser qualifying for a Federal VA loan, in the amount of $29,850.”

The complaint then alleges that in February 1973 plaintiffs were qualified by the Veterans Administration for such a loan; that defendant Amfac Mortgage Corporation “agreed to make said VA approved home mortgage loan to plaintiffs in the sum of $29,850.00 at 7% per annum for 30 years, and agreed to hold said sum for the benefit of defendant, Dale Construction Company,” and that Dale, in reliance upon that loan commitment by Amfac, proceeded to build the house substantially completing it by June 8, 1973.

The complaint goes on to allege that plaintiffs, in reliance upon the Amfac commitment to make the loan and upon the agreement by Dale to execute a deed to the property, did the following: (1) “surrendered” their former house and moved into the new [694]*694house; (2) paid an additional $1,000 for carpeting and also, at additional cost, installed a built-in dishwasher and extra lighting fixtures; (3) had the property landscaped and built a sidewalk to the garage, and (4) executed and delivered to Amfac a trust deed note and trust deed, and paid the sum of $1,075 for loan closing costs. Plaintiffs also allege that they “performed all conditions previously required of them by defendants.” Finally, the complaint alleges that Amfac refused to “conclude said loan as agreed upon,” and that Dale refused to convey title.

The prayer of the complaint is to require Amfac to provide the funds; to require Dale to convey title, and for “Such other further relief as the Court may deem just and equitable.”

The demurrers were based upon the ground that the complaint failed to state a cause of suit against either defendant.

1. Under the facts alleged, plaintiffs were entitled to specific performance of the Amfac commitment to make the loan.

As contended by Amfac, it is the general rule that equity will not compel specific performance of an agreement to lend money, citing Pomeroy, Specific Performance of Contracts 131-32, § 48 (3d ed 1926). The reason for that rule, according to Pomeroy, is that the breach of such a contract “can always be fully compensated by damages.”

It has been recognized, however, that there may be cases in which the loss to the borrower resulting from the refusal by a lender to make good on an agreement to make a loan may be such as to be not “fully” compensable by an award of money damages. Thus, in Columbus Club v. Simons, 110 Okla 48, 236 P 12, 41 ALR 350 (1925), the plaintiff, in reliance upon an agreement by the defendant to loan $125,000 to build [695]*695a new clubhouse, sold its existing clubhouse; purchased lots on which to build the new clubhouse; entered into a contract for the construction of the new clubhouse ; and made purchases of personal property and other preparations. The court in Columbus, although recognizing the general rule, held (236 P at 15) that there may be circumstances and conditions such as to require an exception to the rule, as when “there is no basis on which a jury can estimate the damages,” and that the circumstances of that case were such as to come within an exception.

We believe that the circumstances of this case, although somewhat different than those in Columbus are also sufficient to come within that exception to the general rule. See Cuna Mutual Insurance Society v. Dominguez, 9 Ariz App 172, 450 P2d 413 (1969), 5A Corbin on Contracts 167-68, § 1152 (1964). Cf. Kent v. Walter E. Heller & Company, 349 F2d 480, 481, 483 n. 3 (5th Cir 1965); Southhampton Wholesale F. Term. v. Providence P.W. Co., 129 F Supp 663, 664 (D Mass 1955); and Steward v. Bounds, 167 Wash 554, 9 P2d 1112, 1116 (1932).

As stated in Coppock et al v. Roberts, 116 Or 253, 263, 240 P 886 (1925), although under different facts (quoting with approval from another ease):

“ ‘The fact that a party can avail himself of a remedy in a court of law will not preclude him from obtaining relief in a court of equity unless the legal remedy in respect to the final relief and the mode of securing it, is as efficient as the remedy which a court of equity can afford under the same circumstances: [citing other Oregon cases].’ ”

In addition to giving up their home, moving into the new house and incurring additional expenses, plaintiffs also point out, and ask this court to take judicial notice, that during 1973 interest rates on home loans were increasing rapidly. Therefore, plaintiffs [696]*696argue, not only would they have suffered additional loss if required to seek another loan at an increased rate of interest, if they could afford to do so, but they might well have found it necessary to sell the house before the 30-year loan was paid and the value and resale price of the house would be substantially greater if sold subject to a trust deed or mortgage at an interest rate of seven percent, as agreed upon with Amfac, than if subject to a trust deed or mortgage at a higher rate of interest. In addition, plaintiffs point out that this is not a case involving specific performance of a wholly unexecuted contract, but that plaintiffs partially performed their contract with Amfac by payment of $1,075 in loan closing costs and by the execution of the note and trust deed. See Fry on Specific Performance 24-25, § 54 (6th ed 1921).

Defendant Amfac concedes that interest rates on home loans were rising rapidly during 1973. Indeed, it appears that this was the reason for its refusal to proceed with its agreement to make the loan at an interest rate of seven percent. Amfac contends, however, that it is unfair to confer that benefit upon plaintiffs and to require Amfac to make a loan at a lower rate of interest than the rate prevailing at the time when the house was completed. In our judgment, however, that was a risk which was assumed by Amfac when it agreed to make the loan at an interest rate of seven percent.

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534 P.2d 183, 271 Or. 691, 82 A.L.R. 3d 1108, 1975 Ore. LEXIS 554, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/vandeventer-v-dale-construction-company-or-1975.