Webert v. Roberts

179 N.W. 241, 211 Mich. 692, 1920 Mich. LEXIS 731
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 30, 1920
DocketDocket No. 56
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 179 N.W. 241 (Webert v. Roberts) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Webert v. Roberts, 179 N.W. 241, 211 Mich. 692, 1920 Mich. LEXIS 731 (Mich. 1920).

Opinion

Brooke, J.

In this case the learned circuit judge before whom the case was tried, without a jury, filed the following findings of fact and law :

“Facts.
“February 7th, 1919, defendant listed her residence in the city of Lansing with plaintiff, a real estate broker, for sale, the material part of the writing being as follows:
“ 'Residence property price $5,000.
“ ‘St. and No. 319 Bartlett.
“ ‘Terms
“ ‘Owner B. R. Roberts.
“ T agree to pay 3 per cent, of the selling price as commission to L. Or. Webert if this property is sold through his efforts or to any one with whom he has negotiated concerning the same.
“ ‘The exclusive sale is given..................for a period of
....................days from date thereof..........’
“April 9, 1919, plaintiff, through his efforts to sell the property, found a prospective purchaser in Carl B. Saxton, who on that day paid plaintiff $100 as an earnest and signed an agreement reading as follows:
“ ‘Webert Real Estate
“ ‘Memoranda of agreement made and entered into this date, April 9, 1919, by and between Mrs. Roberts, party of the first part, and Carl B. Saxton, party of the second part, to-wit: Party of the first part agrees to sell to said second party property known as 319 Bartlett st., Lansing, Michigan, on conditions as follows: Five thousand ($5,000) dollars. Terms $100 on signing this agreement, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the balance of forty-nine hundred ($4,900) dollars due and payable on or before date of possession.
“ ‘Said first party further agrees to deliver papers showing good marketable title and give possession on or before 45 days from date, also a regular commission of three due for services rendered.
“ ‘Party of the second part agrees to buy the above described property on the terms and conditions above stated and sign necessary papers on or before thirty days.
“ ‘This agreement is made subject to approval of owner.’
“Plaintiff sent the $100 paid by Mr. Saxton to Mrs. Roberts and she refused to take it and refused to sell [694]*694at the price agreed upon between plaintiff and. Mr. Saxton.
“Defendant claims that she was induced to sign the listing agreement through misrepresentation of plaintiff ; that it was agreed she should have $5,000 for her property over and above plaintiff’s commission, and to that end.it was to be listed at $5,200, and she was informed that it was so listed and signed the writing without reading it and it was not read to her, she wholly relying upon the assurance given her by plaintiff’s representative.
“The defendant admitting that she signed the writing, it is to be taken as it appears unless by a preponderance of the evidence it is made to appear that it does not speak the true agreement by reason of! fraud practiced upon defendant in obtaining her signature.
“The court is unable to find with defendant upon such issue of fact. When Mr. Saxton signed the agreement to purchase he did not have $5,000 in money; he had sold a place in which he had an equity of about $2,500, but the money had not been paid to him and was not yet paid when this case was heard in the justice’s court, but he had the promise of Kenney and Sayer, real estate dealers, that they would loan him $5,000 with which to purchase the Roberts property. The evidence shows that Kenney and Sayer were willing to make the loan to Mr. Saxton and had the money with which to do so. It appears that Mr. Saxton intended in good faith to purchase the property and could have procured the necessary money and was prevented from so purchasing solely by the refusal of the defendant to sell the property for $5,000.
“Law.
“The purchase by Mr. Saxton, if consummated, would have been a sale for cash. The agreement signed by Mr. Saxton, provided for the payment of $100 at the time of signing and the other $4,900 on or before date of possession and for defendant to der liver papers showing good marketable title and give possession on or before 45 days,- and performance thereof by Mr. Saxton, would, in law as well as in fact, have constituted him a purchaser for cash. In Fischer v. Bell, 91 Ind. 243, the agreement provided [695]*695for a cash sale and required the money to be paid upon the execution of the deed and it was held:
“ ‘Had the vendor signed and ratified the agreement made by his agent with the purchaser, it would have been a cash sale, because by its terms, upon the execution of the deed, he was entitled to every cent of the purchase money.’
“In the case at bar a cash sale was agreed to by Mr. Saxton and the character of the sale is not changed by the fact that time was provided for closing the deal and for delivery of possession, for it is common knowledge that after agreement to purchase it takes some time to examine the abstract and to prepare the necessary papers. ' The provision in the agreement on the part of Mr. Saxton to buy on the terms and conditions ‘above stated’ required him to pay the $4,900 on the date of possession, and defendant could have, had payment as soon as she wanted had she accepted the agreement and executed a deed and tendered the deed and possession.
“The agreement on the part of Mr. Saxton to_ ‘buy the described property on the terms and conditions above stated, and to sign necessary papers on or before thirty days,’ must be construed in connection with the terms and conditions ‘above stated’ and there it is expressly agreed he should pay in full in cash on or before date of possession. The agreement on the part of Mr. Saxton to sign necessary papers on or before thirty days is meaningless because under the agreement there would be no papers for him to sign. I am of the opinion that Mr. Saxton would have had to pay the full price immediately upon tender of a deed and of possession and the sale was therefore a sale for cash.
“Plaintiff under the listing agreement found a purchaser in Mr. Saxton, ready and willing and able to buy the property.. That Mr. Saxton was willing to buy clearly appears and that he was ready and able to buy on the terms of cash did not depend upon his having the money with which to do so in hand at the time he agreed to take the property, but upon his ability to perform at the time fixed for the passing of title and right of possession. Jaffe v. Nagel, 114 N. Y. Supp. 905.
[696]*696“If Mr. Saxton had the promise of a loan of the money with which to pay for the property, and such promise could be relied upon, then he is to be held as ready and able to perform, and such would be true, even though he expected to secure the loan on the property so purchased.
“The holding in the case of McCune v. Badger, 126 Wis. 186 (105 N. W.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
179 N.W. 241, 211 Mich. 692, 1920 Mich. LEXIS 731, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/webert-v-roberts-mich-1920.