Wells v. Higgins

58 P.2d 1097, 144 Kan. 155, 1936 Kan. LEXIS 208
CourtSupreme Court of Kansas
DecidedJuly 3, 1936
DocketNo. 32,211
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 58 P.2d 1097 (Wells v. Higgins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wells v. Higgins, 58 P.2d 1097, 144 Kan. 155, 1936 Kan. LEXIS 208 (kan 1936).

Opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

Wedell, J.:

This suit was brought to cancel and set aside a deed to real estate in Atchison county, Kansas, quiet the title in plaintiffs and to cancel and set aside a bill of sale conveying personalty located upon and used in connection with that real estate. The deed and bill of sale were parts of the same contract. Plaintiffs prevailed, and defendants, C. F. Higgins and Minnie B. Higgins, his wife, appeal.

Defendants traded the Naples Hotel at Long Beach, Cal., for plaintiffs’ property — Prospect Park Sanitarium — in Atchison county, Kansas. The contract for the exchange was executed in California. Plaintiffs were both of advanced age. George W. Wells was eighty-three years of age, and Mary C. Wells, his wife, was seventy-eight. The basis of plaintiffs’ action was alleged fraud. There were several defendants, but we will refer to C. F. and Minnie B. Higgins, with whom plaintiffs contracted, as the defendants. The trial court made findings of fact and conclusions of law. The findings of fact are:

“1. The court finds that on or about August 22, 1931, the plaintiffs made, executed and delivered unto the defendants, C. F. Higgins and Minnie B. Higgins, a warranty deed covering the following-described real estate, to wit: The south fifty-four (54) acres of the east half of the northeast quarter of section eleven (11), township six (6), range twenty (20), in Atchison county, state of Kansas, and a bill of sale, in writing, covering certain personal property located in and about the above-described real estate, which consisted of furniture, furnishings, kitchen equipment and other equipment, harvested and growing crops, farming implements, certain livestock, etc., free and clear of all liens and encumbrances.
[157]*157“That on or about the same time, and as a part of the same transaction, the defendants, C. F. Higgins and Minnie B. Higgins, did make, execute and deliver unto the plaintiffs a certain deed covering the following-described real estate in,California, to wit: Lots three (3) and four (4), and five (5), block ten (10), tract No. 500, in the city of Long Beach, Los Angeles county, California, book 14, page 186, of maps, known as the Naples Hotel, subject to a trust deed in favor of the Mutual Building and Loan Association securing an unpaid balance of principal of $26,600, and the defendants did at the same time transfer unto the plaintiffs the equipments and furnishings in said hotel, subject to a mortgage or encumbrance to secure a debt of $4,950, which said encumbrances were to be paid as follows: On said hotel at the rate of $390 per month, on the hotel furnishings at the rate of $200 per month. That hereafter the Atchison county property will be referred to as Prospect Park Sanitarium, and the California property will be referred to as the Naples Hotel.
“That the plaintiffs actually took possession of the Naples Hotel property about the 10th of October, 1931;.that the defendants Higgins took possession of the Prospect Park Sanitarium a few days before that date.
“Prior to the execution of the conveyances aforesaid plaintiffs and defendants Higgins, in the city of Long Beach, Cal., and at a branch of the Bank of Italy, entered into certain escrow agreements, which were amended in certain minor respects from time to time, which escrow agreements are attached to^ the depositions on file herein as exhibit C, and said escrow agreements concern the transfer of said properties.
“2. At the time this litigation was instituted by the plaintiffs, Virgil Morrison of Atchison, Kan., claimed some interest in the Prospect Park Sanitarium, under some contract claimed to have been made by him with the defendants Higgins, and said Virgil Morrison was made a party to this action, but thereafter said Morrison dismissed his answer and cross petition herein and withdrew from the litigation and thereafter made no further claim in the matter, and does not now make any claim that he had any rights to or interest in the Prospect Park Sanitarium.
“3. The court finds that the defendant, C. F. Higgins, made and caused to' be made the following false and fraudulent representations and statements to-the plaintiffs which were by the defendant, C. F. Higgins, known to be false when made and which were made for the purpose of deceiving the plaintiffs who were deceived thereby and who relied thereon, to wit:
“A. That with the exception of two dull months in the year the rooms in the Naples Hotel had been averaging fifty percent to three fourths full or rented, and that on week ends all of the rooms were rented and people had to be turned away, when in truth and in fact said rooms had not been averaging fifty percent to three fourths full, nor on week ends were all of the rooms rented during, the time the hotel had been operated by the defendants Higgins (which was for a period of approximately seventeen months prior to the exchange of the properties).
“B. That the original cost of the furniture in the Naples Hotel, exclusive of the dining room and kitchen furniture and equipment, was $22,500, when in. truth and in fact same cost approximately $10,500.
[158]*158“C. That the said hotel cost defendants Higgins $60,000, when in truth and in fact it cost them much less than that.
“D. That at the time of the exchange and prior thereto, said Naples Hotel was self-sustaining, when in truth and in fact it was being operated at a loss.
“E. That said C. E. Higgins could and would within six months from the time of the exchange of said properties sell the Naples Hotel for the plaintiffs for the sum of $85,000, which sum was its true value, when in truth and in fact said C. F. Higgins had no intention of so doing, knew that the same could not be done and did not do so, and knew that said hotel was worth’ a great deal less than said sum at said time.
“F. That he had a tenant that would rent said hotel for the sum of $600 per month, and that the hotel could be rented for said sum, when in truth and in fact he had no tenant who would rent said hotel and knew that said hotel could not be rented for any sum, due to the fact that it was then losing money.
“G. That said hotel was paying its way, that is, was making enough to pay the mortgages and operating costs, when in truth and in fact said hotel was not paying its way, but was losing money.
“4. That each and all of the foregoing representations and statements as set forth in finding three were made by the defendant, C. F. Higgins, with the purpose and intent of deceiving the plaintiffs and defrauding them, and that the plaintiffs believed said statements and relied thereon, and made said exchange of properties depending and relying on said statements, and believing that the same were true and that the plaintiffs would not have made said exchange if said statements had not been made and if they had not believed them to have been true.
“5. That the plaintiffs are people of advanced age: George W. Wells is eighty-three years of age, and Mary C.

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

Related

Shields v. Meyer
325 P.2d 29 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1958)
Howard v. Hale
121 P.2d 237 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1942)
Smith v. Miller
75 P.2d 273 (Supreme Court of Kansas, 1938)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 P.2d 1097, 144 Kan. 155, 1936 Kan. LEXIS 208, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wells-v-higgins-kan-1936.