Woolley v. Loose

194 P. 908, 57 Utah 336, 14 A.L.R. 372, 1920 Utah LEXIS 112
CourtUtah Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 27, 1920
DocketNo. 3455
StatusPublished

This text of 194 P. 908 (Woolley v. Loose) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Utah Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Woolley v. Loose, 194 P. 908, 57 Utah 336, 14 A.L.R. 372, 1920 Utah LEXIS 112 (Utah 1920).

Opinion

FEICK, J.

The plaintiff brought this action in the district court of Salt Lake county against the defendant to recover upon five causes of action. Two of the causes of action have been eliminated, and hence only three remain to be considered.

The causes of action will, for convenience, be designated as first, second, and third.

As a first cause of action, plaintiff, in substance, alleges that at the time stated in the complaint he was a stockbroker and a member of the Salt Lake Stock & Mining Exchange, hereinafter referred to as Exchange merely, and that he sold and delivered to one Hatfield as agent of defendant, who was also a stockbroker and member of such Exchange, 5,000 shares of a certain mining stock for the sum of $6,000, no part of which sum has been paid. In the second cause of action it is alleged that the plaintiff as aforesaid sold 6,000 shares of said mining stock to the defendant through the same agent for the sum of $7,200; that said stock was tendered to the defendant and acceptance thereof refused by him, by reason of which refusal plaintiff was damaged in the sum of $1,200. In the third cause of action it is alleged that another firm of stockbrokers had sold to the defendant through his agent aforesaid 9,000 shares of the same mining stock for the sum of $10,800, and that said stock was tendered to the defendant and acceptance by him refused; that damages resulted from the refusal to accept said stock amounting to $1,575; that said claim was duly assigned to the plaintiff.

Plaintiff demanded judgment on all of said causes of action for the several amounts before stated.

The defendant answered plaintiff’s complaint, and to the first cause of action interposed two defenses: (1) Denying the authority of the alleged agent Platfield to represent him in the alleged transaction; and (2) alleging that the plaintiff was the agent of, and as such sold the stock for, the same person who directed and for whom the alleged agent of the defendant purchased stock — that is, defendant relied on [339]*339wbat is designated as the “common principal” defense. To the other two causes of action, in addition to the foregoing defenses, the defendant interposed the further defense of the statute of frauds.

Upon the foregoing issues the case was tried to the court'"''''without the intervention of a jury. The court made elaborate'' findings of fact and conclusions of law, all of which were in favor of the defendant, and entered judgment accordingly, from which judgment plaintiff appeals.

"While plaintiff’s counsel have assigned numerous errors, yet, in their briefs, "they frankly state:

“There is no dispute as to the facts in this case, and this appeal will he decided upon the law applicable to the undisputed facts.”

They, however, vigorously assail some of the conclusions of law and the judgment entered as aforesaid.

In accordance with the statement just made, counsel’s arguments are limited to a discussion of the legal principles which naturally arise out of the several defenses set up in defendant’s answer.

As before indicated, the court’s findings and conclusions of law are too voluminous to be stated at length within the limits of an opinion. We shall therefore state what we deem to be the material and controlling facts in our own way.

The plaintiff, at the time of the transactions in question^ was a stockbroker, and, as such, was also a member of the Exchange. The defendant was likewise a stockbroker and a' member of said Exchange. The defendant had, however, authorized one Hatfield to represent him as broker, (which authority was contained in a letter written by the defendant which reads as follows:

“Provo, Utah, Mar. 6, 1916.
“Salt Lake Stock & Mining Exchange, Salt Lake City, Utah— Gentlemen: Mr. H. T. Hatfield, being associated with me in
business, I hereby appoint him my agent, to act in my .behalf as a member of the Exchange (according to the rules of the Exchange), I being responsible for any and all business transacted by Mr. Hatfield as my representative.
“Very truly,
C. E. Loose.’

[340]*340The letter of defendant was based upon a by-law of tbe Exchange. The letter and the authority of Mr. Hatfield to act for the defendant was approved by the governing board.

On the 14th day of November, 1917, one A. F. Palm, who was also a stockbroker and member of the Exchange, gave to plaintiff an order to sell for him 5,000 shares of a certain mining stock at $1.20 per share. On the same day Palm ordered Hatfield, who was acting for the defendant as aforesaid, to purchase for Palm 5,000 shares of the same stock at the price aforesaid. The plaintiff did not know that Palm had ordered Hatfield to purchase 5,000 shares of said stock, although it seems Palm suggested to the plaintiff at the time that Hatfield would perhaps purchase the stock at the price aforesaid. After plaintiff had been ordered to sell and had been informed that Hatfield would perhaps buy the stock, he called the latter on the phone and inquired of him whether he would purchase the 5,000 shares of stock at the price aforesaid without, however, disclosing whose stock he was offering for sale. Hatfield agreed to purchase the stock at the price stated, which was done in pursuance of Palm’s order as aforesaid but without knowing that it was Palm’s (his principal’s) stock that he was buying, although he was buying it for Palm. After Hatfield had agreed to purchase the stock, plaintiff notified Palm of the sale, whereupon the latter personally delivered the 5,000 shares of stock to plaintiff so that he might deliver the same to Hatfield. At the time Palm delivered the stock he informed plaintiff that he was in need of funds, and plaintiff gave Palm a cheek for the amount of the stock less plaintiff’s commission, amounting to $30. Plaintiff, on the following day, delivered the 5,000 shares of stock to Hatfield and received the latter’s check in settlement. The latter immediately delivered the 5,000 shares of stock purchased by him from plaintiff for Palm to the latter, and received his check in settlement therefor. The foregoing transactions respecting the sale and purchase of the stock occurred over the phone and while both parties, plaintiff and Hatfield, were in their respective offices. The delivery of the stock was, however, made by the plaintiff to [341]*341Hatfield on tlie floor of tbe Exchange, but not as an Exchange transaction. After receiving Palm’s check for the 5,000 shares of stock, Hatfield presented the same for payment, and payment was refused for want of funds. Hatfield had intended to pay the check he gave plaintiff out of the funds he realized from Palm’s check, and, in view that Palm’s check was not paid, Hatfield’s check likewise remained unpaid. Palm being insolvent, plaintiff seeks to recover from the defendant on the first cause of action the amount he advanced to Palm on the stock, upon the theory that defendant is liable for the acts of his agent Hatfield and that plaintiff was the owner of the stock. J

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Bluebook (online)
194 P. 908, 57 Utah 336, 14 A.L.R. 372, 1920 Utah LEXIS 112, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/woolley-v-loose-utah-1920.