Heitsman v. Windahl
Heitsman v. Windahl
Opinion of the Court
Written instruments introduced in evidence, the genuineness of the signatures to which is not seriously questioned, tend to show that plaintiffs entered into a contract on May 19, 1902, to sell their farm of eighty acres to one Carson for $3,500, of which sum $500 was to be paid in cash and the balance on May 21th, on delivery of deed, possession, however, to remain in plaintiffs until March 1st following; that on May 21st this contract was canceled by the parties by writing indorsed on the back thereof; that on the same day plaintiffs entered into a written contract to sell the same farm to the defendant for $2,668, to be paid when title was perfected, except $1,000, which was to be withheld until surrender of possession to defendant on or before March 1st following, it being stipulated that defendant, out of the sum to be paid on perfecting title, should satisfy all liens and incumberments on the premises; that on the same day (May 21st) plaintiffs executed to defendant a warranty deed for the premises, naming a consideration of $2,668, which deed was at once recorded; that on the same day a note for $50 was executed by plaintiffs to defendant; and that on May 23d plaintiff, J. U. Heitsman, receipted to defendant for $198 to be applied on the purchase of the farm. It is conceded on both sides that on May 21st defendant, with Carson, who was the purchaser named in the written contract made two days before, one' Sexton, who was a notary public and defendant’s agent, and one Crowder, came to plaintiffs’ house and negotiated for the purchase of the farm, and that on this occasion the contract of sale and the deed to defendant were executed, and the contract with Carson was canceled. J. H. Heitsman testified that, as he could read writing with difficulty, Sexton at his request read the contract to him, and then reread it twice at Mrs. Heitsman’s request, and that each time he read the amount to be paid as $3,600; and in this he is fully corroborated by Mrs. Heitsman and their son Ernest, both of whom were present. He also testified that the deed was to be deposited in a bank until defendant made
While, as matter of law, a party to a written contract cannot say that he is not bound by its terms as written, because he neglected to read it, and therefore was not aware of its contents at the time of execution, yet, on the other hand, if he is misled as to the contents by the act of the other party in reading it to him otherwise than written, and with knowledge that the reading is relied upon 'for information as to the contents, then the party .thus misled may have relief on the ground of fraud. 1 Bigelow, Fraud, 525. The cases relied on by the appellant’s counsel are those in which it has been held that a party executing a contract, with full opportunity to advise himself of its contents, cannot have relief as against its provisions on the ground that the other party misrepresented the terms or their effect. It is shown by the evidence that J. H. Heitsman borrowed the notary’s glasses in order to sign the contract, and it is clear, therefore, that he knew Heitsman was dependent for information as to the contents of the contract on the notary’s reading. It appears that the deed was signed by plaintiffs on assurance from defendant that it corresponded to the contract.
The material question of fact is whether plaintiffs made out, by. clear and satisfactory evidence, that the consideration of the contract was read to them as $3,600, instead of $2,-668. It is plain to us that plaintiffs never intended to sell their farm for $2,668, and that defendant, as a reasonable man, could not have supposed they intended to do so. He does not pretend that he understood that the sale was made at that price. He claims that he was simply taking the contract off Carson’s hands, and-he knew, therefore, that the sale to Carson two days before was for a much larger amount. His explanation is that he was to pay and did pay Carson a sum which, with the $2,668 named in the contract, made the purchase price in reality $3100. The difficulty with
It must be admitted, on the other hand, that the testi
A motion to dismiss the appeal, which is submitted with the case, is overruled, because the facts on which it is predicated are not established by the record of any showing made to us.— Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- J. U. Heitsman v. E. S. Windahl
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- 1 case
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- Published