Hardin v. Baker
Hardin v. Baker
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
Hardin lived in Colorado and owned some Kansas lands. Baker lived in Louisiana, where he owned certain land. Dey is a real-estate agent at Newton, Kan. Hardin and Baker agreed to exchange certain of these lands, the deeds and abstracts to be placed in the hands of Dey and delivered by him when properly approved. Hardin executed and deposited his papers but Baker did not. Dey found a chance to trade 128 acres of the Harvey county land, worth about $12,-000, for 300 acres of land in Madison county, Texas, and $1215 in cash, such amount being enough to pay off the mortgage thereon and leave a few hundred dollars remaining. This Texas land was worth about $1500. Hardin sued Baker for damages for nonperformance of the main contract and took judgment by default for $21,579, and garnished Dey, who held the balance of the cash received with the Texas land, and who, in his answer, claimed $300 thereof as a commission from Baker for the exchange. The court found that the exchange was conducted by Baker through Dey, who represented him, but that there was no express agreement for commission, and concluded that Dey was entitled to none.
Dey appeals, and contends that as he performed services for Baker, which the court found would have been reasonably worth $300 if contracted for and which were accepted by Baker, he should be allowed such sum as a commission. The findings do not show why the court concluded that Dey was not- entitled to a commission, but the evidence does. Hardin testified that Dey told
It seems fairly clear, therefore, that by promising Hardin to hold the deed to the Texas land for his protection Dey succeeded in causing Hardin to part with land worth $12,000, for which he has to show land worth about $1500, and that the trade was not of Baker’s contrivance but of Dey’s, who was really using the land of his clients to deal with the Wichita parties. Had the trade gone through the 128-acre tract would have become Baker’s, and it is not reasonable to suppose he would have knowingly authorized Dey to exchange it for land worth so little as the Texas land. The trade never having been completed, the land never really became Baker’s. When Baker found that the deed to him had been recorded he conveyed to Hardin, thus showing that whatever proceeds of the 128 acres there were belonged to Hardin and not to Baker. And,
Under the evidence the court was right in its conclusion that no commission was due from Baker, and certainly none could be claimed out of Hardin’s money.
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- J. H. Hardin v. M. C. Baker (M. W. Dey, Garnishee, Appellant)
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. Real-estate Agent — Contract for Exchange of Lands — Sale Not Completed'■ — Commissions. H. and B. contracted to exchange certain lands and to put the papers in the hands of D., a real-estate agent. B. failed to perform and H. obtained judgment against him for damages in an action in which he garnished D., who had in his hands certain boot money received by him in a trade he had made of a portion of H.’s lands for land in Texas with the consent of B. on the supposition that the original contract would be carried out. D. claimed a commission from B., but the evidence showed that D. had no contract with B. for a commission, and further, that the boot money in his hands belonged to H. -Held, that D. was not entitled to the commission claimed.