Brush-McWilliams Co. v. Gludt
Brush-McWilliams Co. v. Gludt
Opinion of the Court
This is an action to recover commissions on a real estate transaction. It is conceded by both sides that on or about the 10th day of October, 1909, the defendant agreed to and with one Mitchell to sell certain lands for cash; and that whatever the said Mitchell could get above the sum of $8,000 should be kept by him as commissions. The controversy is entirely over the question as to whether the defendant afterwards agreed to a modification of such contract, and agreed to accept a check for $1,000 and a promise to pay the balance in the spring. Although, too, the original contract was with one Mitchell, and no- principal was disclosed, the claim is now made and the suit brought by the Brush-McWilliams Land Company, as the undisclosed principal of said Mitchell. The jury in the trial court found for the defendant, and that no such modified contract was made, and an appeal is taken by the plaintiff to this court.
The defendant, Grludt, testifies that on Sunday, the 10th day of October, 1909, Mitchell came to his place, and asked him if he wanted to sell his farm, and that he said that he had thought that he would sell the place if he got his price, — that is, cash price, “$8,000 spot cash,” — and that Mitchell said, “All right;” that the next time he saw Mr. Mitchell was on the 14th day of October, 1909, at his place, and that there were, with Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Mott and Mr. Kamsey; that he was’working at the time in the potato patch; that while walking from the potato patch to the house Mr. Mitchell told him that he thought he had a purchaser for his place, but that the man did not have enough money to pay cash, and that he said, “Mr. Mitchell, you know that I would not sell this farm any other way than for cash, and I will never go into a deal on time;” that he then showed the party through the house, and that they left all together; that the next time he met Mr. Mitchell was on the 15th day of October, at about 9 or 10 o’clock in the morning; that Mitchell and Mott were in an automobile; that Mitchell
Mitchell testifies to practically the same facts as to October 10th, and that he did not think that there was anything said at that time as to his representing the Brush-McWilliams Company; that on October 14th he and Mott and Bamsey and Batcher drove out in an automobile, and found the defendant, Gludt, in the yard, digging potatoes; that he told Gludt that he had a customer; that Gludt took Bamsey into the house; that nothing was said at that time as to the price of the land or the terms of the sale; that that night he and Mott and Bamsey and Bates closed up a contract, partly oral and partly in writing; that the next day he, together with Mott and Batcher, the driver of the automobile, went out to Gludt’s place and had an interview with Gludt alongside of the automobile; that he said, “Good morning, Amil; you haven’t any farm this morning more than a jack rabbit;” that the ■defendant said, “That is good;” that he said: “ ‘I have sold it to Mr. Bamsey, and he can pay you $1,000 to-day, and give you the other $7,000 the 1st of March.’ ‘Well,’ he (defendant) says, ‘I don’t like .that.’ ‘Well,’ I told him, ‘it was a pretty good sale.’ ‘Well,’ he says,
The testimony of the plaintiff’s other witnesses, Ramsey, Bates, and Mott, is mainly to the same effect, and none of these witnesses make out a stronger case for the plaintiff than does the witness Mitchell. On these facts the jury found for the defendant, and that the plaintiff had failed to prove an agreement by the defendant to sell his farm on time, and to pay commissions therefor. The verdict is certainly in accordance with the testimony of the defendant, Gludt, and the jury was at liberty to believe him, if it saw fit. We would be loathe to oppose our opinion to that of the jury in such a matter. In fact, we have no right to do so. We are, indeed, further of the opinion that the testimony of the plaintiff’s witnesses themselves would not justify a verdict in the plaintiff’s favor. We can see in their testimony no clear evidence of a contract, no meeting of the minds. To
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BRUSH-McWILLIAMS COMPANY v. GLUDT
- Status
- Published