Olhava v. Gerson
Olhava v. Gerson
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
Plaintiff in the trial court has appealed to this Court on
Plaintiff filed his petition for specific performance of a written agreement entered into under date of March 16, 1948, whereunder plaintiff agreed to purchase, and defendant agreed to sell, certain material covering what was described as a “Perry Cottage” for the stated price of $3,000.00. The petition further asked for damages in the sum of $5,000.00 for injuries sustained by defendant’s breach of contract and for an additional $5000.00 compensatory damages or a total of $10,000.00.
Defendant in turn filed an answer and cross-petition denying plaintiff’s right to specific performance of the agreement and asking for reformation thereof, alleging that the actual purchase price agreed on by the parties was $3800.00 and not $3000.00. The trial court, after hearing the evidence of both parties, found against plaintiff upon his petition and in favor of defendant with respect to the right of reformation of the written contract. The court ordered defendant to return to plaintiff the sum of $500.00, the down payment on the purchase price, and then ordered that upon such payment both parties be deemed released from the obligation of the agreement, the costs being assessed against plaintiff.
The case came on for hearing in this Court on questions of law and fact. The transcript of the testimony in the trial court, supplemented by additional testimony taken by plaintiff and defendant prior to argument, was submitted as testimony in this court. During argument, it was conceded by plaintiff that the circumstances had so changed since the entry into of the original agreement under date of March 16, 1948, that specific performance would no longer be desirable and plaintiff indicated a preference to proceed in this court on questions of law, waiving the appeal on law and fact. This Court thereupon, by the agreement of the parties, dismissed this appeal on law and fact and retained it on law and it was further agreed that the transcript of the evidence taken in the trial court should be considered as the bill of exceptions without the certificate of the trial judge. Sec. 11571 GC. On that basis, this court can consider only the testimony before the trial court and not the additional testimony filed in this court covering testimony of March 4, 1952, and exhibits J, K and L introduced at that time.
The judgment of the Common Pleas Court is therefore reversed and the cause is remanded for further proceedings according to law. Exceptions noted. Order see journal.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.