Hopkins v. Phillips
Hopkins v. Phillips
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff seeks in this action to recover the cash paid to the defendant upon the execution of articles of agreement for the sale and conveyance, by the latter, of three houses and lots in Philadelphia. The agreement was dated April 23, 1918, and provided that settlement should be made and the balance of the purchase money paid within fifty days from said date and that in case the plaintiff failed to pay the balance of the purchase money within said time the cash payment of three hundred dollars should be forfeited. The defendant asserted that the plaintiff had failed to make settlement and pay the balance of the purchase money within fifty days and had so forfeited the amount of the cash payment. The plaintiff recovered a verdict and judgment in the court below and the defendant appeals. The only assignments of error refer to the refusal of the court to give binding instructions in favor of the defendant and the overruling of a motion for judgment in favor of the defendant non obstante veredicto. If, therefore, the evidence was such as to require the submission of the case to the jury the judgment must be affirmed.
The defendant, in his written agreement, covenanted “for himself, his heirs, executors and administrators, to
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Syllabus
- Contracts — Contracts for sale of real estate — Breach of contract • — Money paid on account — Recovery. In an action of assumpsit for money paid on account, at the execution of articles of agreement for the sale of real estate, a verdict for the plaintiff will be sustained where it appears that the vendor had no title to the premises which he agreed to sell and was subsequently unable to make a conveyance. In such ease, a failure to tender the balance of purchase price did not entitle the defendant to assert a forfeiture, as upon his own showing, he could not have conveyed even if tender had been made. The plaintiff, under the covenants, was not bound to accept a deed from any grantor other than the defendant. He had the right to have the personal responsibility of the defendant behind the covenants of warranty contained in the deed, no matter whether the warranties were general or special. He could not be required to accept a deed from any irresponsible grantor, whom the defendant might select, when under the articles of sale, he was entitled to look for a conveyance from the defendant.