Hovey v. Howard
Hovey v. Howard
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
We fire unable to discover any particular force in the contention that the bill should have been dismissed on the ground that Howard had no notice, before it was filed, of Hovey’s purpose to rescind the contract. Howard had assigned to James T. Richards, by deed dated November 30, 1889, and duly recorded in the proper office, whatever interests he acquired under his contract with Hovey. Before the institution of the suit Hovey had tendered to Richards all the money he had received from Howard on account of the contract, and it is clear that in the event of rescission Richards was the party entitled to receive it. He was made a corespondent with Howard in the suit and the same was heard and disposed of on its merits. There is no discernible cause for setting aside the decree if the findings on which it was based were warranted by the evidence.
The material question in the case is whether the learned court below erred in sustaining and entering a decree in conformity with Hovey’s contention in regard to the nature and terms of his contract with Howard. Hovey claimed that the
In all the issues of fact made by the bill and answer the findings of the master are against the appellant. Those findings were warranted by the evidence and approved by the court. They established the contract as claimed by the appellee and show his willingness and the appellants refusal to comply with it. They also show that the latter sought to acquire through the mistake of the clerk that which he knew was not included in their contract. Surely under these circumstances he ought not to complain of the rescission of the contract and the payment of the money received thereunder to the party who by his own deed was entitled to it.
Decree affirmed and appeal dismissed at the costs of the appellant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Franklin S. Hovey v. James Howard, and James T. Richards
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Vendor and vendee — Mistake—Equity—Rescission of contract. On a bill in equity for the rescission of a contract for the sale of land, the master and the court below on sufficient evidence found as a fact that the plaintiff had agreed orally to sell to H., one of the defendants, a lot of ground with streets laid down upon a plan, excepting from the same four lots already sold which had acquired easements on the streets. A clerk by direction of the plaintiff gave a receipt to H. for the portion of the purchase money paid, in which receipt the land was described in such a way as to include all of the land on the plan, without reference to the streets or the lots sold. Some months after the date of the receipt and, as plaintiff alleged, as soon as he discovered the mistake, he notified H., and subsequently tendered him a deed drawn in accordance with the oral contract, found by the master to be the real contract between the parties. The deed was refused. Subsequently H. conveyed his interest in the contract to R., the other defendant. Plaintiff informed R. that he elected to rescind the contract of sale, and tendered to R. the portion of the purchase money paid. Held, that plaintiff was entitled to a decree rescinding the contract.