Fenn v. Dickey
Fenn v. Dickey
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Notwithstanding the number and the elaboration of the assignments of error, there is little in this case but questions of fact which the jury have settled.
The stress of the argument was put on the absence of sufficient evidence of a joint contract by all the parties defendant, and especially by Kreitler, as to whom it was admitted that he
No just complaint can be made of the charge of the learned judge on this subject, as he several times, in the most explicit and forcible way told the jury that unless they found that all the defendants joined in the contract originally or by ratification, the verdict could not be for the plaintiff. The criticism of the charge in the fifth and sixth assignments, as putting to the jury an alternative of execution or ratification, which included all the parties in both categories, is over refined. The jury were explicitly told more than once that as Kreitler did not purchase a share in the land until July he was not a party to the original contract and could only become so by ratification. The jury could not have failed to understand the judge as directing that each and every one of the defendants must be shown to have joined in the contract either by actual participation in making it, or by precedent authority to those who actually made it, or by ratification, and that as to Kreitler the last was the only way in which the evidence would permit including him. The appellants were certainly not entitled to ask anything more than this.
In this connection the fourth assignment may be considered. In charging as to Kreitler the judge called attention to the date of his purchase and told the jury, as already discussed, that “unless you would find that he was interested before the agreement,” ratification was the only means of bringing him into the contract. It is now complained that this was submitting to the. jury a fact of which there was no evidence. But this is not the fair and reasonable construction of the language used. Taking it in its connection with what precedes and follows, it clearly means “Kreitler did not buy until July, and therefore he can only be brought in by ratification, unless you should find that he was interested before the agreement, which would be finding that he authorized Dickey or Darrah to sell property which he did not then own.” It was a parenthetical remark and, so far from submitting a proposition to the jury to find such previous interest, was intended to show them how absurd such a result would be, and thereby to emphasize the necessity of finding ratification in order to include Kreitler. The jury could not have been misled by it.
The third assignment cannot be sustained. There was no evidence to justify the affirmance of the point that plaintiff could have sold for more than $400,000 and did not do so. Pardee & Son had an option at $450,000 but no binding contract at that price.
It is somewhat difficult to see upon what the seventh, eighth and ninth assignments are based. The portions of the charge there specified were correct statements of the law, and the testimony of Barton Pardee was uncontradicted that the contract of August 13, though made in his own name, was on account of the firm of A. Pardee & Son, the purchasers procured by plaintiff.
The tenth assignment, as to the admission of McLain’s testimony, is sufficiently answered by the learned judge below, that McCain’s saying to plaintiff, “ all right, go on and fetch your party and we will do as we contracted to do,” shows knowledge and ratification of what Darrah and Dickey had assumed to do.
As the amended statement introduced no new cause of action there was no error in permitting the amendment.
The other assignments of error do not seem to require special notice.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- James V. Fenn v. William Dickey, William McCain, F. X. Kreitler, and T. D. Collins, who survive E. H. Darrah
- Cited By
- 5 cases
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- Published
- Syllabus
- Contract — Broker—Commissions for sale of land — Evidence—Question for jury. In an action to recover commissions for securing a purchaser for land, the evidence for the plaintiff, although contradicted, tended to show that he made a contract with two of the owners to receive commissions if lie sold the land at a certain price; that this contract was communicated to the other owners, and assented to by them; that he subsequently procured a purchaser who was able, ready and willing to pay the price which the owners asked for the land; and who entered into a contract with the owners to pay the price, but that the sale fell through and the contract was rescinded because a good title could not be made. Held, that the plaintiff had made out a prima facie case which could not have been kept from the jury, no matter how strong the opposing evidence. Contract — Commissions for sale of land — Ratification—Question for jury. In an action to recover commissions for selling laud it appeared that the plaintiff entered into a contract with the owners of the land by which ho was to receive certain commissions for the sale'of the land. After this contract was made K. acquired an interest in the land. Subsequently K. with the other owners entered into a written contract to sell the land to a purchaser whom the plaintiff had procured. Just before the settlement with the purchaser was to be made, K., according to plaintiff’s testimony, said to plaintiff that they were all obliged to him for selling the land. One of the other owners said to plaintiff, “ I presume you want your money,” and K. said, “We will be ready for you shortly.” Held, that the evidence of K.’s ratification of plaintiff’s contract was sufficient to take the case to the jury as to K. with the others.