Beiler v. Taylor
Beiler v. Taylor
Opinion of the Court
This is an action to 'enforce -specific performance of -a contract to convey a tract -of -land in Gregory oounty. The contract was entered -init» on the 23d 'day of June, 1916. The purchase price of the land was to be $6,000. Of this amount $1,000 was to be, and) was, paid when the contract was executed, $2,500 was to be paid ion the 1st day oif- the following November, and the -balance Whs to be paid in three payments) — -one, two, and three years -later. All -of the deferred payments were to draw interest from the date of the contract until paid. Ujp'oo the payment -of th-e said, sum of $2,500 cm the i.st day oif 'NjoVembcr, 1916, the grantors were to furnish the grantee an abstract of title and convey. the ¡property by warranty deed, and' this grantee was .given 'the option to pay all of the balance of the purchase -money ion that, date, 'oir to give tíie.grantors a mortgage to secure !th-e 'deferred payments. Possession of the land was to be -delivered! to plaintiff on the 1st day -oif December, 1916. The contract ipirlovid-ed “that the time
Plaintiff’s excuse .for not having made said payment on the d)ay fixed .by the .contract was that he forgot about it. fie is a ■Sw'isis, and unable to read or write tine English language, and testified that he remembered that he was to. have possession of the premises on the xst day of December, 1916, and, in some way, gained the dmlpression that that was the date when said payment was to be made.
The trial court made .findings of fact and conclusions of law fully sustaining .plaintiff’s contention;, and entered judgment accordingly. Er-om such judgment and an order overruling their motion for a new trial, -defendants appeal.
The appeal is utterly without merit. There i-s no -doubt that respondent intended, at all times, to pay the balance due- under the contract and complete 'thie purchase. Neither -is th-ere any dio-ubt that he wa-s able and wiilling — -even anxious' — to complete s-uch purchase. Has excuse for not having made the said
Another circumstance that slhiolwS the bad faith- olf appellants is the fact that, a few days prior to November i, 1916, respondent's son - had a .conversation- with on-e of appellants re-latiye to the contract in question and the date on which said payment w;as to become -due. In the course o-f s'aid1 -conversation, respondent's son said, in subs-tan-ce, that he -did not believe hi-s father understood that said1 payment was due -o-n the said ist day -of November, or that he w-as planning to- -make such- payment on that -date, but that he (-the son) -would telephone to his father about the matter, hot which said appellant replied- that a few days would not make any difference, anid the message -was not sent. Judging from the conduct of the respondent after he was reminded that he was -in default, there is no doubt th-ait, had the telephone message been sent, as suggested1 by hiis sloni, respondent -would •have made the payment o-n the date it fell due.
Under all the facts -as they appear from the record in this case, appellants! have -no standing whatever in- a ¡court of justice. In fact there is sUidh a total absence off merit -in appellant’s case that we are satisfied the .appeal was taken for the sole purpose of delaying respondent in completing thla purchase and acquiring possession! off the land
The judgment and order appealed1 -from; are affirmed1.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- BEILER v. TAYLOR
- Status
- Published