Hagelstein v. Campbell
Hagelstein v. Campbell
Opinion of the Court
Appellee sued on a contract between him and appellants, which, among other things, provided for the sale of certain lands, praying for a construction of the contract and, in the event it b.e held that appellants were entitled to the use of what is called the “lower pasture” from and after August 1, 1914, that, appellee recover of them the taxes due on same in 1915 and 1916; but if it be held that appellee was entitled to the use of said “lower pasture” after August 1, 1914, then that appellee recover of appellants the sum of $5,659.82 for the rental value of the -lower pasture from August 1, 1914, to March 20, 1917, and taxes for 1916, and also recover $1,512.50, rent money collected on the “upper pasture” and retained by appellants. The cause was tried without a jury, and judgment rendered setting aside an agreement between appellants and appellee whereby the rent of the upper pasture should be divided equally between them, and that for rent of such pasture appellee recover $2,575, less the sum of $1,287.50 paid and tendered by appellants, the balance being $1,287.50, and that appellee recover $1,291.50 rent on the lower pasture, the whole amount recovered, with the $225 tendered into court by appellants, amounting to $2,804.
In the sales contract between appellants and appellee,. ,wibich became effective on March 20, 1914, appellee placed in the hands of appellants 9,000 or 10,000 acres or land in Atascosa county, to be sold by them within 3 years from March 20, 1914, it being provided that 1,000 acres should be sold in the first 6 months for the net sum to appellee of $20 an acre, 1,000 acres to be sold in the second 6 months for a sum that would net appellee $21 an acre, and so on until for the fifth 6 months the net sum for appellee should be $25 an acre; it being provided that appellants were compelled to take the 3,899.6 acres remaining after the sales provided for. It was also provided that, if appellants failed to sell the requisite number of acres within the required time, appellee could cancel and annul the contract. A lease of the 9,000 acres did not expire until August 1, 1914, and it was provided that the contract should not interfere with the lease. Appellee testified that he desired to lease the lower pasture, and appellants claimed to own it under the contract, and that he asked them about the-upper pasture, and whether they were claiming that, and they said not. He did not attempt to lease the lower pasture, and they stocked it with cattle. The contract gave ap-pellee the right to use all the land not sold and fenced by the purchaser. Appellee informed appellants that he intended to hold them liable for rent of the lower pasture. Appellee testified that he told appellants, that he intended to rent the upper pasture. In that pasture the water supply was limited, and appellants told appellee that it was all sold; that they had sold the two tracts which had the water supply, and appellee could not lease it, because under the contract the ven-dees could fence off all the water. Appellants said that they could control the water supply if they were given one-half the lease money, aná believing that the water supply had been sold, appellee agreed to their proposition. The land had not been sold, although tract 27, on which was the chief water supply, was under contract of sale at the time. Appel-lee was not sure whether he was told that the water supply land was contracted for sale or had been sold. The land could not have been sold without appellee executing deeds to it. Appellee stated, on cross-examination, that the Hagelstein to whom he talked told him that he had sold the water supply, and not that he had sold any particular tract. The Hagelsteins had the right under the contract to sell any and all of the tracts of land described therein. Appellee knew the land had not been sold because he had not executed a deed to it. There was a lease on the 9,000 acres when the contract was made, which did not expire until August, 1914. The-land, tract 27, was under contract of sale to a man named Zaywatski, when appellants told appellee that it was, and the contract was not declared forfeited until the fall of 1915.
The only clause in the contract between appellants and appellee under which appellee could claim the right to lease the land that. *463 had not been sold was paragraph 8, which provided:
•‘When any of said property is sold, purchaser shall fence the same off from adjoining land and the failure to fence the land, that he purchased, will not prevent the said first party from the use of the land that is unfenced and no ground for damages shall be had by them for the use of the land purchased; if they desire the absolute use of the land they purchase they will be required to fence it off.”
Appellants recognized the right of appellee to lease the upper, but not the lower, pasture. There had been, according to the testimony of appellants, a verbal agreement between the parties that no cattle were to be pastured on either tract.
“This 3,899.6 acres or the unsold portion thereof they are obligated to take, regardless of whether this contract shall be abrogated and annulled before the expiration of said 36 months.”
The fourth paragraph provides for the cancellation of the contract in case of failure to sell the requisite number of acres of land within the specified time, “but notwithstanding which the parties of the second part bind and obligate themselves to take and pay for, under the terms of this contract, the said 3,-
899.6 acres, or the unsold portions thereof.” The price was fixed at the excess price for one half of the land, that is, $25; the other half presumably to be paid for at the rate of $20 an acre. The contract recites that the
3.899.6 acres was fenced to itself. Appellants were compelled by the contract to take the Natascosa or lower ranch themselves, or to sell it, which was equivalent to a contract of sale to them at a certain price, which they could pay at any time at or before the expiration of 36 months.
The judgment of the lower court is reversed, and, as to what is known as the upper pasture, judgment is rendered in favor of appellee for the $225 tendered by appellants into court, that as to the lower pasture the cause is remanded, to be tried in consonance with this opinion, and that appellants recover all costs in this behalf expended in this and the lower court.
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Reference
- Full Case Name
- HAGELSTEIN Et Al. v. CAMPBELL
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published