Tucker v. McCullough
Tucker v. McCullough
Opinion of the Court
The appellant sued the ap-pellee to recover damages resulting from an alleged breach of a contract to convey land. In a trial before the court without a jury a judgment was rendered in favor of the defendant.
The court filed findings of fact, of which the following is the substance: On January 11, 1917, the parties to the suit entered into a written contract by the terms of which McCullough agreed to sell to Tucker his farm, consisting of 137 acres near Clarks-ville, in Red River county, on the basis of $70 per acre. There was also included in this sale some stock and farming implements at a specified additional consideration. The aggregate price of all the property was $10,590. Tucker agreed to purchase the property at the price named, and to give in part payment his home in Clarksville at an agreed value of $7,020; the remainder, $3,570, was to be paid by him in cash. Each party was to furnish the other with a complete abstract of title down to the date of the contract. It was also agreed between the parties that Tucker’s contract to purchase was conditioned upon his being able to borrow the sum of $5,500, upon terms named,
from D. H. Scott & Son of Paris, Tex., with the 137 acres as security therefor. It was agreed that if Tucker failed to secure the loan from Scott & Son, or from any other person, by January 15th, the contract was to become void. Another stipulation, however, was added, which provided that if from ■any cause Tucker could not secure the loan from Scott & Son he was to have until the 1st of February following to procure a loan from some other source. The contract was reduced to writing by D. A. Parker, the agent of Scott & Son at Clarksville, Tex. In pursuance of that agreement McCullough furnished the abstract of title, which was examined by Scott & Son, and returned by them with the statement that the title was satisfactory, but they desired that one of the tracts of land be surveyed in order to make-file field notes more definite. On January 15th McCullough called at the office of Parker in Clarksville for the purpose of completing the trade, provided Tucker’s abstract to his city property proved to be good. He was then informed by Parker that Scott & Son were satisfied with the title and were ready ito make the loan to Tucker, but desired a survey of a 32-acre tract in order to make the field notes more definite. According to the findings of the court based upon the testimony of McCullough, he made no agreement for a survey, but demanded a performance of the contract according to its terms. On January 21st McCullough notified Tucker, through Parker, that he considered their negotiations at an end, and demanded the surrender of his abstract and title papers. On January 27th the county surveyor, at the instance of Tucker, and without the knowledge of McCullough, made a survey of McCullough’s land, and found a shortage of 8¼ acres; and on January 30, 1917, through Parker, tendered McCullough a warranty deed, signed by himself and wife to his town property, and the sum of $2,992.-50 in cash in full payment of McCullough’s property, and demanded a conveyance of the farm, claiming credit for the shortage of 8⅛ acres. This offer was refused by McCullough, for the reason that the contract had by its terms expired on January 15th, and for the further reason that the sum of money tendered was not the full amount due under the contract. He denied that’ there was a shortage in the land as claimed by Tucker. There was no abstract of title tendered at that time by Tucker of his homestead property in the city. That property was then incumbered by a lien to secure the sum of $2,000. The court finds, however, that it was the purpose of Tucker to use the money secured from Scott & Son to pay off this lien, but at that time this had not been done. The court further finds that by surveys thereafter rn^de there was no shortage *237 in the acreage of McCullough’s land, and that the sum tendered hy Tucker at the time above mentioned was not the full amount agreed upon as the purchase price. On February 8th, the day on which this suit was filed, Tucker proposed to waive the shortage claimed by him and to pay the full amount of the purchase price according to the original agreement. This offer was refused by McCullough.
The court concluded that under the circumstances time was the essence of the contract, and that McCullough had a right to treat the negotiations as at an end. The record shows that the cash market value of the land at the time the tender was made by Tucker was $85 per acre, and at the time •of the trial was $100 per acre. '
We have carefully examined all of the assignments of error, and conclude that the judgment should be affirmed; and it is so ordered.
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Reference
- Full Case Name
- Tucker v. McCullough.
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- 3 cases
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- Published