Lone Star Immigration Co. v. Johnson
Lone Star Immigration Co. v. Johnson
Opinion of the Court
Appellee owned farms in Monroe county, Wis., and made a contract with appellant corporation, nonresident of Wisconsin, for exchange of the Wisconsin farms for a large tract of land of the corporation in Cameron county, Tex. Pursuant to the contract, appellee gave deed and possession of the Wisconsin lands, and proceeded to Texas with the intention of taking possession of the land there. Upon arrival there he had the tract surveyed, and concluded he had been deceived and defrauded by appellant. He notified appellant that he rescinded the contract, demanding that the Wisconsin farms be reconveyed to him. Upon appellant’s’ refusal, action was brought in Wisconsin, which resulted in a decree of cancellation of the contract, and reconveyance of the farms, and awarding appellee damages of $1,000.
The complaint was predicated upon allegation of appellant’s fraudulent representation to appellee to induce him to eater into the contract; that the Texas tract was all level, and could readily and advantageously be irrigated and used for agriculture, its agricultural and commercial value consisting very largely in its irrigability; that in fact the land was traversed by ravines and gullies, and was not reasonably capable of irrigation, nor fit for agriculture, and had practically none of the advantageous qualities which had been represented to appellee; that appellant knew the representations of irrigability and agricultural
It seems that appellee joined a land excursion party which appellant had organized for showing Texas lands to prospective buyers. The excursion was in charge of appellant’s agents, who likewise had charge of the party on its reaching Texas, and conducted the tours for inspecting land. There was evidence tending to show that ap-pellee was taken to what purported to be the land, and it was pointed out in a general way by appellant’s agents as extending to what looked like a row of posts in the distance. As a matter of fact, the tract as surveyed extended far beyond the posts, and considerable of the land as surveyed was not visible, because of a thick growth of underbrush which obstructed the view, and beyond the posts and hidden by the underbrush it seems the tract was traversed by depressions and. gullies, which according to evidence for appellee made about half the tract incapable of irrigation or agriculture and quite valueless'.. The representations of irrigability and- fitness for agriculture, and their important bearing on the value of the land, were admitted; but it is claimed for appellant that the land was in fact irrigable, that no misrepresentations were made, and that in any event appellee was at the land, and had full opportunity to observe and know its .character and possibilities, and as to him the rule “caveat emptor” applies; also that what was said on the subject of irrigability was not a representation of facts, but was at most an expression of opinion.
The evidence was largely oral, and the trial court had the advantage of hearing and seeing the witnesses. We find in the record no misap-lication of the law, and no reason for disturbing the court’s conclusion as to the facts.
The decree of the District Court is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- LONE STAR IMMIGRATION CO. v. JOHNSON
- Status
- Published