Fall & Sockeye Fish Co. v. Point Roberts Fishing & Canning Co.
Fall & Sockeye Fish Co. v. Point Roberts Fishing & Canning Co.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
In the year 1898 appellant was the owner of two pound net fishing locations off Point Roberts, in the Gulf of Georgia, in Whatcom county. These locations were commonly known as “House Trap” location and “Goodfellow Trap Ho. 12.” House trap location was west laterally a distance of 2,535 feet from another location known as the “Milligan Trap,” owned by respondent. The Goodfellow Trap Ho. 12 was west laterally 2,060 feet between the nearest points from House trap location. In the year 1898, the appellant company being insolvent, a receiver of said company was appointed by the superior court of Whatcom county, and said receiver took charge of these two locations, viz., House trap and Goodfellow Ho. ' 12, with other property. Subsequently, in February, 1899, under order of said court, said receiver sold the Goodfellow Ho. 12 to one E. W. Purdy, who, before the time of sale by the receiver to him, had agreed to sell to respondent. The-funds realized upon this sale liquidated all the debts of appellant, and the House trap location was by said receiver thereupon returned to appellant company. At the time the contracts of sale were entered into, it was not known by either appellant or Purdy, respondent or the receiver, that the two locations mentioned, viz., House trap and Goodfellow, were within the lateral limits allowed by law, viz., 2,400 feet. After the sale had been reported to the court, but before the purchase price had been paid to the receiver, on March 31, 1899, all the parties interested therein became aware of the fact that the locations were “too close,” but the exact distance was not known. When the 1899 locations were driven, subsequent to April, the
It appeared from the evidence at the trial that the water to the east of House trap location, sufficiently far to be outside of the limit of the Milligan location, is beyond the depth wherein traps are permitted by law; so that, in order to exist in compliance with the said law, either the Good-fellow must move westward or House trap location must be abandoned entirely, and the question, presented on this appeal is whether or not respondent, at the time o'f purchase, was bound to take notice of the distance of Good-fellow trap Ho. 12 from House trap location, notwithstanding the receiver had impliedly represented that the said Goodfellow trap was a legal location, and that he would convey the “unincumbered title to said property to the purchaser.” All the authorities cited by both appellant and respondent go to this question. It is conceded by respondent that the rule of caveat emptor ordinarily applies to judicial sales, but it is contended that the rule does not apply here, for the reason that before the sale by order of the court, but after the agreement of sale had been entered into between the receiver and said Purdy, said receiver called a meeting of the stockholders of appellant company, and explained to them the terms and conditions of the sale,
It purchased with eyes open. It was at liberty to investigate. In fact, the record shows' that previous 'to that time it had had surveys made which showed the relative positions of all the locations in the vicinity of its purchase, and had better facilities and means of knowing the exact location of Groodfellow Ho. 12 with reference to other locations, and better facilities for knowing the exact distances between said traps, than appellant had. There was no latent defect in the location of these traps. The defect, if any at all existed, was open. The property was within its reach, in easy distance, and in plain view; the defect
The cause will be reversed, with instructions to the lower court to enter a decree in accordance with this opinion.
Reavis, O. J., and Fullerton and Anders, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Fall and Sockeye Fish Company v. Point Roberts Fishing and Canning Company
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- FISH AND FISHERIES-LOCATION OF TRAPS-SALE- CAVEAT EMPTOR -EIGHTS OF PURCHASER. Where plaintiff purchased at a receiver’s sale one of two fish traps owned ana operated by defendant, with actual knowledge that the two locations were within the lateral limits allowed by statute, the rule of caveat emptor applies, and plaintiff having purchased with knowledge of the defect must be satisfied therewith, and is not entitled to enjoin defendant from operating its remaining trap within the statutory distance of 2,400 feet from the one purchased by plaintiff, but its remedy is restricted to restraining defendant from moving its trap location closer than it was at the time of sale.