Gerard-Fillio Co. v. McNair
Gerard-Fillio Co. v. McNair
Opinion of the Court
— The respondent brought this action to recover six hundred dollars claimed by it to be the balance due upon a commission for bringing about an exchange of properties between appellants and third parties.
The facts are set forth in detail in Gerard-Fillio Co. v. McNair, 68 Wash. 321, 123 Pac. 462, where we were called upon to review a judgment granted respondent upon the pleadings. That judgment was reversed with instructions to the lower court to proceed with the trial, the court holding that appellants were entitled to put in their proof and to a judgment in their favor, if sustaining the allegations of their affirmative answer pleading a subsequent partly performed oral modification of the original written contract. Under this direction, the case has been tried, the court awarded respondent a judgment for four hundred dollars, and both parties appealed.
The original contract being admitted, it is evident that
Both parties complain of this judgment, appellants contending the court was in error in awarding judgment in any sum upon the theory that they had sustained the affirmative defenses, and respondent contending that, under its findings, the court should have awarded it judgment for six hundred dollars. There was but one issue before the court. The respondent was entitled to judgment of six hundred dollars or nothing. There is no theory known to the law under , which the judgment granted can be sustained. When a litigant comes into court pleading a specific contract as his right of recovery, there is no question of equity as between the parties submitted to the court. Such litigant must rely on the contract pleaded or not at all. The court cannot make a new contract or substitute its opinion of values for that expressed in the contract. The contract being admitted, and the court
We believe the court was right in its finding that the affirmative defenses had not been sustained. It only remains to direct the proper judgment. The judgment is reversed and set aside and the cause remanded with instructions to the lower court to enter judgment for respondent in the sum of $600.
Ellis, Main, and Fullerton, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Gerard-Fillio Company, Incorporated v. James McNair
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Brokers — Actions—Issues and Proof — Judgment. In an action upon a written contract for a broker’s commission, where the contract sued on was admitted and defendants’ affirmative defense of a subsequent'modification was not sustained, it is error for the court to grant judgment for the amount it considers reasonable for the services rendered, rather than for the specific sum agreed upon.