Roy v. Vaughan
Roy v. Vaughan
Opinion of the Court
On February 23, 1909, respondents entered into a contract with Henry Dreffield for the sale and purchase of approximately fifteen acres of land, at $225 per acre. Two hundred dollars was paid in cash, the balance to he paid in five installments, one-fourth of the entire amount on May 1, 1909, and the remainder to he divided into four payments, due February
Vaughan and Lindsey appeal, and argue that respondents are not entitled to a lien as awarded in the decree, because, in this state, the vendor has .no lien
“no sensible distinction between the case of a legal title conveyed to secure the payment of a debt, and a legal title retained to secure payment.” Jones, Liens (3d ed.), §1108.
See, also, Shelton v. Jones, 4 Wash. 692, 30 Pac. 1061; St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Co. v. Bolton, 5 Wash. 763, 32 Pac. 787; Baker v. Sinclaire, 22 Wash. 462, 61 Pac. 170; Taylor v. Interstate Inv. Co., 75 Wash. 490, 135 Pac. 240.
The remaining contention, that respondents are hound by their first complaint as an election of remedies, is equally without merit. The first complaint sought a forfeiture. This, under the record here, could not have been maintained. The obligations of the contract were mutual, concurrent, and dependent. In such cases, we have said many times that neither party could put the other in default or establish a forfeiture
Complaint is also made against the finding that the contract was modified by respondents and Dreffield. There is no reason in law why, under the facts, such a modification would not be recognized, it having been fully executed and performed, and as to the facts, we see no reason why we should disturb the finding.
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Felix Roy v. E. H. Vaughan
- Cited By
- 14 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Vendor and Purchaser — Contracts — Default — Remedies of Vendor. Upon default in payment upon an ordinary contract for the sale of land wherein the vendor retains legal title as security for the payment of the purchase price, the vendor may affirm the contract and seek enforcement by either suing at law or foreclosing in equity, as in the case of a mortgage, in which case the judgment may make the amount due a lien upon the property. Election of Remedies — Amendment of Complaint. Where a vendor’s remedy hy forfeiture of a contract was unavailable because of the failure to tender a deed before suit brought, his complaint for a forfeiture cannot be set up as an effectual election of remedies to bar an amended complaint affirming the contract and seeking foreclosure and recovery of the purchase price; since a mistake in a remedy is not an election. Vendor and Purchaser — Modification of Contract — Validity. An oral modification of a contract for the sale of land, fully executed and performed, will be recognized as valid.