State ex rel. Faucett v. Mackintosh
State ex rel. Faucett v. Mackintosh
Opinion of the Court
This is an application for a writ to prohibit one of the judges of the superior court of King county from entering a decree proposed by the defendant in the case of Faucett v. Northern Clay Company, and commanding the-court to enter a decree proposed by the plaintiff therein.
The facts are briefly as follows: The relator instituted an action in the superior court seeking to have a certain contract declared null and void, which contract was entered into-with the Northern Clay Company. That company answered the complaint and filed a cross-complaint in which it sought to have the contract specifically enforced. When the case-was tried, the lower court held that the contract was uncer
“With directions to the lower court to compel respondent to enter into a lease for a term of two years from and after the 8th day of March, 1914, or for such longer period as the parties may mutually agree upon, and at a rental to be fixed by agreement or by a .board of arbitrators as provided in the contract, unless, upon a rehearing of the case, the court sustains the charge that the contract was induced by fraud and is not binding upon him for that reason.” Faucett v. Northern Clay Co., 84 Wash. 882, 146 Pac. 857.
Thereafter the case was retried and resulted in a judgment in the lower court finding that the contract was void because of fraud. Thereupon an appeal was prosecuted from that judgment, and this court, after- considering all the evidence in the case, found there was not sufficient evidence of fraud, and again reversed the lower court and remanded the case with instructions “to enter a decree in accordance with our former opinion.” Faucett v. Northern Clay Co., 93 Wash. 289, 160 Pac. 643.
After the remittitur went down, the respondent here presented to the court a decree which the relator now seeks to prohibit the court from signing.. The relator also presented a decree which he seeks by this writ to require the court to sign. When the case was here upon the first appeal, we found that the contract was a valid contract and required the relator to perform the terms thereof, unless, upon a further trial of the case, the court sustained the charge that the contract was induced by fraud. A retrial was had and, upon appeal therefrom, we determined that there was no fraud, and directed the trial court to enter a judgment in accordance with the former opinion. It is plain that the result of these two decisions was a direction to the lower court to compel specific performance of the contract in question and to require the parties to enter into a lease for a term of two years from and after the 8th day of March, 1914, or for such long
It is argued by the relator that the decree proposed by the Northern Clay Company provides for specific performance of the contract sued on. It no doubt does so, and the decree which this court in 93 Wash. 239, supra, required to be entered was, in substance, a decree of specific performance of the contract between the parties.
The relator next argues that the decree proposed by the clay company provides that, if the parties are unable to-agree as to the terms of duration of the new lease commenc
The decree proposed by the Northern Clay Company provides that the lease shall
“contain a stipulation, among others, that, at the expiration of said lease, or as soon after the expiration thereof as may be if the period of said lease shall then have expired, the Northern Clay Company, its successors or assigns shall have the absolute option and right to purchase said premises from said James E. Faucett, his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns, provided that, if the contracting parties to such sale shall be unable to agree upon the value of the same, then each of said parties shall appoint an arbitrator, and the two arbitrators so appointed shall jointly select a third arbitrator and the three so chosen shall determine the fair and reasonable value of said land without the improvements as at the date of expiration of such lease, and that the contracting parties shall abide by their decision.”
Relator argues that this is making a new contract between the parties. The contract originally entered into between the parties to this litigation is clearly to the effect of that stipulation and it is proper to be inserted in the lease. We are of the opinion that a decree providing for this relief is in accordance with our direction upon the appeals herein-above referred to. After reading both the decree proposed by the relator and the decree proposed by counsel for the respondent, we are satisfied that the one proposed by the respondent, with the modifications which the trial court returns that he will make, is the proper one to be entered, because it preserves the rights of all the parties as provided for in the original contract, and we are of the opinion that the decree
The writ is therefore denied.
All concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.