Nolte-Flint, Inc. v. Water-Wisconsin Co.
Nolte-Flint, Inc. v. Water-Wisconsin Co.
Opinion of the Court
The plaintiff is engaged in the securities business in the city of Milwaukee. The defendant is the owner of a long-term lease on what is known as the Bankers Building in Milwaukee, and is engaged in the management and rental of office space in the building. Plaintiff was solicited by an employee of the defendant to take space in the Bankers Building. Negotiations resulted in the preparation in duplicate by the defendant in February, 1935, of a lease, which was upon the defendant’s standard printed form. As prepared, it called for a three-year term from May 1, 1935, to April 30, 1938, at a rental of $100 per month, to be paid in advance on the first day of each month. The plaintiff suggested some changes in the provisions of the lease as prepared, and attached a rider thereto and delivered the same to the defendant’s agent. On March 6, 1935, the defendant’s agent brought back the amended lease, stated to the plaintiff that the rider had been accepted, and requested the plaintiff’s officers to sign the lease, which they did, and delivered the lease signed by them with their check for $100 to defendant’s agent. The facts from this point on are in dispute, and the findings of fact are not specific, but as supplemented by the opinion of the trial court it appears that the trial court regarded the following facts as established : At the time the lease was returned to the defendant it was not signed by the president of the defendant company as claimed by plaintiff, it appearing that during the interval the president was out of the city of Milwaukee and did not return until the 11th of March, on which day he did sign the lease. The court further held that there was never at any time a manual delivery of the lease. The plaintiff argues, however, upon the facts as found by the trial court, that there was an implied delivery and that thereby the defendant manifested to the plaintiff its assent to the terms of the lease. The facts relied upon by the plaintiff are: First, that the defendant on March 12, 1935, the day after its president signed the lease, cashed a check for $100 issued by
The court found that the check was cashed through an error of an employee, it having become detached from the documents. The court further found that the booths, the removal of which the plaintiff claims was a manifestation of assent, were removed by the owner of the booths, Northwestern Furniture Company, pursuant to a court order, the booths being the property of that company; that the removal of certain tinwork from the ventilating system was begun before and continued after the negotiations with reference to the lease and was incident to certain necessary repairs being made in the building.
It appears from the testimony that it was the custom of the defendant in execution of the lease to have the same signed by the president after it had been signed by the proposed tenant. The lease was then turned over to the secretary of the company for investigation. If the result of the investigation made by the secretary was favorable, he signed the lease and attached the seal of the company, whereupon one of the copies would be delivered to the tenant. In this case that procedure was followed. The secretary made the investigation, concluded that the plaintiff was not a desirable tenant, and on March 20, 1935, the plaintiff was informed that the lease would not be executed, and on that day the defendant tendered back to plaintiff $100, which as defendant claimed was taken as a deposit and not as the first month’s rent.
The finding of the trial court that there was no implied delivery of the lease is clearly sustained by the evidence. The acts which the plaintiff claims amount to an implied
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Nolte-Flint, Inc. v. Water-Wisconsin Company
- Status
- Published